Sue Holland Rayford - February 7-11, 2013 - Kidani Village

Who/When/Where:

Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Dates: February 7 11, 2013
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disneys Kidani Village Resort (1-bedroom villa)
Experience: Very experienced (13th stay at AKV)

INTRODUCTION:
Every once in a while a routine planned trip evolves/changes during the time between booking and arrival, and this is one of those trips! Originally it was 4 nights in a studio for our anniversary, with 3 dining reservations and plans for time in the parks. The first change was changing it to a 1-bedroom villa, since its so much nicer having the separate tv areas, separate bathrooms, and more space! The full kitchen is nice, too although honestly not completely necessary. The next change came in December, when we purchased Premium Annual Passes but made the decision to not activate them until later in the year (April for me, late May for SB) in order to save a little money. That meant I had to cancel the dining reservations for Chefs de France and Le Cellier, but theyll be there in the future. After I saw the new Le Cellier menu and learned that excellent burger is no longer on the menu, any pain I felt was gone! Disneys just getting too ridiculous with that menu, so I cant see him eating there unless he just gets soup like me otherwise hed be grumbling the whole meal about the prices (me too).

We kept our third reservation, which is Ohana on the night of our anniversary. This was his pick, and although we went back & forth considering changing to somewhere that doesnt leave you feeling so stuffed, in the end we stuck with it. We havent eaten at Ohana in several years, and since Narcoossees last year wasnt as good as the year before we abandoned the original plan of that being our anniversary dinner spot.

The final change in plans came this past weekend, and frankly it wasnt the first time I considered just canceling the trip entirely. But, Id borrowed every one of the points needed to book it, and would not be able to use them before they expired March 31st (trust me I tried a LOT of different scenarios but at short term dvc resorts are booked up). A friend of ours died Thursday not entirely unexpected, but his wife went to work as usual that morning and came home to find him in his favorite chair, deceased. SB was like a son to him, and they talked on the phone every Sunday. Services were Monday & Tuesday of this week (in central CT), so SB needed to hit the road. Since Gainesville, FL is ridiculously expensive to fly in/out got creative with SBs travel plans, with a mix of Amtrak, driving and flying. Friday hell fly to Orlando, and catch Magical Express to meet me at Kidani Village where I will have checked in the day before.

So, Ill have a solo portion to the trip, then our portion. The weather looks great low 80s! I cant tell you how GREAT that sounds, after the cold weve had in Gainesville. I hope to enjoy the pool area for part of each day (another thing we dont have in Gainesville). Our villa is savannah view, so I also plan some time on the balcony watching the zebra, giraffe and other animals roaming about. Ill offer to make breakfast in the villa, and well just wing it in terms of other meals. Who knows maybe well even venture off site this trip, lol!

My one concern is the internet, with there being increasing reports of terrible wifi service at most of the resorts (including Kidani Village a couple weeks ago). I dont want the aggravation and certainly dont want to listen to SB griping about it as well! So, Im hoping it works ok.

Maybe well head over to the bigger Premium Outlets (former Belz), but maybe not. Neither of us are big shoppers, so its probably not worth the time spent driving over there. Well see. We might see a movie thats something SB enjoys more than I do, but if we can find a movie that isnt causing pain, bodily harm and other violence to any of the characters Id be willing to attend <g>. We might check out Splitsville, at least to take a look in person. We (mostly me) SUCK at bowling its truly pathetic. So, it may not be worth actually bowling, especially if theres a wait. Bottom line, I have no idea what well be doing from one day to the next I guess whatever we feel like doing at the moment!

The plans so far are:
Thursday 2/7: Work, Drive to WDW
Friday 2/8: Pool, SB Arrives
Saturday 2/9: Pool
Sunday 2/10: Pool, Ohana
Monday 2/11: Drive to Gainesville

DAY 1 Thursday 2/7/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member

Plan: Work, Drive to WDW

Actual: As usual, the trip began after working half the day. This lets my mind justify it not being a vacation DAY, yet being only 2 hours away we can still get there by mid-afternoon. I was home at noon and after changing clothes and packing up the cooler I was in the car by 12:10, pulling out of the garage. Unfortunately after I arrived at Kidani Village I realized Id packed the orange juicer but not the bag of oranges Id picked yesterday. Oh well.

The drive was uneventful and I decided to stop at the Premium Outlets at the old Belz location on International Drive since I would pass it if I stayed on the turnpike to I-4. Once I got off the highway I realized why I dont ever come down this way anymore. Im so thankful I dont have to stay in places like I-4 or highway 192 theyre so touristy and tacky to me! Being there would negatively impact my enjoyment of the trip. I wouldnt even leave property to go out there for meals its just not worth the crappy atmosphere (compared to the atmosphere on Disney property value resorts excluded).

I found the outlets easily enough, but parking was a challenge just like at the smaller Premium Outlets closer to WDW! Eventually I did find a spot, and since Id prepared for this visit I knew which general area to be in so that Id be within a decent proximity to Character Warehouse (Disney). The old malls are gone now the shops are all outdoors like at the other outlet center. Its nice enough if this is what you like Im not a big shopper, so I really dont appreciate it.

I only went to Character Warehouse I wanted to check that out, but then just wanted to get the heck out of this whole area. The store is bigger than the Character Premiere store, and I ended up buying a Food & Wine Festival t-shirt for SB and a 6-pack holder for Chris. From there I sat in the traffic along International Drive until I could get back on I-4 for the trip to WDW.

I decided to use the GPS since I found Animal Kingdom Lodge in there, but it took me in a very indirect (out of the way) path. I knew it, but decided what the heck lets see how stupid it gets <g>. It took me out to 192, so I decided to make my Publix stop now and avoid having to leave the property after checking in. I found Publix a little further out than I remembered, but someone said one had closed so they must have been right. I picked up a dozen eggs for breakfasts, some salami for SB and a piece of carrot cake for me. Once that was done I drove back to the resort using the back way (Sherberth Road).

I parked under the building and guessed which side of the lobby my villa might be on, then walked up to the lobby. There was no wait to check in, and since it was 3:30 by now my villa was ready. It was also on the other side of the lobby, lol! I had a few things in hand, so I walked to the villa (about halfway down the long hallway) to make sure everything was ok, then walked all the way back to move the car to this end before unloading most of the rest of my stuff. This is when I realized the oranges were in Gainesville.

After taking several pictures of the villa I unpacked our stuff & got settled. Theres a full bathroom off the hall as you enter the villa, and the large master bath off the bedroom. The master bath has a separate toilet room, double vanity sinks, Jacuzzi tub and large glass shower. The shower has a tiled bench seat, so its nice to have a place other than the floor to put the razor and shower stuff! The bedroom has a king bed, desk, 2 nightstands, and dresser/armoire. The closet is actually in the master bath area. Unlike many of the other dvc resorts, there is not a window/opening between the bedroom and the Jacuzzi tub.

The living room has a sleep sofa and a wide sleep chair. The dining area is a long bench plus 2 chairs. The kitchen is fairly small but has a granite counter top with barstools, which is a nice feature. The balcony runs the length of the entire villa, with 4 chairs and a small table or 2. The washer & dryer is in a room across from the bathroom in the hall. I immediately turned on every light in the place, since it tends to be really dark here. With all the lights turned on, its a nice soft light. With only a couple turned on it would seem too dark.

I wasnt sure what to do for dinner. Raglan Road came to mind, since I enjoy sitting outside there. But, it was very cloudy out and when I checked the weather I saw rain was expected to start at 6pm (about an hour away). I really have no desire or need to be trudging around in the rain anymore, so I decided to stay in with my animal neighbors. While it was still nice though I grabbed the camera and wandered around the resort. I found my name on the tapestry in the library very easily this time usually Im searching for a long time! Its my old name, but I cant expect Disney to redo it because I changed my name when I got married, lol! From there I walked over to the pool, which really is nothing special. Its small, and while it has an interactive play area for little kids that does nothing for me. There were quite a few people out there even though it was cloudy.

I decided to head over to Jambo House, so I walked to the bus stop and boarded a waiting Hollywood Studios bus that was empty except for me. The driver immediately took off so I had a private (but very cold wow on the a/c) ride to Jambo House. From Kidani Village the buses to the parks all stop at Jambo House next, so its a piece of cake to travel between the 2 resorts. The Downtown Disney bus travels in reverse order, so Jambo first and Kidani second.

At Jambo House I wandered around and yes, the pool area here is MUCH bigger and nicer. I stopped in at Mara, and it became almost comical. Every single time I decided to go look at something some other party of 2-4 people would think of the same thing a couple seconds ahead of me and would be there in my way just as Id approach! In the refrigerated cases area, theyd be at the ONE (of many) that I wanted to look at at the bakery case theyd be at the end I wanted to look at, etc. It wasnt the same people it was different families. I ended up getting some mustard & mayo for SBs sandwiches and butter for his toast, but didnt see anything to buy. Well, actually at the bakery the chocolate raspberry mickey tart looked awfully appealing but I didnt have the patience to wait any longer for people to GET OUT OF MY WAY so I could really check it out <g>. I should be back tomorrow with SB, so if its an everyday thing Ill have another shot then. Maybe theyll have better soups tomorrow, too I didnt like either of the soups today.

I decided to head back to Kidani Village and the easiest way is to simply walk there. It was starting to sprinkle just slightly, despite not being 6pm yet <g>. Its an easy walk and warmer than riding a bus! For dinner I had crackers, cheese & wine out on the balcony. I used the luggage rack to rig up a table for the laptop, and used the small table for the plate of food and glass of wine. A group of ankole cattle were laying under the trees down below, and when I dragged the little table closer it made some noise and the big guy turned to look at me! Oops I did apologize for making so much noise. It was very pleasant out there, and I never saw any noticeable rain. There also wasnt much of a sunset since it was so cloudy.

Around 7 I went inside to the living room to finish up the report. Once it got dark outside there wasnt much to see, and I was interested in seeing the latest weather stuff once I heard Jim Cantore was in Boston <g>. I grew up in that area, and was there for the Blizzard of 78. I also have a husband hoping to fly out of Baltimore tomorrow afternoon that looks pretty good I hope. Once I get this posted Ill probably go soak & read in the Jacuzzi tub for a while, then watch General Hospital on SoapNet at 9 and then flip between the weather and HGTV until I turn in for the night.

Today wasnt a terribly exciting day for trip report readers, since I really didnt do anything. That said, Im happy to be here and Im looking forward to the next few days. These dvc 1-bedroom villas really spoil a person! I thought I was spoiled before by dvc studios now itll be even harder to put up with me <g>.


DAY 2 Friday 2/8/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband

Plan: Pool, SB Arrives

Actual: It was very comfortable sleeping last night, except the ceiling fan doesnt seem to have a variable setting. Its either full speed or off. I even climbed up on the bed to look for a setting on the fixture itself, to no avail. As a result, I left it turned off and was still quite comfortable since the a/c was set cool enough. Well see how it goes when SB arrives if he wants the fan on Ill adjust the a/c up a little bit.

It was almost 7 by the time I got up, and the Ankole gang was outside protecting their turf, lol. They really like their spot, and I cant blame them since they had shade and easy access to a feeding area. I turned on Good Morning America to hear the latest on the blizzard up north, talked to SB, and then got dressed and headed out for a walk/run. Like before, I ran over to Jambo House and then looped through several rows of their parking lot before returning to Kidani Village. Its not ideal or scenic, but its better than nothing.

Back in the villa I made breakfast, wishing I hadnt forgotten those oranges! Breakfast was an egg and slice of bacon, but after starting the egg I realized the spatula was missing from the kitchen. I called housekeeping and they said theyd send one up but of course it didnt arrive until well after Id finished eating. I was able to use a big plastic spoon to flip my egg over. After breakfast I made my cappuccino and enjoyed that while doing online stuff and keeping an eye on SBs plane. Fortunately it did depart (few minutes early) from Washington DC for its flight to Ft Myers, so we should be all set. I took a quick shower and around 9:45 drove over to the Premium Outlets close to WDW, since I was curious how similar or different the merchandise is between the 2 Disney outlet stores.

The drive to the outlets was very easy (no traffic) and since it was early it was even possible to find a parking spot! My friend Patti called while I was driving, and since I was talking to her I didnt exactly pay attention to where I parked, so I was a little surprised when I got out of the car and realized I was quite a ways from the entrance I typically use. Oh well a little walking never hurt me. It was just barely 10am so the shops had just opened. I went to Character Premiere only, and saw a lot of the same merchandise as at Character Warehouse. However, I did see a couple things for me that werent present at the other store a $40 long-sleeve shirt with sequins forming a Mickey (now $8.99) and a $40 Mickey laptop bag for $12.99. SB got me a netbook case/sleeve for our anniversary, but this one will also hold my kindle and the cords (with a little room to spare), while his case/sleeve I will use when taking the netbook off cruise ships to catch free wifi in ports.

After making my purchases I drove back to Kidani Village, getting there by 11. I quickly changed into my swimsuit and headed to the pool. I was shocked by how many people were there, but its a small pool so I think it doesnt take very much to look busy. There was a whole section of chairs away from the pool so that was the perfect spot for me. It was sunny and warm but there was a nice breeze. I did some reading, and at some point I was shocked to hear myself being spoken to by a familiar voice. Id thought Patti had said shed call at 1:30 to see where I was, and here she & dh Ray were standing and giving me a hard time about being hidden, lol! At first I was not thrilled to be seen somewhat sweaty and with my big scar visible by people I actually know, lol, but that stupidity didnt last long. Theyre good people, and scars are simply a sign of the road traveled.

We had a nice visit, and they surprised me with one of the 2012 dvc ornaments given out at the Merry Mixers I was unable to attend. I love it thanks guys! They continued on their way to whatever park struck their fancy and I returned to my reading. SB & talked a few times, and at one point it looked like he might take an offer to be bumped off his flight (theyd give him 2 free round trip tickets, fly him to Tampa tonight and give him a rental car). I had visions of a weekend in Boston or NYC in my future, but in the end his flight had all the seats sold but no extra people so there was no bumping. His flight was supposed to be delayed 30 minutes, but since they were boarding just after 2 I think their delay will be shorter than planned.

I was back in the room by a little after 1 and turned the Weather Channel on to follow the latest with the storm until General Hospital started. There was a phone message from my dvc guide he calls once a year or so just to say hi. I had crackers, cheese & a glass of wine for lunch after my candy cane appetizer at the pool (thanks to Patti & Ray). When I thought SB might be arriving later tonight (from Tampa) I figured Id do an early dinner at Raglan Road tonight, but now its back to our original plan of me waiting for him to arrive & going to Mara.

After General Hospital I took another shower and then puttered around checking SBs flight and watching the animals outside. Except for a pair of zebra and an ostrich, my area seems to pretty much belong to the ankole cattle. There were a couple giraffe out briefly last night, but I havent seen any since. Oops, as I type this there they are making a liar out of me, lol! The food truck recently drove through, which got everyone up on their feet in search of dinner.

SB called at 4:45 to say his plane had landed, so thats good news. Eventually I went out to one of the observation decks off the lobby and sat in a rocking chair while reading and waiting for his bus to arrive. He called when they pulled away from Jambo House, and I went outside to wait for him. I was shocked by the many people getting off the bus at Kidani! Unfortunately the many people made the small lobby a mess, so it was a pain getting through them to head to our villa. The lobbys so small when you dump a busload of people with their luggage and noisy little kids into that space its just miserable!

We made the trek to the villa, dropped off his stuff, and turned around to go back to Jambo House. As we exited the lobby the van had just pulled up but it looked like it would be nearly full so we decided to just walk. He didnt want to walk, but since there wasnt a bus at the bus stop we kept going and soon we were there <g>. Going down to Mara we had to dodge kids running wild and I was hoping my ears wouldnt start to bleed from the high-pitched screams coming from some of the little darlings. Its amazing how so many people give birth and feel their responsibility to teach the little creature anything is over at that point!

We entered Mara and I was dismayed to see a ridiculous long line to order! We really had no choice but to wait, though. SB detoured to the coolers and came back with a side salad, then I detoured to the bakery case and got one of those chocolate raspberry Mickey tarts. There were 2 cashiers working, and 1 closed his register and came to help take orders. We ordered the half rotisserie chicken and the chicken corn chowder, then turned to see a huge line at the only remaining open register. Ugh.

Luckily the cast member came back to his register and we were second in line for him. The beeper went off just as we arrived at a table, and I went up to get the food. SBs chicken was a bit on the small side, and was pretty dry as well. He refused to eat it, and ended up going up to talk with someone about it. I had visions of him being thrown in Mickey jail (or a real jail) but he came back without handcuffs (but still bitching). A few minutes later a cast member brought him another half chicken, which was a little bit bigger and a whole lot moister! The taste between the 2 was like night & day. So, things turned out ok but I have no desire to return to Mara. Besides the ridiculous lines, the noise was obnoxious with crying babies, overly loud little kids, etc. Some seemed tired beyond their limits, some were probably just overly stimulated/hyped up, but whatever the reason it was hell in there.

We left as soon as we finished, taking some of the good chicken and almost all of my tart back to the villa. Were in for the night hes been traveling all day so it didnt take long for him to flop on the bed with ESPN on the tv! Ill probably use the Jacuzzi tub again, then join him (netbook or kindle can occupy me while sports is on).

Today was a nice relaxing day just how I like it! Its really nice to wake up when the sun wakes me, and not have to be anywhere at any particular time. I enjoy the parks, but sometimes I really like NOT having to get out the door to get there. The pool time was great, and although I wish I had more giraffe friends near this villa, Ive become fond of the ankole gang <g>.

Well see what tomorrow brings no real plans yet!


DAY 3 Saturday 2/9/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband

Plan: Pool

Actual: Last night SB was asleep by 9:30 and I turned out the lights shortly after 10. Unfortunately, while he slept I did not. Hes getting over a cold, and perhaps thats the reason, but he didnt sleep silently long enough for me to get to sleep. I checked the clock at 2:30, at 3:30, and finally after 4:30 I just got up and went out to the living room. Out there I could hear the little kid (one of them) in the connecting studio crying oh joy. I didnt want to turn the tv up loud to drown it out, since SB was asleep in our bedroom. The kid finally shut up, although I heard a little more around 5:30. Sound-proofing of these connecting doors sucks!!! The door is across from our kitchen and on their side it would be across from the sleep sofa (so in the sleeping area). This is poor planning and shoddy construction design.

Around 5:30 I made my cappuccino and did some jigsaw puzzles online while the news was on tv. When I first got up I saw the ankole gang in their spot their white horns were visible. It feels a bit chilly out there around 56. By 7am the zebra were back, munching on the grass just off my living room while the ankole gang were in their spot off the bedroom end of the balcony. Unfortunately it was a little too chilly to sit out there watching them.

By 7:15 the family next door was up I could hear the moms voice but the really loud sounds were the kids. Again, parents dont seem to encourage a more respectful volume in many cases theres no excuse for me to be sitting on my couch, with the tv on, and be hearing the family next door so clearly! Finally I did a load of laundry the washing machine made just enough noise to drown them out.

Sleeping Beauty was up just after 8 and since Id already made & eaten my breakfast around 7:30, I made him his (eggs, bacon, sausage, toast & milk). We didnt hear the kids next door again until almost 9 dont they have a theme park to get to???? They cry, they yell, on second thought maybe the parents couldnt take it anymore and are in line for Soarin as I type <g>. We left the villa shortly after 9, getting the car and driving over to the Publix near Premium Outlets.

Theyve torn down the building that used to house Dolly Partons Dixie Stampede, and are working on putting something else into that space. At Publix SB bought some cough medicine and a couple cards (anniversary, Valentines Day) along with some Greek Yogurt cakes that have only 2 grams of sugar and 100 calories. We put the stuff in the trunk and drove over to the outlets, arriving with a short wait for Character Premiere to open.

We bought another netbook/laptop case for a friend, and browsed around the shop a bit, then headed over to Downtown Disney. The parking lot was already getting busy, but it was a lot easier to park than it would be later! We walked through the Marketplace, Pleasure Island (hating seeing Comedy Warehouse closed) and the West Side. It was a little before 11 so we decided to see the 11am showing of Identity Thief and then have lunch at Splitsville.

The movie was hilarious just one laugh after another! We definitely recommend it, but not for kids. The theater seats were really comfortable, and it wasnt crowded at all, so it was a great experience. After the movie we went into Splitsville and rode the escalator upstairs to eat outside on the deck. This also wasnt busy, so we took a table at the railing and enjoyed people watching from up there. We saw one lady with a bright green (neon) wig, striped tights under her shorts, and a teddy bear backpack wow.

I ordered a glass of wine and SB ordered a draft beer. For lunch we shared the chicken tenders appetizer and the classic burger with fries. It was plenty of food for the 2 of us, and everything was excellent. The chicken tenders were the best weve ever had, and the burger is made from a mix of brisket, short rib and ground beef nice flavor! They take Tables in Wonderland here, and the check was $37-something including tip. Well definitely be back, but at a time when its not crazy busy.

On the way out we looked around inside, but the whole bowling alley thing did nothing for me. It looked very nice (for a bowling alley) but I doubt Ill be back to bowl. After lunch we returned to the resort, getting back around 3:30. SB plopped himself on the bed and I worked on the trip report in the living room. It bugs the hell out of me to spend time in the bedroom when we have the whole villa. I would have saved a bunch of points if I wanted to live in a bedroom! He had constant internet trouble too hed connect, then get thrown off. Im sure its a problem with his computer, so well need someone at work to check it for him. I took my computer out onto the balcony and spent time with the ankole gang while SB watched sports on tv.

I ended up spending all afternoon out there watching the animals. SB was sound asleep between 5:30 and 6! I guess his cold is affecting him, although he says he doesnt feel bad. Ill be heading inside to watch tv shortly, since itll be cool once the sun goes down. Plans for later include a soak in the Jacuzzi tub, some reading, and maybe SB will wake up for a while! Ill pull out the sleeper chair in the living room just in case he snores again tonight.

Today was a nice relaxing day. Its very possible to enjoy a WDW trip without going to the parks. Splitsville was a pleasant surprise of a dining spot, and the movie was really great! Not sure what were doing tomorrow weve talked about canceling Ohana because its just too much food, but well see what we decide. Theres not a clear 2nd choice waiting to be booked, so we might end up keeping the reservation.


DAY 4 Sunday 2/10/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband

Plan: Pool, Ohana

Actual: Last night SB woke up for a while and we talked about dinner tonight. He was concerned about the amount of food at Ohana (admitting he could show no self-restraint there, lol) and I wasnt crazy about our 6:55 dining time (too late for us). We narrowed our other choices down to Fultons and Raglan Road, then I booked a 4:45 reservation at Raglan Road. Well cancel one of the reservations today.

I was so tired I was nodding off by 10 last night. Hed woken back up so we spent the evening together. At 10 I turned off the lights and fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately I woke up at 1:30 for a short while, and then again at 5. He must have left the bedroom sometime after 5 (without me noticing) because when I woke up at 6:30 his side of the bed was empty. I found him asleep on the sleeper chair in the living room. We hung out for a while (he woke up) and at 7:30 I went out for a run. Before I left I couldnt find my room key, but while out running I remembered giving it to SB for the gate when we returned from Downtown Disney, and I remember him using a key to open our door.

Once I got back to the villa he checked his stuff and found his key but not mine. Ok, so maybe its in the car for some reason, because its not in this villa! I made breakfast for us eggs, bacon, sausage, toast & milk for him; egg, bacon slice & cappuccino for me. While eating we talked about what to do today, and he was definitely interested in seeing the Lakers play basketball. I checked the time and learned theyd be on at 3:30 bad time since we booked Raglan Road at 4:45 <g>. Rather than put him in an awkward spot by asking whats more important a basketball game or our anniversary? I just asked him what he wanted to do <g>. I suggested we could do Raglan Road at 2:30 and just miss the start of the game, but he preferred to stick with the original Ohana reservation. Fine by me.

At 9:30 we drove over to Downtown Disney and parked at the Marketplace. We went into World of Disney, where he bought me a bracelet and pair of earrings to complete my anniversary gift (with 10% discount for DVC). From there we went to Earl of Sandwich to get sandwiches for later. He got the All American and I got the Caprese with 15% off for having AAA. I also got a small yogurt parfait ($2.49) for tomorrow morning. When we paid the cashier SB asked for a cup for ice water and she said something but we werent sure what. We got our receipt and left the counter, then remembered the cup and went back to get it. I think the cashier chastised us for not being patient enough, but we were so stunned were not entirely sure. It was very bizarre.

While we were waiting for our sandwiches a huge group of cheerleaders came in and joined the queue we were glad our timing had been good enough to avoid them! Shortly after that, another huge group of cheerleaders came in, so Earl went from fairly busy to mobbed within 5 minutes or less! When our beeper went off I went up to the counter (along with another guy whose beeper had gone off) and 3 bags/orders were sitting there but no employee could be bothered to come over. Finally another customer said to just take the one thats ours, so I checked the receipt in the bag with 2 sandwiches to make sure it was ours, and grabbed it. Im not sure why service was so strangely piss-poor in there today, as usually everything is fine.

We drove back to the resort, each eating a half of our sandwiches! Theyre just so much better hot & fresh. Oh, when we got into the car earlier my room key was on the floor on the passenger side. Back at Kidani Village I changed into my swimsuit and headed to the pool while SB laid on his sleeper chair and watched tv. He was hoping to find a good western on tv, which is an oxymoron to me since westerns are awful to me <g>. Hes coughing quite a bit but says he feels fine.

I went back to my same spot at the pool, which I had to myself. It was heaven! I was there from just before 11 until just after bingo started at 1. By now SB had the early basketball on the tv. I canceled our Raglan Road reservation and then we exchanged anniversary cards and gifts. There was a group of 4 giraffe outside, which seems to happen about once per day in this spot, lol! We looked at them & the other animals, then he went back to his game and I started packing up our stuff (sob). Finally, I took my shower I absolutely LOVE the shower in the master bathroom here! Its huge and has great water pressure wish we had this in Gainesville!

After getting dressed & blow-drying my hair I poured some wine and ate the last little piece of cheese on a few crackers while sitting out on the balcony with the netbook and animals. The breeze was fabulous out there, and Ive really enjoyed the time spent on the balcony each day! I think Ill miss this most of all after we leave tomorrow. I think another 2 weeks of this would be perfect <g>.

At 3:50 I made the trek to the lobby and went downstairs to Sanaa for the 4pm Cultural Tour of Sanaa. I was the only guest, and a young lady from some South African country took me through the restaurant pointing out what she knew. She explained there were so many different countries/cultures it was impossible to know them all. Shes here on the international program, and is in her 4th month. She also pointed out the 4 hidden Mickeys in the area.

It was an interesting tour, and we spent about 20 minutes going through the restaurant while she explained various artifacts and customs she was familiar with. At the completion she asked me to sit in the bar area as the chef was preparing a little something for me in appreciation of having taken the tour. Nowhere did it mention food in the tour description, so this was a pleasant (but not really wanted today yesterday would have been a better day to do this) surprise. She & I went outside to the animal viewing area first, and then she deposited me back in the bar. They brought out a smaller version of the bread service, with naan bread and 3 dips/sauces. I didnt have my phone with me or I might have called SB & told him to RUN his butt down here. I didnt finish it, but ate more than I needed to considering we were going to dinner in a couple hours. It was excellent! I knew Id like the cucumber dip (similar to greek tsziki sauce) but I was surprised how great the dip with diced yellow fruit was. There was also a green dip that was ok. When youre staying here at Kidani Village, I definitely recommend the tour.

I went back to the villa and saw the 4 giraffe were back. The food truck had just come by to replenish everything, so all the animals were up on their feet munching away. The giraffe eat and run I swear I see them, then if I walk from the living room to the bedroom they disappear in those few seconds! Its the way the trees are positioned and the fact that from the 4th floor we see treetops which obscure the distant view. I told SB about the tour, then poured the last of the wine and went back out to the balcony.

Around 6 I came back inside and we got dressed for dinner (long pants nothing fancy). We drove over to the Polynesian and checked in for Ohana around 6:35 for our 6:55 reservation. It was mobbed up there, which isnt unusual. It was also bedlam with so many young kids. Our buzzer went off about 6:57, which we thought was pretty good considering how crowded it was. Our table was not at the window but we had a view of the castle and the table was in a good location. SB commented that this was a good restaurant but it wasnt a romantic restaurant due to the many crying babies and noise-making kids. We were appalled by a table nearby. This cute little blonde boy would not stay in his seat and his parents & the other adults did nothing to make him act right. He laid on the floor IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALKWAY, creating a trip hazard for the servers walking around with skewers or trays of food! One lady almost tripped when she had to dodge him at the last minute and the boys mom gave a pathetic and insincere sounding sorry but even then didnt get off her butt. Gee people, maybe paying attention to the kid or perhaps bringing a coloring book & crayons might help. He had a little car he was playing with, but he could have done that seated at the table instead of in everyones way.

The food started coming, and it was a lot! On the way to our table the cast member picked up our loaf of coconut pineapple bread. It was good but not as good as the bread at Kona. We didnt even eat half of it wanted to save room for the better stuff. Non-alcoholic drinks are included, so SB had iced tea and I just got a glass of ice water. Someone brought out a big bowl of salad and tossed it at the table. It had some mango and orange pieces on top before tossing. The dressing was nice and light it was good.

Next came a bowl with 4 pork dumplings and 4 honey coriander sesame chicken wings. Both were excellent! They also brought a bowl of peanut sauce (they dont serve the other sauces any longer) and a bowl of noodles over a bunch of vegetables. The noodles were outstanding we both loved these! SB had all the veggies broccoli, baby ears of corn, peppers, green beans or peas, little onion. I had a slice of water chestnut <g>. At this point the meat started coming. Cast members would pick up skewers and go from table to table until they got rid of all the meat, and guests could eat as much as they want. SB enjoyed the jumbo shrimp, which were butterflied so the skin came right off without any real work. We both thought the steak was ok, but it wasnt anything special. The mesquite pork loin (white meat) was good, but the best thing by far was the chicken (also white meat)! The chicken was moist & flavorful, and wonderful paired with the peanut sauce and the noodles.

During dinner a Hawaiian guy played a ukulele and sang songs, then got the hordes of kids into a parade and then a limbo contest. A short while later he called up anyone with a birthday this month, and a huge crowd went up for a free lei. I cant believe they all have February birthdays, lol! After that he called for couples celebrating anniversaries, and there were around 6-8 couples who went up. We all got leis and he asked each couple where they were from and how many years they were celebrating. SB told me to do the talking he said later it didnt ever bother him to be playing baseball in front of 50,000 people, but being in the limelight in front of a small group makes him nervous, lol!

Finally, the dessert came out, along with a cupcake with 2 candles for our anniversary. The dessert here is a wonderful bread pudding with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and a gravy boat of warm caramel sauce & bananas. Omigod was this good SB couldnt believe how good it was. Thank goodness we dont eat like this every day (or even every week or every month, lol). We couldnt finish it, but we put one heck of a dent in it! When the check came I was surprised to see dinner was just under $34/person I was expecting it to be closer to $40 but I guess thats only during the totally offensive periods when Disney tacks an extra $4-6 to the menu price in exchange for absolutely nothing extra. With Tables in Wonderland, after the discount and 18% gratuity dinner was $70.16 not bad at all.

We settled the check and headed out. As we passed the restrooms I pointed out to SB that a couple people had left their iphones charging in the electrical outlet in the wall. The people were not there I guess they were eating at Ohana and just left their phones out there charging! SB commented that we sure have honest people here at Disney <g>.

We walked out to the car and drove back to Kidani Village and our villa one last time. He commented before dinner that hes really loved this trip, and admitted that he expected to hate it since we werent going to the parks. Its really been nice without the parks!

The pictures from this weekend are on Shutterfly at
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjFMg

In the morning well be heading back to Gainesville, although Id much rather be staying longer. Ive come to love the 1-bedroom villas, and this trip it was fabulous having nice weather to enjoy the animals from my balcony for so many hours. This is truly a special resort (along with Jambo House next door) and Im thankful for my dvc points which makes staying here possible (and affordable).

Our next trip is coming up in less than 3 weeks - we will be spending 2 nights on the club level at Jambo House in early March. After checking out of Jambo House I set sail on HALs Ryndam out of Tampa with friends Pete & Judy, while SB heads home (hes not planning to cruise with us until January 2014). Thanks for reading!