Home Away from Home: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Mezmorizing. That is the only way I can describe my first experience with Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Well, that's not exactly true. Awe-inspiring. Breathtaking. Amazing. The stuff dreams are made of. Yeah, that seems to cover it a bit better.

That's a lot of talk right? Trust me, it lives up to the hype. You see I had my eye on this resort for many years. We had even made a quick visit during the holiday season one year just so we could see if it would be worth it to stay there. Well, that and to see all the Christmas decorations. The resort did not disappoint. The lobby alone lives up to all the hype. And then some. When we booked our next trip we decided to give Animal Kingdom Lodge a try.

Our first stay had a slightly less than magical start. We were checked in by a cast member in training and she had forgotten to alert housekeeping that we had checked in. So, housekeeping didn't know to tell the front desk that our room was ready. Which meant that we had to sit in the lobby. For nearly four hours. To make the most of the time, and the super hot day, we hit up the pool for a little while and then had lunch. We explored the resort grounds, well it was more like we ran around each floor to see what kind of view each window had.

After a few hours were were tired. It was well into the afternoon, and we wanted to relax before we had to head out for dinner. So, my father and brother decided to start unpacking the car. I stayed in the lounge area by where we were told our room would be and my mom was still taking pictures of animals. This is were the head of housekeeping found me. Sleeping on a couch surrounded by luggage. As soon as he found out about our situation he immediately began working to correct it. We were in our room, which had been ready since our arrival, in less than ten minutes. He even stopped by to make sure that we were completely happy with our accommodations. A perfect example of why Disney is known for its excellent customer service.

That trip was simply amazing. We sat out on the balcony every morning and watch the giraffes eat breakfast. There were crested cranes nesting not too far from our window. We could even hear the flamingos by the pool. We discovered new hidden features of the room each day. We truly enjoyed every minute of our stay.

We loved talking with the various cast members that we encountered. Many of them were from different countries in Africa. They loved talking about their culture and asked so many questions about our hometown. Many of them were excited about using their time off to visit different parts of the United States.

By far, this is my favorite resort on property. And that is saying something.

When I say that I do also include Kidani Village, which is the DVC area of Animal Kingdom Lodge. The entire grounds, even those between the two resorts, are themed so well. I know that it is the closest I am most likely ever going to get to visiting Africa.

My family, which isn't always  open to new culinary adventures, even decided to expand their horizons. We gave Boma a try. It is now one of my favorite restaurants at Disney. Again, that is saying something. The flavors were something I had never experienced before. Some, I absolutely loved and others I can say that I have tried and most likely won't give them a go again.


Overall, I do highly recommend this resort. If staying the night will break the bank I suggest making some time to explore the grounds. The main lobby is spectacular and larger than life. If you are feeling a little adventurous make reservations for dine at one of the three restaurants on property.



Have a magical day!

Fettuccine Alfredo: A Taste of Disney

It has been too long since I had a touch of Disney magic at home. Its not been four months since I came home from my last trip and, right now, there is no future trip in the works. I am not going to lie: I'm starting to feel the pains of withdraw.

My boyfriend and I are trying to get better at planning out our meals for the week before we go grocery shopping. We are trying to get better about eating healthy and not wasting food. Both of which are going to help us out a lot. After a much too short visit home I got a new cookbook. My mom had gotten me one of the Disney cookbooks that is missing from my collection.


The start of the Italian herb bread, if only you could smell how amazing it was. Which of course was just as amazing as the chicken sautéing in olive oil.


On the long drive home I was able to look through it and do the meal planning for the next week. Nearly every recipe in the book sounded amazing and brought back memories of fantastic family vacations. It was decided. I needed to make one in the next week.

Well, being short handed at the vet hospital and still trying to balance a part time job finding the time to make anything extravagant would be difficult. Then I found it. Fettuccine Alfredo from L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante at the Italy pavilion at EPCOT.

It looked simple enough. But, yet it sounded perfect. After all, who doesn't love pasta.

To be completely honest I was a little concerned with how it would turn out since it only called for noodles, butter, and parmesan cheese. I had always thought there would be cream, most likely heavy cream, in the alfredo sauce. But, it is a Disney recipe that made it into a cookbook comprised of the most requested recipes from the Disney parks. It must be good.

The only changes that I decided to make were to add chicken and mushrooms. I also made Italian herb bread in my bread maker. I even got a bottle of wine. Yes. This was going to be an amazing dinner. I had been looking forward to making this meal for days.

I was dead tired when I got home from work. I had a 14 hour day at the vet hospital. I had been on my feet for nearly 12 hours. I wanted nothing more than to pass out in bed. But, I had dinner to put on the table. It didn't take me too long to pull myself together and get to work in the kitchen. You see, my boyfriend plays video games to unwind after work. I prefer to find peace in the kitchen.

I pealed and minced fresh garlic for the chicken and mushrooms. I got the salted water boiling. I was able to orchestrate the entire process with perfect timing. The smell was heavenly. I had made the bread the day before and set out the two sticks of butter earlier in the day so they could soften. Once the pasta was done and drained I plopped in the softest butter I have ever worked with. I'll let you in on a secret. I didn't measure the cheese. I grated the parmesan cheese directly over the pot with the noodles and butter. Well, my boyfriend grated the cheese while I tired the noodles. Once I was satisfied with the consistency I portioned out the noodles and topped them with the chicken and mushrooms.  Armed with our forks, wine, and herb bread we were ready to attack our meal.

I must say. It turned out fantastic. I even got away with enough leftovers for both of us to have lunch the next day, which is amazing. The same wasn't as saucy as I had thought it would be, but it was very tasty. It was way better than what I would have found at any American-Italian chain restaurant that's for sure.

It was a great ending to a long day. It brought just enough Disney magic back into our lives for the night. It was just what we needed. I feel that we are back on the right track. If you would like to try your hand that this amazingly simple dish you can find the recipe in Cooking With Mickey Vol 2 on page 103. Trust me, you will be glad you did.


Have a magical day!

The Wanyama Safari Experience

If you have ever stayed at a Walt Disney World resort and turned on your TV then there is a good chance that you will know that you can take a private safari at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Waynama Safari is exclusive to guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village. However, a reservation is not included with your room so if you would like to partake in this adventure you will need to book a reservation: which can be done at the front desk in the lobby at check in or before your trip by phone.

For the last few trips my family has stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Kidani Village. We love it. The entire atmosphere of the resort is amazing. And to top it off there are dozens of animals roaming around in the various savannas. It is like being in another world. We had taken notice of the private tours on our first stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and when we stayed at Kidani Village a few years later we had booked our spots.

We were told to arrive around mid afternoon for a snack before the safari. We met the keeper that would be guiding us on our tour and the executive chef of Jiko. The chef explained each of the dishes that he had prepared and why they he had chosen them. Honestly, the 'snack' was more like lunch. There was so much food for just 12 people. There were also a few different drinks to sample. I loved the iced red tea. It had so much flavor and I felt rejuvenated with each glass I drank. After the reception luncheon we were guided to our safari truck.


We were lead around the back gated area by Kidani Village. This is where our keeper told us they commonly saw alligators. Sadly, we did not see any that day. We then pulled around to the first savanna. We were a little disappointed at first. We could see the animals, but we were driving alongside a giant fence. Sure, we were close to them, but we had a a better view from our hotel room. Then we came to a gate, where we entered into the savanna. The first animals we came upon were giraffes. I feel that you can't fully understand exactly how tall a giraffe is until you stand directly next to one. I felt like an ant. Our keeper, whom I had been talking with about my own profession as an aquarist, told us about the behavioral training they did with giraffes. She said that giraffes can shut off part of their brain to go to sleep at anytime, and they sometimes do that in the middle of training sessions.

As our tour went on we learned about the various breeding programs that Disney participates, their role in supporting conservation efforts, and how to tell the animals apart by the tagging/notching system that is commonly used in the ears of hoof stock. About halfway through the safari we noticed that there was a little truck ahead of us. They were keepers, and they were putting out food for the animals. By the time we ought up to where they had placed the food several animals were already there happily munching away at their dinner. It was amazing. It was so peaceful to be so close to these animals that I had only ever seen in zoos, just watching them live their lives as if I wasn't even there.

There were a few animals, mainly the ostriches, that really didn't seem to care about any boundaries with the truck and came right up to it. So many animals just walking around us carrying on their day with no cares. I felt that I was a part of their world. And our guide was able to give us first hand accounts of what it is actually like to work with these animals on a daily basis.

Since our trip was in the middle of December it was rather chilly and the sun did set fairly early. About thirty minutes before the end of our tour the sun was too low to provide enough light to take good pictures. This acutely wasn't so bad, it allowed to to view the experience without looking through a camera. However, the chill in the wind was much more noticeable. And we were rather cold by the time our safari was done.

After our tour we were taken back to Jiko where the executive chef explained every part of our meal. When you read the information for the Wanyama Safri it says that you will start with a light snack, a tour of each savanna at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kindani Village, and you will have dinner and a sampling of South African wine. It was more than a sampling.


With the start of our meal they brought out different breads and hummuses. That was paired with a rum cocktail. Which, I had not been expecting and was on the strong side. For those do not want alcohol, or those under 21, they offer the same drink without the rum. Then we were given our first course. Mainly smaller dishes like finger food. Lots of flavors. They paired this portion with a white wine. This was my favorite wine that night. When they brought out the main dishes I could not believe how full our table was. We had short ribs, grouper, several veggie dishes, chicken three different ways, shrimp, cornbread, and mac 'n cheese (yes, you heard me right). Of course, this was parked with a red wine. While I did like the wine, I was new to reds at the time so I thought it was a little dry. I was also rather tipsy at this time having just had a mixed drink and a full glass of white wine. The dessert was a little fancy for my liking, and it wasn't what I had been expecting. Don't get me wrong it was good, but nothing that I would feel the need to order if I had to pay for my meal out of pocket. The dessert wine that was paired was almost too sweet. But, it did make up for the last of sweetness in some of the deserts. But, much like with the red I couldn't' finish it as I had already had more than my fair share of alcohol.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I loved every minutes of it. The only thing I would do differently is not have actually eaten lunch that day and brought a heavier jacket. For some reason I didn't think we would be outside as long as we were. We had been told that the entire experience would be around 4 hours, including dinner. But, I think it ended up being closer to 5. The luncheon was about 30 minutes, and was enough food to have fed everyone there a full meal and still had some leftover. The safari itself was about about two and a half hours and dinner was a little over an hour and a half. I did feel a little underdressed to be eating at Jiko, all the other guests were wearing nice dresses or khakis and a button down shirt, but our group looked windblown and out of place. But, to be fair we had just spent two hours in the open riding around outside.

It was an experience that I still talk about to this day nearly two years later. That was one of my favorite memories at Disney. One day, I hope to take my boyfriend so we can enjoy making our own memories together. It is a little on the pricy side, but if you break it down I don't think its that bad of a deal. If I remember correctly it was about $190 per person. But, if you think about it that isn't too bad. Dinner at Jiko is expensive and could easily run around $80 a person if you got wine and dessert. There was lunch, which I'd say would have been around $20 a person. So, that it $100 right there. $90 for a two and a half hour private safari is not that bad if you ask me. Oh, and Disney donates a portion of all the proceeds to their conversation fund. How cool is that?

I highly recommend this hidden gem at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The memories will last a lifetime.

Have a magical day!

Beer Cheese Soup

If you have read my previous post about the lovely food at Le Cellier then you will already know that I was really looking forward to trying the beer cheese soup for myself. After all, I have heard from nearly everyone that has tried it about how amazing it is. But, it was simply not meant to be. I could even pretend to justify ordering any more food even if I wanted to. (And let me tell you the poutine was well worth it.)

I had wanted to pick up a Disney cookbook while on my spring 2016 trip. It was our last day and I had only seen one cookbook. In previous years there were two volumes. Well, I figured that it was the only one I was going to find so I might as well buy it. While on the plane home I decided to look through the pages. And, I bet you will never guess what I sound right in the middle. Beer cheese soup. It was a sign.

The day after we got back from Walt Disney World my boyfriend and I went to a friend's wedding. The next day we spent driving around the entire seven cities area looking at rental properties we had seen online. As the day went on we were getting more and more depressed. The homes were in bad parts of town, or nothing like what they had seemed like on-line. We needed a little Disney magic to brighten the day.

So, being the lovely girlfriend that I am, I went to the store and bought everything that we would need to make beer cheese soup. I will admit, I did pause a little when I saw how much I was spending on cheese, but it was oh-so worth it. I will say this: get the good cheese. Your soup will thank you. Trust me. And you won't believe how much cheese is in this soup.

I was a little daunted by the recipe itself. Soups had always intimidated me for some reason. But, I had my boyfriend helping me so I was able to organize the chaos in my kitchen a little better. I had him prep the bacon (the smaller the pieces the better) and grate all the cheese. And that alone was well worth having help. I prepped the veggies and got the soup started. It was at this point, lets just call it the point of no return shall we, that I realized that I had forgotten a major part of the meal. I had planed on serving the soup with fresh bread. I had forgotten to get some going in the bread machine and I hadn't picked any up at the store. I didn't have time to make any and I had started on the soup and I didn't have the time to run back to the store. So, my boyfriend, being the sweet amazing guy that he is, went to the store for me. He did even better than I thought he would do. He returned with bread bowls from Panera. That's right. He took dinner up a notch.

With you soup nearly done, and smelling fabulous, he returned with bread bowls in hand. Adding the beer completed the soup. We ladled the the soup in the the bowls. Took a picture for Instagram, of course. And used the tops of the bowls to taste the first delicious bite of the cheese concoction. It was everything that I wanted it to be. It was savory. It was cheesy. It was warm. We proceed to fill up on beer, cheese, and bread. It really did make the bad day that much better.

I know that I had needed that dinner. Having spend many family vacations at Disney I would say that it is safe to say that I have the 'bug'. I was already sad and feeling the withdrawal when the arrived at the airport to go home. This dinner was not just good. It felt like we had a little bit of the parks at home with us. It was at that moment that I decided that I would try to make every recipe in the book and try to collect the books missing from my small collection.

I hope to have many more stories to share. Because, everyone knows that the Disney parks have some of the best food in the world and they put the best of the best in their cookbooks. It is something that makes me happy and helps to get me though my daily life away from the magic that is Walt Disney World.

 Have a magical day!

Le Cellier

I ate at Le Cellier for the first time when I was much younger. Young enough to each off the kids menu and be a somewhat picky eater. Young enough that I know I did not appreciate it. So, when I got a little older and I heard people talking about how Le Cellier was one of the best places to eat at the Walt Disney World Resort I was a little skeptical. After all, my memories were of a dark room with fancy food. And as a young child that didn't put this place very high on my favorites list.

In May of 2016 my parents took my boyfriend and I to Walt Disney World. It was amazing! The spring before my parents had taken their first Disney trip without any kids. They enjoyed a meal together at Le Cellier and said it was one of the highlights of the entire trip. So, naturally, when they said they had made reservations for the five of us to dine there on our trip I was excited. I don't often eat steak as it is a little on the pricey side so I was very much looking forward to enjoying a steak. Especially from one of the beast steakhouses on Disney property.


The dinning room was just like I remembered. It was dark, but not because they didn't have any lights. The theme is that you are in a cellar, of course there won't be any windows or bright light. The decor was beautiful, and really welcoming.

Our server was fantastic. He shared stories of his world travels, how he came to work at EPCOT, and his plans for when his work visa expired. He explained the menu in a way that was easy to understand. He was able to make recommendations based on what he felt we would enjoy.

My parents had tried the poutine. Now, I had never heard of it before and there really wasn't much of a description on the menu. My parents were raving and our waiter explained that it is a dish that is popular in Canada and is essentially fancy cheese fries, sometimes served with gravy. I love cheese fries. They are my guilty pleasure. My kryptonite if you will. So, of course, they had to twist my arm to try them. (insert sarcasm here please)


We got two deferent kinds since our waiter recommended we get two for a group our size. Just before he brought out the poutine he brought us bread that represented the different regions of Canada and butter that had maple sugar on it. You heard me right. The breads were fantastic and all of us were able to sample them.  My boyfriend was so excited by the red wine reduction sauce that he asked for the recipe. We had gotten the signature and the bacon-cheddar. I really enjoyed both of them. But it was the signature poutine with that red wine reduction sauce that won the table over.

We were slightly full by the time our entires arrived. But, when I cut into my steak I was instantly hungry again. 4 out of our 5 steaks were cooked to absolute perfection, just how we wanted. Sadly, my little brother had to send back his steak. Twice. The manager himself brought it out for the third attempt and made sure that it was cooked how he wanted. It happened. I was a little glad it took so long for him to get his dinner, it gave me more time to digest before dessert. There. I said it. I am a horrible sister. I know.



My steak was so tender I didn't need my knife to cut it. There was so much flavor. And the steak itself was a very decent size. The mushroom risotto that it was plated on was amazing as well. I ate all of it. Not even ashamed to admit it. Three of us had gotten the filet mignon and the other two got the rib eye. We all enjoyed that meal. I think we all agreed that it was one of the best meals we have ever had at Disney.

Dessert was great. For the most part we each got something different. My boyfriend was a little disappointed with his, but I think it was just one of those things were the dessert at fancy restaurants isn't exactly what you are expecting it to me. I think he was expecting the strawberry basil float to be a little sweeter. It was good, but not my thing. The maple creme brûlée was fantastic. It had a lot of flavor and was just sweet enough to be dessert. But, it did get stuck in my teeth.

Overall, my one regret is that we didn't get the sampler of ice wine. My boyfriend and I enjoy sampling different wines and beers and we wanted to try as many as we could on the trip. But, it was a little expensive for us and we opted that we would be better off drinking the iced tea with dinner. After all, it was a very hot day out and we most likely were already dehydrated enough without adding alcohol into the mix. But, if I could do it over again I would spend the money to try the ice wine.



I highly recommend giving Le Cellier a try. I loved it. I know that I will be going back again.

Have a magical day!