Trip Report We'll Do As Dreamers Do... *COMPLETED*

Another fall has arrived at Walt Disney World, and so have we! For our 4th annual September trip, we returned to the basics that we fell in love with. A lot of resort hopping, getting a little wet at the water parks, and food (snack credits...so many...help!) It was a wonderful 9 days, and I can't believe I have room in my heart to love Disney even more, each and every time. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing these. Let the memories begin!

The cast: My husband, J, and I. People call us Mickey & Minnie.

Travel dates: September 3rd - September 11th, staying at All Star Music.

Pre-trip report: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/weve-fall-in-in-love.913624/

We began with the earliest flight I could possibly find, getting us into the promised land at 8:30 AM. Win! With a speedy check-in at All Star Music, we were off to Animal Kingdom...Lodge!

For the first time ever, we decided to take an entire non-park day to fulfill a bunch of dreams that we've always had on our bucketlist. We did so on our first day because it was the Saturday of a holiday weekend and hoped to avoid the crowds that way.

It definitely felt weird not heading straight to a park to begin the trip, but I really did appreciate the relaxing start. Just us and a quiet, beautiful morning sky at AKL.

Still in awe at how unique of an experience it must be to stay at AKL. It will be done in this lifetime!

On the way to 'breakfast' at The Mara (yup, I'm already talking about food), we passed by this beautiful waterfall area that I didn't notice the last time we were here. I was instantly wowed - the reality of it is that Disney can truly transport me to another place.

The Mara is the perfect stop for breakfast, because the perfect breakfast is...

Zebra Domes! Been absolutely CRAVING these for the past two years, and the time has finally come. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

J points out that I look ridiculous when photographing my food, but I needed to remember this moment.

We sat by the pool and snacked, not truly believing that we were here yet. It always takes a while to sink in, but what is perceived as mere decoration and foliage always mean something a little more to me.

The day had started off cool, but you could already feel that Florida heat doing work. Not fully acclimated yet, we retreated to the great indoors of Jambo House to look around some more.

Next stop...Kidani Village!

 

[belledream]

Here we are! (Please excuse my camera - I have a love-hate relationship with it, but understand it does the best it can.)

We had a little time before our lunch reservation, so we took in the little details of the smaller, but no-less-magnificent lobby of Kidani.

Outside was looking beautiful. Can you believe there was a hurricane yesterday? If you've noticed the timeline, we arrived the day after the worst. Very grateful.

Love the lanterns. I just know it's one of those things that is going to 'bring me back.'

We spent way too much time watching this cast member water this tortoise. It was so entertaining - he was doing things like stretching and looked like he was truly enjoying himself!

LUNCH TIME IS HERE! And it's at Sanaa! Finally! We get to try Sanaa! Have not seen a negative review of this place, and was totally ready to experience it for myself.

As I try not to look at pictures of new things, and opt to experience them with my own eyes, I was truly impressed with the décor of the restaurant. I remember just grinning, nonstop.

We sat down to a lovely window table for two, and had our first animal sighting. According to our waiter...it is the West African Floridian Rabbit.

The animal viewing was not as close as I was led to believe, but thank you zoom feature! And thank you Disney for posting menus online so that we may spend the next 365 days deciding what we want to eat so we can order right when our waiter comes. Yes, we must look way too excited.

J chose the Tandoori Chicken, which looked absolutely beautiful. The only thing I couldn't like was the cucumber flavor of the sauce. I just hate cucumbers so much.

I went for the Kenya Coffee Barbeque Sandwich, which was very enjoyable! The coffee flavor was very prominent and nice change to the usual pork BBQ flavor I'm used to. I would have liked more slaw on top! And I liked the pickle. Yes, I like pickles and not cucumbers. J thinks that blasphemous. Is it? They taste totally different!!!

 

[belledream]

It began raining during lunch.

This guy walked slowly across our line of sight. His body language was all hunched. He definitely looked grumpy.

These guys didn't seem to mind though.

And just like that, the rain stopped. We finished up our meal with no room for dessert...I guess we kind of ate dessert first. But it was a great start to the trip! We loved Boma so much, it was hard to pass up a visit there, but this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to try Sanaa and we're very glad we did!

When we stepped outside again, it wasn't just raining this time. It was pouring! Thank goodness for those covered bus stops at Deluxe resorts right? When I glimpsed the top of Cinderella's Castle whilst on the bus ride to Magic Kingdom, I had an audible, involuntary gasp and heart flutter of excitement. Seeing the castle for the first time (no matter how) always gets me.

The sights and sounds were all so familiar and tempting...but we headed along the walkway to Contemporary Resort.

We wandered towards the backside of the resort because we had something on our minds.

For years, we had seen the little boats zooming around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon and always thought they would be fun to try. Well, this could finally be our time!

But would the weather hold up? We would really hate to be caught out there in a downpour, looking and feeling like a real mess.

We were close, but decided to make our way inside Contemporary to mull it out some more. It's always so lively and busy inside. Quite a contrast from AKL.

And from the observation deck outside, things were looking good. It was decided. We're going to do it!

 

[belledream]

We headed back to the Marina to rent a SeaRaycer from Sammy Duvall's. It was $32 for 30 minutes, which we felt would be just enough time.

We went through a quick safety briefing and then took a look at all the places we were permitted to go. I was super excited that we would be able to connect to Seven Seas Lagoon and see the castle!

In true fashion, J would be driving. I had absolutely no interest and just wanted to use every second to look around.

After slowly getting out of the no wake zone, we were full speed ahead!

'Full speed' wasn't any more than 15-20 mph, but it did feel deceptive in that little boat.

As we made our way into Bay Lake, we came upon Discovery Island! I was young when this closed, and my memory of it is very vague. But I have the pictures.

Everything felt wonderful. The wind, the water, the sky were all so picturesque.

We then came upon River Country. I don't have any memories of coming here at all, and it was very neat to get a look at Disney's past.

Continuing the tour of Bay Lake...Wilderness Lodge. I feel I rarely get to see WL from afar, so it was a sight! I also had no idea they were building cabins on the water.

So many sights so far, and here I was just thinking we'd be zooming around on a boat. What a pleasant surprise so far!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Loving your report!

 

[littleroo]

I am onboard!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I'm in!!! Loved seeing all the pics!

and you must stay at AKL some day! It was truly amazing!

 

[myhappyplace]

Wonderful report so far, eager to read more!!

We are staying at the Contemporary (BLT) in December, and wish we had some time to try the boats! Maybe someday. We are also having a Sanaa lunch for the first time, so glad that you enjoyed yours!

We did what you did on our last trip, which is resort hop for our first two days. We loved it! So much to see outside of the parks too

 

[MinnieM123]

Enjoying your TR! I haven't driven a Sea Raycer in a number of years, but I recall what fun it was, zipping around the 7 Seas Lagoon. And it does seem like you're really going faster than what the speedometer tells you--I think it's just being out in the open in a small craft that makes you feel like you're speeding along!

 

[belledream]

Loving your report!

Thank you!

I am onboard!!

Glad to have ya!

I'm in!!! Loved seeing all the pics!

and you must stay at AKL some day! It was truly amazing!

I know!! It's definitely a must for the kiddos!

Wonderful report so far, eager to read more!!

We are staying at the Contemporary (BLT) in December, and wish we had some time to try the boats! Maybe someday. We are also having a Sanaa lunch for the first time, so glad that you enjoyed yours!

We did what you did on our last trip, which is resort hop for our first two days. We loved it! So much to see outside of the parks too

Definitely recommend trying the boats, especially if it's in your backyard! Sanaa was pretty awesome.

Enjoying your TR! I haven't driven a Sea Raycer in a number of years, but I recall what fun it was, zipping around the 7 Seas Lagoon. And it does seem like you're really going faster than what the speedometer tells you--I think it's just being out in the open in a small craft that makes you feel like you're speeding along!

It was super fun and I was surprised at all the places we were allowed to go! So glad we did it, thanks for your input!

 

[belledream]

Our tour continued as we approached the no wake zone, so we idled our way past the Contemporary, and under a water bridge (!!!) towards Seven Seas Lagoon. We've been here so many times and never noticed it before.

Slowing down and just appreciating the day felt so lovely. And hey, monorail sighting!

The ferry boat tooted in the distance.

As we got closer, we decided to be smart and NOT race the ferry boat, so we hung back and let the big guy have the right of way. The wakes swelled as the ferry passed us, and we definitely felt it. I clinged onto J and said some unladylike words.

But the result was breathtaking.

BUCKET LIST ITEM ACHIEVED!

I wish we could have lingered longer, but if we were to make our 30 minute mark, we had a bit of a trek back, and as we had discovered, traveling through the no wake zone could take some time.

So we headed back towards Contemporary.

Zooming along, feeling free!

The sun was feeling very warm. I took one of the towels that the Marina provided and put it on J's head, much to his displeasure.

Well, that was a blast! After we got off the boat, we said to each other, "Can you believe we've only been here for a few hours?" So much more adventure to come in this single day!

 

[belledream]

We had an hour or two before dinner, so the obvious choice was to do some more resort hopping. But I wanted to save the monorail loop resorts for after dinner (aka sunset!) So, what were our choices? As we stood on the dock, two identical boats pulled up, one presumably on the Fort Wilderness route, the other on Wilderness Lodge. But we didn't really have time to debate which one we wanted to go to.

But one boat caught our attention more than the other, as this guy was belting out a hearty rendition of 'When You Wish Upon A Star'. J immediately proclaimed, "We're going on this one."

Wilderness Lodge it is, then! (I've seriously never played a Disney day by ear like this before!)

We arrived right as the Fire Rock Geyser went off.

Everything here felt more familiar, as we were here last year for a rowdy dinner at Whispering Canyon. But still, perfection achieved.

Brings back very fond childhood memories of when my family stayed here and my brother and I discovered the ultimate cool-factor that is bunk beds.

I love love love all the details in this lobby.

I can only imagine how magical it would be to stay here during Christmas...my heart!

Seen this fireplace many times before, but never took the time to read what it was all about.

Every layer in this fireplace is representative of the actual walls of the Grand Canyon. I was very impressed by J, who was the one to point this out.

I do think I tend to get caught in the beauty of things and brush past the history and the facts. Thankful he was able to bring a little more culture and knowledge into my life.

 

[Zipadeelady]

What a great start to your trip!! I'm so happy you posted about the Raycers. During our last trip the thought of doing the Raycers popped in our heads but I was thinking the price was over $100 for an hour so I didn't bring it up. Wish I had looked into it more. My son would have loved it!! Next time for sure!!

 

[belledream]

A mandatory visit to the shops, of course.

Probably my favorite view at WL. Those periwinkle flowers, the rocks, the slight tint of the water...

We were heading back to the boat dock, but we had to stop and marvel at the foliage.

Natural details.

We were lucky to catch the same boat back! This time, we were treated to 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah'. Seriously, this is a happy man and he enjoys life. I support that!

What?! You're telling me it's not dinnertime yet? Fine, I'll go shopping at BVG (Bay View Gifts). Sounds expensive!

My first merchandise picture of the trip were these teacup-inspired teacups with the saucers stuck to them. Impractical, or ingenious?

These scarves!!! Particularly the cupcake one. It's sooo cute.

And finally...it was time. For dinner.

At California Grill. I guess we're fancy (right) now!

I call today...the National Dining with Spectacular Views Day.

 

[belledream]

What a great start to your trip!! I'm so happy you posted about the Raycers. During our last trip the thought of doing the Raycers popped in our heads but I was thinking the price was over $100 for an hour so I didn't bring it up. Wish I had looked into it more. My son would have loved it!! Next time for sure!!

I can't decide whether I thought it was priced reasonably or not...I waver back and forth because it is like, a dollar a minute, but at the same time, worth every second. The bigger boats are definitely in the hundreds.

 

[joshsprincess921]

Great start!

 

[belledream]

California Grill has undoubtedly been one of the most talked-about restaurants I've seen amongst Disney fans, everywhere. We just knew this would be the perfect opportunity to try it.

We sat down to a lovely window seat in a tizzy of excitement, anticipation, and oh-my-god-this-is-our-life-!!! mentality.

We could see the castle, obviously, but also Astro Orbiter running, the top of Hall of Presidents, the Beast's castle, and so many other little landmarks. It was mesmerizing!

Until the food came of course. I usually don't pay too much attention to bread service because I hate filling up on this stuff, but this was good. Especially the salted butter. Coming into this meal (any every meal), we had an idea of what we wanted to order. But as is the case with signature restaurants, the menu is subject to change every day. I had intended on ordering the Bison to try something new, but only the Oak-fired Filet of Beef was on the menu. Sigh...how disappointing...except not!

Let us start from the beginning. I usually pick at the sides of my food before tackling the main attraction, so I casually got myself a forkful of risotto. The minute it touched my tongue, I literally froze and went 'oh my gosh, this is food as I have never tasted it before'. It was honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life, and I was overcome with emotion as I had heard the filet no longer came with risotto, I wasn't expecting anything mindblowing after having my heart set on the bison, and it was SO DANG GOOD. Oh, the filet was good too. The herb salsa verde on top added such good flavor to the beef.

J had a similar out-of-body experience with his Snake River Farms Wagyu Eye of Ribeye. Originally listed as a Strip Loin, he was ecstatic when he saw it was now a Ribeye...his favorite. Boy loves his steak, and he raved about this medium-rare concoction. He said because the pieces were smaller, they little that was cooked was cooked perfectly, through and through. It didn't even need anything but a little pinch of salt. I agreed - the cut of meat almost forced my teeth to sink effortlessly into it. He loved his steak at Yachtsman last year, but this was definitely the highlight of the trip and he kind of regretted starting off with CG, which set the barrier for steaks so high!

As we got further into the meal, the sun was sort of beginning to set and we were feeling just so pampered. This was only our fourth signature dining experience, and it definitely rivals that of Yachtsman, which J will never get over how much he loved.

Desserts almost came as a surprise. Our waitress mentioned a S'mores Crème Brulee that I immediately replied, "wat?" having definitely not seen that on the menu prior to the meal. Of course, I had to get it. I'm a crème brulee addict.

J almost wanted to go for the Chocolate Pudding Cake but saw a neighboring table with the Warm Homemade Fritters and questioned to our waitress if they were good or not. Her response? "Oh yeah." Sold.

Both of our desserts were the perfect ending to a life-changing meal. California Grill lived up to the hype!

 

[belledream]

My favorite time of the day was fast approaching as we monorailed our way over to Polynesian.

As with the other three resorts we've visited today, I was immediately transported to another unique world.

As the automatic doors opened, I really felt like I was underwater or something.

We did some peeking in the shops. I really adore all the resort-specific merchandise we see these days.

Inside was nice, but outside was even more inviting. We walked by Pineapple Lanai and thought...there is no better time or place to get a Dole Whip than now.

I know we just ate dinner, but it was necessary. It definitely hit the spot, if there were even any spots left to hit! But it was refreshing and fruity, and sometimes you just need that in the midst of chocolate and garlic and steak.

As we made our way to the beach, the sun was at it's perfect golden hour.

I thought back to our first fall trip in 2013 where we sat on this very beach and listened to the waves and felt the breeze as the sun went down. I loved that moment so much and it felt so good to be back, sitting on a swing with barely anyone in sight. Just us, the beach, and the castle.

I never wanted it to end, but I also wanted to get over to Grand Floridian before it got too dark.

Walking over hand-in-hand with J, just truly a blissful moment.

What a beautiful place.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Awesome report so far! Omg...Cali Grill food I've had that filet and also the fritters. Amazingggg

 

[belledream]

No matter where you are or what angle you're looking at it from...the Cinderella Castle is a sight to behold!

The sky was really that blue, even my camera knows it.

We passed by the Wedding Pavilion, where an event was taking place. Can't imagine a nicer evening, that's for sure.

And finally, I am here at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa! The ultimate dream that will one day come true, oh yes it will!

We passed by the pool area where we spent way too much time waiting for the hat to spill. We really are children at heart.

I was ogling at the details. Everything from the railings to the windows to the flowerbeds...this place is so gorgeous.

We had to make a stop here to encounter our first fountain sighting of the trip. I'm just so obsessed. I love the sound of the water trickling, and how it sparkles under certain lights and angles. More please!

Looking to get another glimpse of the castle before total darkness, we walked out to the dock, where Narcoossee's was looking as iconic as ever. Not sure about the food, but definitely on the atmosphere-dining-list for sure.

Ah, there she is!

We'd linger for a bit, but we still had to visit the equally jaw-dropping inside of the Grand Floridian. Pretty sure my mind was going into overdrive from all the sights of the day so far!