Pandora

I recently returned from a kind of impromptu Disney trip. It was a quick weekend trip and we packed it full of Disney magic.

One of the best things about the trip: Pandora was open. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Pandora: the World of Avatar absolutely lives up to all the hype. Disney has been marketing this new attraction for months now and it is worth checking out. Even with the massive response and long wait times the newest addition to Animal Kingdom was truly the highlight of the trip.

My mom and I were staying at Kidani Village. Which was awesome, not just because it is an amazing resort but because it would be the shortest commute to Animal Kingdom. The morning of our Animal Kingdom day we got up early. The park was having extra magic hours that morning and resort guests would be able to enter at 8am. We were planning, like many other people, on opening the park and making a B-line for Pandora. We wanted to get on Flight of Passage before the line got to long. If you have read any articles about the opening week at Pandora this is the ride that had a seven hour wait the first day it opened. As much as I wanted to ride it, spending seven hours of precious park time in line was not something I was prepared to do.

Kidani Village recently started offering quick service breakfast at Sana, which was amazing for this weekend trip. The morning before my mom and I had sat down and had breakfast while we watched the various animals go about their day. It was a great way to start off a day. The morning we did Animal Kingdom we got there just after it opened, at 7am, and helped our selves to the oatmeal. It was great. They had lids for the containers and even had little containers with brown sugar and golden raisins for the oatmeal. We took our little containers of oatmeal to go and headed for the bus stop. We were lucky, and bust pulled up within minutes of us getting to the stop. We were the only ones on the bus and we headed strait for the park. I inhaled my breakfast, I wasn't sure if I would be able to bring it in to the park. But, my mom took her time.

Security had no problems with us bringing our breakfast in, which was awesome. In all of my trips to Disney this was only the second time I have been asked to show that I was staying at a resort on property in order to take advantage of the extra magic hours. It was great. I could even see that people were being turned away from the Pandora entrance because it was only open to Disney resort guests. We made our way to the end of the line for Flight of Passage. I feel that it is important to note that the extra magic hours had the park opening at 8am. We got in line at 7:45. The wait was already 90 minutes and the line was moving. They had already fired up the ride before the park was opened. My mom enjoyed her breakfast while I took pictures.

Overall the wait really wasn't that bad. We got to see all of Pandora with very few people walking around, well very few people since they were all in line with us. We talked with the people in line with us. And the different waiting rooms for the line were very well done with so much detail that it did take time to take it all in.

The ride itself was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was intense and I really feel that it will changed the way theme park rides are designed in the future. Without giving away too much of the ride, it really does feel like you are riding on the back of a banshee. My legs needed a couple of minutes to adjust to walking when I got off the ride. It was worth the wait with out a doubt.

We decided that we had enough time to try out the other ride, Na'vi River Journey before getting lunch. While we were in line the wait time jumped from 40 minutes to 60 minutes. The que line didn't have as much to take in, so it felt like a longer wait. But, the water station halfway through the line was really nice. It held up the line a little since nearly everyone stopped to fill up their water bottles, but the wait didn't impact the time I got on the ride and I really appreciated being able to refill my water since it was so hot out. Overall, the ride was alright. Not really worth an hour wait, but I would ride it again if I didn't have to wait very long or had a fastpass.

The food was fantastic. I was very pleased to see that nearly everything on the menu was healthy. They have steamed buns with different fillings. They also had rice or salad bowls that you could top with different proteins and sauces. The flavor of the chicken and the onion aioli were just amazing. We got the children's size and it was enough to fill us up.

After lunch we explored the rest of the park. Which, was unusually empty since the vast majority of the park guests were at Pandora. We had almost no lines with anything we did. We even discovered dole whip in Africa! We were able to enjoy the park with little crowds and had a fantastic day.
 
Overall, the entire experience of Pandora was amazing. We weren't able to get back to the park to see it at night, but it will be a high priority on our next trip in October. I was blown away by the attention to detail Disney put in to all that is Pandora. It really looks and feels like you are there. The floating mountains are just spectacular and don't look like that are manmade structures at all. It all feels real. I look forward to what they will add to Pandora next.

Planning A Disney Trip: Part 1

So, since I am in full planning mode I have been thinking about Disney. A lot. I thought it might be a good idea to go over the entire planning process. After all, I do have a lot of experience planning all kinds of Disney Vacations.

The Magic Kingdom is typically the most crowded park.

The first thing you will want to do once you have decided on  Disney vacation is come up with a budget. I know, it sounds like it should be common sense. But, seriously pick a budget and stay with it. Only you know what you will be able to spend and once you start to see all of the amazing things you can add to a Disney vacation the total price can get quite high. Bottom line: if you know that you can only spend $1500 don't budge. Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to save on the vacation if you know how to be creative.

Once you have your budget you will need to pick your dates. This is were things can be a little tricky. It is more expensive to stay over weekends and anytime when school is not in session. If you are able to go in 'off season' months (think January, February, October, and November) and stay during the week you are more likely to be able to save on your room rate.

So, you have picked the week and you have your budget. Now what? You will need to find a place to stay. You have so many options to choose from. Yes, you can find a cheaper room off Disney property. And some of those hotels will include amenities like free breakfasts, which is not something you will find at any of the Disney resorts. But, you will miss out on some of the complimentary services that Disney offers its resort guests. Sure, your off property hotel may have a shuttle to and from the airport. But, Disney does one better. Once you check your bag at your departing airport you won't touch it again until you unpack in your hotel room. The same goes for your flight home. And the bus ride to and from the airport is complimentary. Disney will also take you anywhere you want to go on Disney property free of charge. The transportation system at Disney is truly second to none: buses, trams, boats, and the monorail. Some off property hotels have a shuttle that will come to the parks. But, these are often vans that can seat a family or two at a time. This means that it will most likely take a lot of time to get to and from the parks. If you decide that doesn't work for you then you can drive to the parks, and then pay for parking.

The Contemporary Resort is one of the original resorts on Disney property

Like I said before, only you know your budget. If you can get a room for $20 less a night off property that will save you $100 on a five night stay. If that means a lot to your budget then stay off property. I recommend talking with the front desk at the hotel to find out the best way to get around during your stay.

The type of park ticket you get can also make a big difference. If you are counting your pennies then maybe the park hoper option may not be for you. I would recommend picking a park and staying there for the day. What's the point of paying extra when you most likely stay at one park each day anywhere? If your plans don't allow for you to spend a day at each park it might be worth looking in to getting the park hoper ticket there are things on your must do list at each park.

One of the best things you can do to stretch your dollar is to check out any deals on the Disney website. Sometimes Disney will have special offers where you can get a room, park tickets, and a meal plan for a low price. Check the website regularly and you'll get a feel for when Disney has special promotions.

Of course, there is a lot more that goes in to planning a Disney vacation. But, that would make for a much longer article. I'll go over more as time goes on.

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!