Date Night in the World!!

As if we were swimming through quicksand, we slowly dragged our exhausted bodies toward the entrance to the Beach Club.  Finally, we reached the automatic doors at the front of our resort.  They mercifully opened, and we were instantly hit with a blessed blast of air conditioning.  As we collapsed into the comfortable chairs in the lobby of our hotel, we finally had a moment to reflect on our day at Animal Kingdom.

Our fantastic lunch at Tusker House

The morning had been amazing.  My touring plan had allowed us to enjoy multiple headliner attractions with little to no wait, and our character lunch at Animal Kingdom's Tusker House had easily been the best meal of our trip. Unfortunately, the afternoon was arguably less successful.  The weather grew extremely hot, and Animal Kingdom has relatively few indoor attractions in which to escape the heat.  The kids quickly became cranky and resistant to my touring plan.  In an effort to salvage the day, we tossed out the touring plan and spent some time leisurely enjoying the hidden treasures of the park.  After deciding to cut our day short in an effort to end on a positive note, however, we became trapped by the afternoon parade, destroying the kids' recently-repaired good moods.  Regardless of the roller coaster events of the last seven hours, however, none of us could claim that our day at Animal Kingdom had not been memorable!

Tip Time: In most situations, I highly recommend taking a mid-afternoon break from the theme parks.  The parks are hottest and most crowded in the afternoons; escaping to your hotel for a swim or nap can provide a much-needed opportunity to recuperate and revive before returning to the parks in the evening. The exception to this recommendation is Animal Kingdom.  Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other parks, so taking an afternoon break does not make sense;by the time you returned to the park, it would be closed.  

Completely exhausted

After a few moments of breathing in the cool air of the Beach Club lobby, we stumbled up the stairs to our room.  We were all tired, but the kids were really starting to feel the effects of the last few days' stimulation.  Fortunately, when I'd designed our itinerary, I built in a "night-off" to help keep our vacation feeling like a vacation.  Best of all, my mom had offered (and when I say "offered", I mean "pleaded desperately") to watch the kids one evening so my husband Eric and I could escape for a date night in "The World"!  So after a short rest and a refreshing shower, the kids headed off to dinner with Grandma, and our adults-only adventure began!

Tip Time: Even if you are not traveling with "built-in babysitters" on your Disney vacation, you can still enjoy an adults-only evening.  Most deluxe resorts at Disney World have intricately-themed childcare centers where your kids can play, do crafts, eat dinner, and engage in group activities...all under the watchful guidance of certified childcare professionals.  Best of all, you do not need to be a guest at one of these resorts to take advantage of them, but you DO need to make reservations.  Alternatively, you can hire an in-room babysitter through the Disney-sanctioned childcare service, Kid's Nite Out.

A relaxing "evening-off" can do wonders!

Our first "date night" destination was a no-brainer.  My husband absolutely loves Epcot's World Showcase.  Although we'd already visited this theme park twice on our trip, it's nearly impossible to enjoy all of the entertainment, food, and shopping (not to mention the various adult-beverage offerings) that World Showcase has to offer.  And since our resort hotel was within walking distance to Epcot, the World Showcase was an easy decision.

Tip Time: The World Showcase is home to numerous amazing restaurants, featuring cuisine from eleven different nations.  Whether you are visiting on a "date night" or you are enjoying some quality family time, make your dining reservations for World Showcase before your trip (up to 180 days prior to arrival).  

Although the World Showcase has many amazing restaurants, we decided to maximize our date night by foregoing dinner in the park.  Instead of spending an hour eating, we enjoyed every second that the World Showcase was open, exploring shops and enjoying the fantastic street performers.  Then, after Epcot closed, we strolled over to Disney's Boardwalk area for a fabulous dinner at The Flying Fish Cafe.

Tip Time: Near Epcot's World Showcase, Disney's Boardwalk area is completely unique.  In the morning, the scent of fresh baked goods wafts through the air from the Boardwalk Bakery.  As the day goes on, the Boardwalk becomes lined with street performers, surrey bike rentals, restaurants, and bars (including Jellyrolls, a dueling piano bar).  It's a truly romantic way to end an evening in "The World". 

Dinner at the Flying Fish Cafe was amazing.  The ambiance is casual but elegant, reminiscent of the Atlantic boardwalk.  The server was attentive (but not overbearing), and the food was expertly prepared.  But most importantly, my husband and I were able to enjoy leisurely, uninterrupted conversation...and that is priceless.

In conclusion, I highly recommend taking at least a few hours for a "date" with your significant other during your Disney World vacation, if at all possible.  Many people balk at the idea of leaving their children behind, but they often ultimately discover that, by mid-week, their kids are the ones who are most ready for a break from all of the "family togetherness" you will be experiencing on your trip!!  And when you return from your date, you will all be refreshed and ready for some more family fun...if you can drag your kids away from the childcare center, that is!

Meredith McCutcheon
Disney Specialist, Ginger's Getaways
Personalized Disney Itineraries and Daily Touring Plans 
Find me on The Patch

Animal Kingdom or Animal "King-dumb": Part Two

We'd had an incredibly successful morning touring Animal Kingdom.  Not only had we enjoyed low waits on some headliner attractions, we'd walked right into the first showing of the amazing Festival of the Lion King.  To top if all off, we'd joined Daisy Duck for a delicious character buffet at Tusker House, culminating with a memorable musical parade throughout the restaurant.  Now, it was time to hit the pavement again and finish the touring plan I'd created for the day.

As soon as we stepped out the doors of Tusker House, though, the heat and humidity completely enveloped us, sapping our energy.  While the morning's heat had been tolerable, the afternoon sun was scorching, and the humidity made it difficult to breathe. 

Tip Time: Animal Kingdom is probably the hottest park in Walt Disney World.  The beautiful canopy of foliage traps the humidity and creates the very authentic illusion that you have been transported to the jungle.  To make matters worse, there are few indoor attractions at Animal Kingdom, providing little opportunity to escape into an air-conditioned oasis.  Finally, Animal Kingdom's walkways are narrow, creating several bottle-necked areas of pedestrian congestion; with everyone crowded together, the heat feels worse.  Drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade.

I glanced down at my children who were trudging along beside me.  They looked exhausted.  We were about halfway through our trip, and I could tell that our pace and the heat was starting to take its toll on them.   Nevertheless, I decided to push on to the next attraction on our list: Expedition Everest.

Tip Time: Expedition Everest is a headliner roller coaster at Animal Kingdom park.  Most kids over age 7 handle it well, but some children are intimidated.  This attraction builds long lines quickly, so experience it first thing in the morning or use FASTPASS.

Before lunch, we'd grabbed FASTPASSES for the attraction, and our return window had opened by the time we'd finished our meal.  My 7-year-old son, Jack, had been talking about this attraction for months; he could not wait to ride it with my husband.  As we approached the roller coaster, however, I could feel his hand stiffen in mine.

"Mom...," he whispered, in a tiny voice.  He didn't even need to finish his sentence.  I already knew that Jack was not going to get on that roller coaster.  I also knew, however, that he would probably regret his decision; so, for the next ten minutes, my husband used every trick in the book to convince Jack to hop on that ride with him.  Finally, frustrated and disappointed, my husband left to ride the attraction by himself.  By this time, Jack was in the throes of a complete meltdown, the severity of which threatened to ruin the rest of our day.  I knew that we needed to regroup...and quickly.  And the first step was to throw the touring plan away.

A cool drink under the shade can quickly cure a meltdown

Tip Time: Good daily touring plans are essential to a successful trip to Walt Disney World.  They help you avoid long lines, stay ahead of the crowds, and experience more attractions.  Nevertheless, it is important to recognize when you should abandon your touring plans in favor of a more relaxed pace.

I knew that abandoning the touring plan meant that we would not experience all of the attractions on our "Animal Kingdom Wish List".  I also knew that, if we didn't slow down the pace fast, we wouldn't see anything else at all!  So, for the rest of the day, we just relaxed.  We enjoyed frozen Cokes (complete with brain freezes) in the shade.  We spent some quiet time digging for dinosaur bones in The Boneyard, Animal Kingdom's massive playground.  And we explored all of the little treasures that Animal Kingdom offers, from bongo bands in Africa to spontaneous animal presentations throughout the park.

Enjoying some much-needed quiet time digging in The Boneyard

At about 3:30pm, after a few hours of relaxed fun, we decided to call it a day.  That evening, my husband and I had plans for a night out while my mom stayed with the kids, and we wanted to get back to our hotel in plenty of time to freshen up before dinner.  So, we began our trek to the front of the park.  Unfortunately, we forgot about the 3:45pm parade...until we essentially walked right into it.  With nowhere to go, we were forced to walk painstakingly slowly behind the parade toward the exits.  The sun was beating down on us, the kids were absolutely exhausted, and my husband was on the verge of losing his mind!

Finding some time to be in a bongo band!

By the time we finally reached the front of the park, we were drenched in sweat, and our moods had rapidly darkened, casting a shadow over the day.  So, would we visit Animal Kingdom again?  Now that I've had some time to gain perspective, I would absolutely go again.  BUT, I would limit the number of attractions on our "wish list" and create a touring plan for the morning only.  Animal Kingdom is a very unique theme park, designed for leisurely touring.  Once we recognized that we needed to slow down to enjoy the park, we had a much more enjoyable day.  My husband, on the other hand, has vowed never to set foot inside that jungle again, so I may be visiting Animal Kingdom as a party of one!! 


Meredith McCutcheon
Disney Specialist, Ginger's Getaways
Click here for more information on my personalized Disney itineraries and touring plans

 

Animal Kingdom or Animal "King-dumb": Part One

When I started planning this second trip to Disney World, Animal Kingdom was the first theme park that I included in our itinerary.  Since we'd skipped this park on our last trip, I naturally wanted to make it a priority this time around.  Nevertheless, I was a little hesitant.  During my research, one thing became clear: people either love Animal Kingdom or they really dislike Animal Kingdom...and I wasn't sure which side we would fall on.

Although it is a Disney World theme park, Animal Kingdom possesses some distinct differences from the other three parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios).  For example, while Animal Kingdom does feature some headliner attractions (most notably Expedition Everest and Kiliminjaro Safaris), there's seemingly not a whole lot to do at this park (at least on the surface).  Many people therefore assume that Animal Kingdom can be enjoyed in half of a day.  However, as I started designing our Animal Kingdom touring plan, I quickly realized that this assumption is false.  Although Animal Kingdom does only have a handful of rides, this park is home to three incredible stage shows: Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo: The Musical, and Flights of Wonder.  Furthermore, Animal Kingdom features countless hidden gems (including two animal trails, a conservation station, the magnificent Tree of Life, and knowledgeable Cast Members who are always ready to answer questions about the animals that can be spotted throughout the park in their native habitats).  Finally, Animal Kingdom is home to a highly-rated (but little-known) character meal; for lunch or breakfast, guests can dine with Daisy Duck and her friends at Tusker House in the Africa section of the park.  To complicate matters, Animal Kingdom closes earlier than all of the other theme parks (usually around 7:00pm, but sometimes as early as 5:00pm).  Consequently, trying to fit all of our "must-see" attractions (and the character meal) into a touring plan rapidly became a challenge.

So, I buckled down and came up with a comprehensive touring plan that would allow us to enjoy Animal Kingdom to its fullest...or so I thought.  And, during the morning, the plan worked beautifully.  We hit most of the headliner attractions and saw Festival of the Lion King with little to no wait.  Then, it was off to Tusker House for lunch.

Tip Time: If your kids are old enough (and if you're not surprising your kids with your Disney vacation), get them involved in the planning process.  Since we always add the Disney Dining Plan to our vacation package, we start by letting each child pick one sit-down meal.  My daughter, Sadie, is a HUGE fan of Daisy Duck.  Since Animal Kingdom's Tusker House is the only place where guests can actually dine with Daisy, selecting a character lunch at this location was a no-brainer for her.

Lunch with Daisy at Tusker House -- our #1 favorite character meal

And what a memorable meal it was!  Character meals are always fun, and they are a great way to "stay ahead of the crowds"; instead of wasting time in long lines to meet your favorite characters in the parks, these meals provide an opportunity to spend time with characters in a more intimate setting...and no waiting in line!!  In terms of food quality, however, character meals are hit-or-miss.  Fortunately, Tusker House was a huge hit!!  Tusker House features some of the most interesting African-inspired food options at any Disney World buffet (of course, there's also a kids' buffet with child-friendly staples).  The characters really take their time with guests, and kids even get to participate in a musical parade with their favorite furry friends!  Jack and Sadie had an absolute ball marching around the restaurant with the characters; Daisy even convinced Grandma to join the fun!  We all agreed that this was, hands-down, our favorite character meal of the trip.

Hangin' with Mickey at Tusker House

After a very successful morning and a memorable lunch at Tusker House, we were ready to head back out into the theme park and finish up my touring plan.  After only 30 minutes, however, it became distinctly apparent that the afternoon's plans were not going to be executed as smoothly as the morning. 

Next Up: Our Angst-Filled Afternoon at Animal Kingdom


Meredith McCutcheon
Disney Specialist, Ginger's Getaways
Find me on Facebook 
Click here for more information on my personalized Disney itineraries and touring plans