We were up and ready for breakfast and church by 9:15am (eastern time). Whew! We did manage to get a few hours of sleep. The drive to Orlando was about three and a half hours, so peanuts compared to the long haul yesterday. We’re staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village which is our home resort in the Disney Vacation Club (timeshare). As we drove in we had to stop at the gatehouse to check our car in. As we were driving away the cast member said, “Welcome Home!” OK, I admit it. I did get a little teary-eyed. We’re finally here. All in one piece with only a few sore butts from the long drive. And it’s always a little dream come true to finally be in this magical place.
We’re staying in a one bedroom villa which is awesome. I took photos on my little point and shoot, and I can't get them transferred to my laptop. You'll just have to take my word for it. We have a full kitchen, living area, dining table, two full bathrooms, and a separate bedroom with king size bed. Last year we stayed in a studio, which is the size of a regular hotel room. So the extra room is like heaven, especially now that Sean is a full-blown toddler.
The only little hiccup we’ve had since we arrived is the scooter we rented for my father-in-law was delivered to the other Animal Kingdom lodge, not ours. And then when it arrived it didn’t have the oxygen tank holder we ordered. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was sort of a pain in the neck in our otherwise *magical* arrival.
After buying our park tickets, we jumped back in the car to head to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day. It was pretty crowded due to the holiday weekend, but we did our best to avoid everyone. First up was the Great Movie Ride, and we quickly came to realize one advantages of having a scooter – handicap access!! And my father-in-law is a whiz at maneuvering that thing around. The Great Movie Ride is one of my favorites, especially all the movie clips at the end. It always makes me smile. Next up was Playhouse Disney where Sean was able to call for “Tootles!” He was able to see all of his favorite Playhouse Disney characters. Then off to dinner at Hollywood & Vine. Jeff and I had never eaten here before, and we all loved the food. It was a buffet which isn’t my favorite, but I can’t help but give it a big thumbs up for all of the food I tasted. Very yummy. The atmosphere is definitely lacking, but the food makes up for it. After dinner we strolled over to see Muppets in 3D, and that side of the park was completely empty. A stark contrast to a few minutes after we exited Muppets and made our way over to see the second showing of Fantasmic. Wow! The first show had just finished and people were pouring down the main street. We wanted to get a family group shot in front of the hat, and had to wait about 10 minutes to even have room for the photographer to take the picture. The evening ended with Fantasmic, which is awesome. Jeff and I really love that show. It was a perfect way to start our Disney vacation!
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