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!

 

[Ciara]

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Thanks to an ostrich blocking the road, we got to linger around the lions for quite some time!
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J read that they blast the AC on the rocks, that's why the lions like to stay there.
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GREAT lion photos!

 

[DonnaOnTheRocks]

Loving all the AK pictures, especially the lions!!

 

[belledream]

GREAT lion photos!

Loving all the AK pictures, especially the lions!!

Thank ya! Credit for those pics goes to J. He has longer arms.

 

[belledream]

You can never have too many views of the Tree of Life...so that is what we got as we continued our second grand circle of Animal Kingdom.

Back to Asia, for a similar experience at the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Not mentioned above is the beautiful foliage you might find along the way.

The bat exhibit was closed, so we headed straight to the big cats. Tigers! (Who doesn't feel like they're in the Sultan's Palace in Agrabah right now?)

We watched this lady prowl back and forth a ton of times before deciding she wanted to go stand on the fountain.

I don't blame ya, I want to do the same! I love how the fountain trickles down to the waters below.

A picture-perfect moment for me!

We continued onwards to what I consider some of the best theming in AK, if not in all of WDW!

Could totally be in a foreign country right now.

I felt particularly artsy at this moment.

No passport required.

 

[belledream]

A few more sightings along our trek...

Water buffalo.

Below is the endangered Eld's deer.

Yo, your antlers are awesome.

We then came across some beautiful birds and equally stunning birdhouses.

Admiring the details along the way.

Between the birds and the water, it wasn't the quietest place you could find, but I definitely could have relaxed in here all day.

When we came out, we spent some time watching the always-entertaining monkeys. A cast member in a custodial role actually approached us and asked if we wanted to learn more about them. Of course we said yes!

Here we have the father and mother, who is feeding their baby. So adorable!

There were also a pair or siblings on the other side who were doing all sorts of crazy things, but we were focused on this guy as he tight-roped right over our heads!

Everyday must be an adventure for this guy!

 

[belledream]

We weren't tired of animals yet. In fact, we couldn't wait to go on our second safari ride. It's never the same twice!

Well, you haven't moved.

Wild Africa Trek is up there on our wishlist...but it's also up there in price!

Giraffes and elephants were out in numbers now.

Rhinos went to sleep.

We got a brief glance at the cheetahs, for once, not hiding in the shadows.

Zebra right by the road! Had to remember the 'keep all arms, hands, feet, and legs inside the vehicle' rule for a second.

Good thing we caught the lions in action earlier, because they were out cold now.

These ostriches remind me...when the guide points out the pile of ostrich eggs, are those real or fake? I can't remember and feel like it's important to know!

We'd be back for one more safari ride way later, at night. We had no idea what to expect, but were ready for a different kind of adventure!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Seems like a great day at AK so far!! I wish we could ride EE 3x in a row! Never works out that way for us

 

[belledream]

We had certainly gotten a lot done this morning, and that means we had worked up quite the appetite! So, for the first time ever thanks to the menu overhaul, we headed to Pizzafari.

Gosh, I love this place. I always came in here to take a picture because it's so whimsical!

Onto the food...I chose the Shrimp Flatbread and was very, VERY excited for this. I mean, just look at it. It looks pretty gorgeous, so it's bound to be good, right? Right. It was. The was a generous amount of shrimp, the arugula added such a fresh and slightly spicy flavor, and the flatbread itself was delicious, topped with pesto and only a slight amount of alfredo (which is enough in my book). Such a winner here.

J's Cheeseburger Flatbread was a little less appealing, and tasted, again, exactly how you would expect it to. I was not impressed, but J claimed to like it. Instead of desserts, we got the sides of Garlic Knots and Tomato Basil Soup. Coming into this, J was literally drooling over the Garlic Knots...I don't know why. It's literally just garlic bread that you dip into marinara sauce. Actually, that sounds pretty good. Anyways, it was pretty good. Nothing mind blowing, but wouldn't say no if you offered it to me! The soup was basic, slightly salty, as most soups go. Oh and the standard Tomato and Cucumber Salad. Blegh, go away cucumbers!

I've always loved the lively, colorful décor of Discovery Island. And in here, it was all around me!

Little unique turtles stuck on the ceiling. It made me smile and I can't even explain why!

Oh, and we here we have a snail. How fun. I'm so glad we decided to eat at Pizzafari this year! Something I never thought I would say.

After lunch, keepin' it in the theme, we hit up some Discovery Island shops.

It's like surveying the Tree of Life all over again when you walk through these shops.

What animals will you see?

Happy places that don't necessarily come to the mind at first thought.

 

[cgersic]

Oh my gosh, just read your whole report in one sitting because I could not stop!! You are a superb story teller and your photos are amazing. Thanks for bringing us along on this really great trip!

 

[belledream]

Oh my gosh, just read your whole report in one sitting because I could not stop!! You are a superb story teller and your photos are amazing. Thanks for bringing us along on this really great trip!

What a nice compliment! So glad to hear you are enjoying it!

 

[MinnieM123]

LOVE the photos you took in AK!! The pictures of the lions were a treat, because they're very hard to catch while they're up and moving around, although the first one with the lion looking up at the sun was gorgeous. All the other AK photos were terrific as well. I really like that park more and more, as the years go on.

Had a question about Pizzafari. That's always been one of my favorite QS places (mostly for the decor!!). I try to go early when it first opens and there were plenty of pretty rooms to sit in. So, my question is, are there still a number of rooms available with tables to sit at, or was part of that restaurant taken over by a TS restaurant (maybe in the back)? I've always been confused about some renovations in that area, and I was wondering if it affected the seating area for the QS in Pizzafari.

 

[belledream]

LOVE the photos you took in AK!! The pictures of the lions were a treat, because they're very hard to catch while they're up and moving around, although the first one with the lion looking up at the sun was gorgeous. All the other AK photos were terrific as well. I really like that park more and more, as the years go on.

Had a question about Pizzafari. That's always been one of my favorite QS places (mostly for the decor!!). I try to go early when it first opens and there were plenty of pretty rooms to sit in. So, my question is, are there still a number of rooms available with tables to sit at, or was part of that restaurant taken over by a TS restaurant (maybe in the back)? I've always been confused about some renovations in that area, and I was wondering if it affected the seating area for the QS in Pizzafari.

There are still multiple rooms to sit at at Pizzafari! I saw at least two in addition to the "main" area. Not sure how many there were before Tiffins was built but the one we sat in was one of them.

 

[DimpledDevil18]

Gorgeous pics of the animals! I really liked the one with the tiger on the fountain. You definitely got lucky with all the animal interactions.

I'm also glad that the CM's at your resort left you a little Disney magic to help you celebrate your anniversary. That was such a nice little gesture.

 

[belledream]

Gorgeous pics of the animals! I really liked the one with the tiger on the fountain. You definitely got lucky with all the animal interactions.

I'm also glad that the CM's at your resort left you a little Disney magic to help you celebrate your anniversary. That was such a nice little gesture.

Thank you! I always like seeing the tigers at Maharajah! That fountain is life.

And yes, the anniversary gift was so thoughtful and we were pretty surprised. I didn't know they got that personal with us. Definitely makes ASMu feel even more like a home base!

 

[belledream]

It's showtime! AK afternoons always involve two of what I consider are the best shows in WDW...

First up, the highly-rated Festival of the Lion King. Totally transfixing. I cannot bear to miss a moment of monkeys tumbling, of fire twirling, or birds flying. It's one of those things that make you tap your feet to the beat the entire time without even noticing. Pure spectacle. 10/10 would watch, over and over again.

The other show is a little less heralded from what I see. Finding Nemo - The Musical, you are a star in your own right. The little things that could have easily been a screen, standard prop or background, are actually artfully woven into the storytelling through humans, and I must say, it makes all the difference. The swordfish, the school of fish, the baby seaturtles...the ingenuity in this show makes me grin from ear to ear.

After indulging in some serious entertainment, we decided to head to Rafiki's Planet Watch. To the train, we go!

I love WDW train rides, but I particularly delight in the novelty of sitting sideways on this train.

We passed by some 'behind-the-scenes areas' and came up to this view. Brings me back to my childhood, always excited to come here.

Rafiki showed us the way to Conservation Station!

Seriously, off-the-beaten-path fun.

In a way, I like that this hasn't changing since its inception.

Do you see it?

Our first stop here is always Song of the Rainforest, where I am always squirming uncomfortably but also cannot help smiling the entire time. We actually did this twice, as it was so quiet, dark, and relaxing, and J wanted to try to powernap the second time around. How anyone can sleep through this is beyond me!

 

[belledream]

After that, we started walking around the exhibits. Armadillo at the Animal Encounters Stage:

A look at Science Center to see what they were up to. It always blows my mind that people have jobs like this. Doesn't seem like the real world, but it is!

Kinda hard to see, but we spent some time watching this snake mill about at the window.

Out to the Affection Section we go. I have long since stopped touching these animals, for I guess I grew up to be a germaphobe, but I still love walking around seeing what these guys are up to.

We laughed because we thought he looked high. I know, we're terrible and immature.

Sleeping piggies...

Llama that oddly reminds me of my golden retriever. Weird comparison, but I cannot unsee it.

This big guy was moving about actively.

Donkey sighting.

My brother is weirdly obsessed with chickens (he thinks they are 'beautiful creatures') so I sent him a picture and he was instantly super jealous.

And that was our little journey to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Not a must-do for a lot of people, but we find enjoyment in the train ride, the little interactive exhibits, and laughing at goats.

 

[belledream]

We were back in Africa, and perused all the AK-themed gear. Also, another post to appreciate the theme of the shop itself!

After that, we decided it was time for some It's Tough to Be a Bug, so to the Tree of Life we go!

We took our grand ol' time strolling the empty queue. I was particularly excited by the steam/fog effect.

Once inside the theater, we donned our honorary bug eyes and enjoyed the show. Are bugs really our friends? Would the world really fall apart if mosquitos were wiped off the face of the earth? We question that.

We left the queue as slowly and leisurely as we came, appreciating the beauty of this place.

It was almost time for dinner, but not quite. So we decided to return to the Oasis before it got too dark later.

Last time, these guys told us 'bye' as we were leaving Animal Kingdom at park closing, but I guess they knew that the park would be open until 11 pm tonight!

Bridges, caves, and waterfalls. And I'm in Disney World, peeps.

Watched this CM feed the wildlife.

Oh and some local moochers.

What a gem of a place!

 

[bee]

Beautiful photos and wonderful report so far! It's great to see the details you capture everywhere. Thanks for sharing!

 

[belledream]

Beautiful photos and wonderful report so far! It's great to see the details you capture everywhere. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you very much! Happy that my obsessive picture-taking tendencies seem to pay off.

 

[belledream]

What?! You're telling me we still have more time before dinner? I guess I should feel grateful that our time in WDW went by slowly. Gives us more time to appreciate everything we have.

Like an empty Discovery Island. Seriously, where are all the people?

Still, we ventured over to Asia.

The 'other bridge' that doesn't get as much exposure as Africa side.

We popped into Yak & Yeti Bhaktapur Market to see the restaurant-specific merchandise. If you forget that Y&Y isn't owned by Disney, just check the prices at this shop for a friendly reminder.

And finally...dinnertime!

Conditioned air? What a treat! (Actually, the temperature had been very mild all day, but I appreciate it all the same).

Décor inside the restaurant keeps it on par with everything you see around Asia and Expedition Everest.

We were seated on the second floor.

With tons of artifacts to look around at.

Food coming up next!