Trip Report *COMPLETED* That time I paid for a dessert party and couldn't eat anything: I Kidani you not! A December 2018 trip report

Hello All! This is my first trip report, so please bear with me! I have loved reading all of your trip reports on here for a long time and may (just may) be slightly obsessed with them. So, here goes my crack at it.
I guess I'll start with the basics:
Who: Myself (Katie), my husband (Mike), and our 8 year old son (Ben). We are from Michigan and I am the major Disney fanatic in the family. Mike mostly just goes along for the ride to keep me happy, but he does enjoy it, too. And Ben of course loves our trips as well. This was his third trip so far, as we have been going every two years. I would love to go more often, but convincing Mike to do yearly trips hasn't happened yet. I mean, what's his problem?!

When: Dec 1st-Dec8th. We have historically gone the week before Thanksgiving, but decided to give the first week of December a try this time. I like going this time of year because of the cooler weather. I cannot handle walking around in the heat and humidity of Florida. I give major props to all those on this forum that go during the summer! Ben missed a week of school, but I'm ok with that. He's in 2nd grade right now and his teacher had given him a homework packet to do on the trip.

Where: Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village. Standard view studio. This was our first time staying at AKL. We decided to rent DVC points this year, which was also a first. We went through DVC Rental Store and it was a very easy and good experience. We ended up saving quite a bit on the room as compared to booking rack rate. However, it was still a bit pricey, so I opted for the studio room (1 Queen bed with pull out couch) with a standard view to save a little more money. Since there are only three of us, we don't really need that much room.
Also, I am a veterinary technician with a degree in zoology, so anything animal related is totally up my alley!!

Saturday, December 8th:

We left Detroit Metro airport around 10am on Saturday. The flight was uneventful and we landed at MCO a little ahead of schedule.

I had been debating prior to our trip about whether to have Magical Express take our luggage to the resort or just do it ourselves. I had packed our carry-ons with bathing suits and change of clothes, just in case we didn't have our main bags and wanted to go swimming when we got to the resort. We have had them handle our luggage in the past, but I know it can take a long time sometimes. However, on our way to the airport I suddenly remembered that I had left our ME luggage tags at the house. Mike asked if I wanted to turn around, but we were already on the freeway so I just figured we'd take our own bags after all.
When we got to the Magical Express area at MCO....IT.WAS.INSANE!!! Now, we have used ME many times in the past and we've never had the luxury of just walking onto a half full bus, and we have always had to wait in some sort of line before getting on the bus. In fact, I keep telling Mike that I read on here all the time about people just sauntering on to the ME bus, no lines, and he thinks I'm full of it . I kept saying "Maybe we'll get lucky like the folks on my Disney blog"! Well, that was definitely not going to be the case today. I have never seen the line so long and crazy. It was stretched out way past the elevators and you couldn't even see the ME check point. CMs were trying to guide people into some sort of organized lines. It probably took a good hour before we were on the bus! Ben got on and wanted the very last seat on the bus. You know, the one directly next to the bathroom . But, soon we were on our way. We stopped at Coronado Springs first and then AKL Jambo House, and then AKL Kidani Village.
When I stepped off the bus, it was warm, overcast, and a little windy. As I waited for our bags from the bus, I just kept looking around like "Oh my god, I cannot believe I am finally here!". After so much time planning this trip, we were here! And the sounds and smells from AKL were so wonderful, I may have teared up just a little.
Here are some pics I took from the front of the lobby area

Light fixture for @Doc Disney !

I had received a text while on the ME that our room was ready. I was crossing my fingers for a partial savannah view room and had put in a room request as well, but I knew it was a long shot. No need to check in at the front desk, so we went directly to our room on the 5th floor. I knew as soon as I stepped off the elevator that I would not be getting my wish, but that's ok.
Our room was very nice. It had a balcony that faced the hotel entrance, so while there may not have been animals, it was at least good people watching! Our room had a queen bed, a pull out couch, a small kitchenette area with microwave, mini fridge, sink, and toaster. The bathroom was pretty standard, but nice. Everything was clean.

 

[KatieLVT]

Take a look at the detailed view of your photos. Make sure the "Type" of your photo is PNG or JPG. Usually the upload function limits your options to acceptable files but stranger things have happened.
View attachment 336780

OMG this is it!! So, it appears that half my pics are a HEIC file? I don't even know what that is! Also, I cannot figure out for the life of me how to save them as a JPG or PNG. Any thoughts? Thank you!!

 

[KatieLVT]

Ok, I think I figured it out. Thanks to YouTube and @lostpro9het 's free tech support! Hopefully I will be able to get back to my report once I convert these files.

 

[KatieLVT]

AK Continued:

Ok, so after we left the macaws, we headed toward Africa for our first FP of the day: Kilamanjaro Safaris. But, not before stopping to see some kangaroo and stork buddies.

We passed this lady on the way.

On to our two week safari!

I'll try not to bore you will too many safari animal pics. I actually restrained myself and didn't take too many this time. But, sometimes I can't resist!

After our safari, we did the trails for a while. Ben was also still trying to finish up his Wilderness Explorer book from 2014! Yes, the same book. We found out it was updated this trip with Pandora stations. So, we got a new book for the new badges, but used the old book for the original ones. Unfortunately, we found out that the music badge (I think?) was discontinued. So, Ben was able to complete the entire book, minus one, in the span of 4 years!

Ben had no idea why I was making him stand here for a picture. My turn next!

Next, we must have wandered over to a gift shop and Ben played some of the instruments.

I thought this cutting board was really cool, but didn't purchase.

 

[KatieLVT]

Mr. Benjamin, at your service!

Next, we found a photo pass photographer so stopped for some family pics. The guy told me to put my hand on Mike's chest. Mishearing him, I put my hand on my own chest like I was going to recite the pledge of allegiance! The guy's like "No! HIS chest!"

I thought the magic shots were kind of cute.

Oops, I was wrong before out the order of events. We did the animal trails after this. Here is a tiger pic (Soooo cute!!) and a pretty bird.

I remember now that we had a FP for Everest, but it was down. So, we headed over to get some lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. We tried mobile order for the first time and it was pretty great. Our food was ready about 1 minute after I said we were there. But, it also wasn't incredibly busy. Still, busy enough that it saved us time in the end. And also, it's easier to peruse the menus on your phone instead of while you're standing in line.

I got the Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese. This was SO good!!

Mike ordered the Pulled Pork Fries. They were good too, but we both agreed that the mac and cheese was far superior.

I'm sure Ben got a burger, which is why there's no picture.

Everest, are you open yet?

 

[KatieLVT]

AK Day Continued:
Sorry for the delay. Let's get this report going!

So, after lunch we went over to Dinoland to kill some time before our next FP I think. Ben played in the Bone Yard if I remember correctly.

We saw Scrooge McDuck and Lunchpad McQuack, but the lines were pretty long so we skipped that. Next it was time for the FP we'd all been waiting for...Flight of Passage!!

This was AMAZING!!! I was kind of worried about all the hype this attraction has received, but it totally lived up to it. Just WOW! However, having said that...I still wouldn't wait the ridiculous amounts of time I've seen the standby que up to. 2-3 hours for a ride? No thanks!

We then walked around Pandora and took in some sights.

Ben really liked the big plant that shot water out

We came across a Photo Pass guy so we stopped. I was hoping it was a magic shot, but no luck.

Ok, you guys...this was the most awkward photo pass area ever! The log to sit on was super uncomfortable and really hard to balance on without looking silly. Then to position us all together and lean in was even worse. There's like 4-5 pics of us and they're all so weird. The photographer wasn't even telling us where to look or give us any direction.

Hence this gem:

The line for Navi River was totally insane and I had read numerous reports that it was not worth more than a 20 minute wait. I was never able to snag a FP for it either, so we never did end up riding it during our trip. Oh well...next time!

I was on a mission next. I was really wanting a pineapple lumpia from Pongu Pongu. However, despite being a very small land, I could not find it for the life of me! We were literally walking in circles and looking at our maps like the dumbest of tourists and still couldn't find it! Finally, after what felt like at least 112 laps around Pandora, Mike spotted it behind the big mechanical suit guy. We were standing about 10 feet away from it and never saw it!

But, again, I had a confusing conversation with the CM while ordering. The lumpia was no problem. But, then I ordered a margarita. The CM at the counter, who was very nice, kept repeating "margarita?" to me. And I kept saying yes. She repeated it about 3 times and I kept confirming it. It was also very loud in the area and the CM had an accent so it was a bit awkward. But, finally we figured it out and I paid. I wasn't really paying attention to the amount, either.

Well, she gave me my order and turns out what she was actually asking me was if I wanted the BIG margarita with the souvenir glass and glow cube, or the regular one. I thought I was getting the regular one. NOPE!

I forgot to take a picture, so I found one from online.

Photo credit: chipandco.com

This was good, but huge! Mike had ordered a beer, so he only had a few sips of mine. Plus, now I had to carry around a giant glass and a glow cube (pod?). Haha! Oops! The pineapple lumpia was good, too. I would definitely get one again.

Next up: the rest of AK, plus the backstory to my report title

 

[KatieLVT]

Next, we headed over to Everest, which was finally up and running again. The FP was loooonnnggg:

But, it moved surprisingly quickly and soon we were ready to board our car. Ben decided he wanted to ride with me. The CM asked if the first car would be ok. Since this was Ben's first ride, I declined and he put us farther back. The was another ride that totally lives up to the hype!! We all loved it! Unfortunately, the ride photo of Ben and I didn't load. He was SOO upset. He really wanted a pic from his very first Everest ride. We even stopped by the photo services area on the way out of the park and they gave me a card with the email and phone number to try and hunt it down. I have still yet to see it. But, we would ride again later in the week, so it was ok.

We headed over to Dino Land again so Mike and Ben could ride Primevil Whirl. This is a definite NO GO for me and refuse to ride....at least I thought I refused. Stay tuned for that.

But, I waited while they whirled and then we got some ice cream.

We decided to head out. On the way we stopped and saw this beauty. A babirusa! I believe this is a female since I can't make out any protruding tusks. So cute! But, she refused to look up for my pic.

More beautiful macaws

We headed back to the resort for a rest before heading out to Epcot later that night.

But, let me fill you in on the back story for my TR title. I'm so sorry if this is boring, I'm trying to make it not so word heavy, but it's hard.
Anyway, before the trip I asked my doctor to prescribe something for motion sickness, since I have a history of getting sick on planes and also certain rides. Especially screen based rides or anything that twirls. Normally, I can just avoid those rides or close my eyes, but I was really looking forward to Flight of Passage and was so worried about it making me sick. I even get queasy on Soarin' and Star Tours is a mess. So, she gave me a scopolamine patch to wear behind my ear. I thought this sounded like a great idea. No pills to take, and one patch can last 3 days. I put it on before our flight and I felt great.

About 24 hours after wearing it, I realized I was extremely thirsty. Like, walking through the Sahara dehydrated. I was downing a ridiculous amount of water and still my mouth felt like sand paper. It was disgusting! I know dry mouth is a side effect of the patch, but this was more than that. I could barely even chew food at times and even talking was becoming difficult. And when I did eat things, they had either no taste or an odd taste to them. It was really starting to ruin my vacation. But, we still hadn't ridden FOP yet, so I was afraid to take it off.

Then, the morning we were going to AK, I realized how silly this was. I was wearing the patch for the sole reason to not be sick on one ride. Yet, the side effects were worse than actually feeling sick for a short amount of time! I made the decision to take the patch off and hope for the best. I knew it would take a while for the medication to leave my system, so I was actually fine for FOP.
Would it remain that way??? Stay tuned for our next day's adventures!

But, before that....Epcot!

 

[Pardonmypixiedust]

you're doing great for your first TR! looking forward to the rest.

 

[Spash007]

OMG this is it!! So, it appears that half my pics are a HEIC file? I don't even know what that is! Also, I cannot figure out for the life of me how to save them as a JPG or PNG. Any thoughts? Thank you!!

Enjoying your report! I also ran into this problem yesterday - one of the 10 pictures I downloaded came through as a HEIC file, but I just re-downloaded that one and it came through as a JPG. Very bizarre

 

[LisaBelle]

I’m enjoying your report. I love AKL. We stayed there on our first family trip. It is a beautiful resort and we loved watching the animals on the savannah.
So glad you were able to ride FOP and EE. Sorry to hear about the side effects from the patch. Hope they cleared up quickly.

 

[KatieLVT]

I’m enjoying your report. I love AKL. We stayed there on our first family trip. It is a beautiful resort and we loved watching the animals on the savannah.
So glad you were able to ride FOP and EE. Sorry to hear about the side effects from the patch. Hope they cleared up quickly.

Thanks for following along! I'm so glad I was able to ride them as well. So awesome!

 

[KatieLVT]

I promise to finish up this report soon. Time is getting away from me and it's been busy at home. I never realized how much time it takes to write one of these. Hats off to the regulars that do it all the time! To be continued...

 

[KatieLVT]

Ok….let's finish up this day at least!
Dec 4, Epcot at Night:

After a rest at the resort, we had plans to watch Illuminations that night. First, we walked over to Jambo House for some dinner. We ended up at The Mara again. I know we got a burger and some chicken tenders. Not very exciting. We stopped to get a couple pictures in front of the Christmas tree in the lobby.

Then we headed out to the bus stop. We walked around Epcot for a while, just enjoying the nice night and weather. We walked over to World Showcase, but first we got another pic in front of another tree!

Now for Illuminations! We didn't stake out a spot or anything, but we ended up on the bridge by the International Gateway. There was a little spot open by the railing and we hung out there. I ran off to grab some coffee for Mike and I while we waited. I ended up going over to France and Les Halles. It was crazy busy in there with a long line. Then I noticed they have that coffee window there and no one was there. So, I walked over and asked the CM inside if I could just order a coffee here instead of waiting in line. She said sure and had me walk around to the bakery side, but at the front of the line. I got two cappuccinos and was on my way.

It has been forever since I have seen Illuminations and Ben had never seen it. We all enjoyed it, but we all agreed it was not our favorite nighttime Disney show.

Please excuse another picture with my giant finger in the way. Seriously, what is wrong with me?

Afterward, we headed out with all the rest of the gang. This time we opted for a Lyft instead of the bus to get back. It was very convenient and probably saved us up to an hour of transportation time. Then it was back to bed to rest up for another day.

 

[Rista1313]

Afterward, we headed out with all the rest of the gang. This time we opted for a Lyft instead of the bus to get back. It was very convenient and probably saved us up to an hour of transportation time.

I've devised a plan to save my Speedway points for uber giftcards .... I know we will want to use them when we are there.

 

[KatieLVT]

Wed Dec 5th: Hollywood Studios

The next morning we woke to a very chilly Orlando. So, we bundled up in sweatshirts and jeans and caught the bus to Hollywood Studios.

This was the first time we would be seeing Toy Story land and we were all excited for that. It was also going to be the first time Ben would ride Rock N' Roller Coaster and that was our first FP of the day. He rode his first upside down roller coaster over the summer at camp, so he was ready for it!

We was still nervous when we got in the line though. He rode with me and Mike rode in the seat in front of us. And then we were off!

I think this is my favorite on-ride photo ever! Ben's face cracks me up every time I look at it.

He ended up loving it though and was yelling "Rock and roll!!" through the whole ride. It was pretty cute, I have to say.

Flossing

Next, we walked over to Toy Story Land to check it out. I liked these decorations on the way

I had a FP for Slinky Dog later in the day, so we just walked around checked things out

 

[KatieLVT]

It was very windy this day, too. There were these gigantic leaves blowing around and bunch of kids were chasing them. Ben carried his around all day and back to the hotel later!

I really liked TSL. The Christmas decorations were very cute, too.

Helping the army guy hold up Ham

We saw the green army men marching by. They were even wearing Christmas attire!

I had really wanted to stop at Woody's Lunchbox, but we were getting close to lunchtime and we had an ADR soon. So...I guess I will have to wait until next time

Up Next: Sci-Fi, glow cubes, and Slinky Dog's rear end!

 

[KatieLVT]

While waiting for our ADR, we stopped by One Man's Dream (is that what it's called?). I always like walking through here.

Finally, it was time for our ADR for lunch. Where would it be?

We love Sci-Fi! And I know the food gets a bad rap, but honestly, I think as long as you stick to the basics like burgers and sandwiches it's very good.

We waited a few minutes for our car, but since our reservation was right after they opened, it wasn't too bad. Since it was chilly out, they had hot chocolate instead of water while we waited.

Mike and Ben sat in the front seat and I was the hitch-hiker in the back. So, I only got pics of my food. And even that was not too great. It's so dark in there!

I got the Classic American Burger and fries. It was very good!

I also got the Orbiting Oreos milkshake. Oreo Shake mixed with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and a souvenir Glow Cube. Another glow cube!

Delicious!!

 

[KatieLVT]

After we had our share of food and old movie trailers, we headed back out into the sun. I know at some point Mike and Ben rode Star Tours while I waited for them.

Then, we ran into some friends

We went into Launch Bay and walked around a little. For some reason, Ben did not want to meet Chewbacca. I think Mike was pretty disappointed, he kept trying to change his mind. But, Ben stuck to his guns and wouldn't go. I'm not sure why. He met Kylo Ren last time, which was way scarier than Chewie.

Finally, it was time for our FP for Slinky Dog! I think I was most excited for this ride. It looked so fun!

Ben and Mike got the last car (aka Slinky's rear). Ben was super excited...he said "Yes! We'll go even faster because we'll have extra toot power!"

This ride was SOOO fun!! It was actually longer than I thought and so smooth. I would have definitely ridden more times, but I could never snag another FP.

That's me in the gray. I accidentally stepped on and smashed the foot of the poor guy sitting next to me as I was getting in to the car. Oops!

Mike and Ben with "extra toot power"

 

[KatieLVT]

So, even though I kept trying to modify my FPs, I could not get one for Toy Story Mania. So, on the way out of TSL, we decided to give stand by a shot. I think it was posted as 30 minutes. But, we ended up waiting about 40. I think this was the longest line we waited in the entire trip.
I rode by myself. Here's my sad score!

We got a photo pass pic on the way out

It was late in the afternoon, so we headed out of the park. Man, that walk to the buses is brutal!! I can't imagine what it was like in the middle of summer!

Up next: MK and the reason for my TR title!

 

[KatieLVT]

I almost forgot about the bus ride back from HS! So, we get on the bus and the driver is "Walt". Now, I swear that I have read on here about this guy and how annoying he is. It's either been on here or another blog, but I'm pretty sure he's made an appearance in other TRs here, but correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyhoo...this guy was over.the.top! Like, he was nice and all and I'm sure he is just trying to lighten the mood and make his job more interesting. But, honestly he talked The. Entire. Ride. Home. Nonstop. About Disney "facts" and "jokes". There were some legitimate laughs on board, but mostly polite giggling. I know he meant well, but seriously he was out of control. I just want to get back to the hotel, dude!!


Anyway, after the bus ride and a rest at the hotel, the plan was to head back to MK for the evening. Each trip I try it to do something different that we haven't done before. So, this time I opted to try the Plaza Garden View Dessert Party. I had heard great things about it and not having to contend with crowds for Happily Ever After sounded like a good idea to me. We had done the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam dessert party the first year it was offered. And actually the first night it was offered, too. I was not a fan, but it was probably due to the newness of it.

So, like I had mentioned previously I had opted to take the motion-sickness patch off the day before. I had been feeling fine for the most part. However, as we took the bus over to MK, I got seriously sick. I sometimes do feel queasy on the buses, especially if I'm sitting side ways. This time, I was sitting sideways, it was super crowded, and very hot with the heat cranked all the way up. I knew immediately after the bust started moving that it wasn't going to be good. I just sat there trying my very hardest not to be sick. Lucky, I wasn't, but it was a close call. As soon as we were able to get off the bus, I dashed off and sat on a ledge just breathing in the cold air. I felt miserable!

I figured walking around the park for a bit would help some. So, we wandered off and did Buzz Lightyear (which, probably wasn't the best idea, but did yield some pretty funny pictures).

We walked around some more and got some cool night time pictures

Yes, my kid is wearing his slap bracelet like a dog collar

I could look at this view forever!

It was actually pretty cold this evening, at least for me. I was all bundled up, but I took off my jacket for the picture so I wouldn't look like a marshmallow!

Soon it was time to check in for the party. The CMs running the check in were very nice and friendly and led us to our seats in the Tomorrowland Terrace. The tables were assigned and each had a reserved sign on them, real table cloths, and votives. The CM also showed us around the food buffet areas and pointed out the different stations. They had a decorate your own cookie station and a make your own smore station. And then tons of desserts and some savory options, too. There was also a station with non-alcoholic drinks, including POG juice! The one downside of the party was no alcohol, but I get it. It's MK and I think they're just trying to keep it tamer than the other parks' dessert parties.

So, all this delicious food and drink as far as the eye can see. But, you guys....I was feeling SO sick and nauseated. Even the smells of the food was turning my stomach. I was so mad!! Here I spent all this extra money and couldn't eat a bite. Literally. Mike and Ben ate and they said most of the things were good. I tried to take pictures, but I was feeling so crummy that I mostly just sat and sipped hot tea and felt sorry for myself.

 

[KatieLVT]

More dessert party:

Here's a plate of some things Mike and Ben had. A Mickey mousse push-up, rice krispie treat, macarons, a brownie thing, and a cheesecake bite.

Ben liked the s'more station. Here he is with his creation

Some of the savory items they had were cheese and cracker and cheeseburger eggrolls. They also had warm spinach dip. Mike thought I should try the eggroll to see if my stomach would feel better if I ate something. I took one bite and had to spit it into my napkin, it immediately made my stomach turn. I don't blame that on the eggroll, though.

The chocolate-covered strawberries were so pretty

Now, despite feeling sick, I was determined to try the Ooey Gooey Toffee cake. It was there, and embarrassingly enough, was one of the reasons I wanted to do the party. So, I ventured off to get a plate. I think I took a couple tiny bites. It was really good, but I just couldn't enjoy it. Such a waste.

Behold the beauty!