2 Rings, A Birthday, And Life on the Savannah, AKL June 29-July 10, 2011 - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Kenny:
What a great start by harking back to the old days (ah I remember them well being a 55+ myself). I look forward to reading your posts about the dream trip. I made my first visit to WDW (never been to DL) in 1993 at the "young" age of 39 so I understand about waiting so long!
Please post more soon!
I love when a dream trip you don't see as possible just falls right into place--means it was meant to happen! Glad you get to go to the wedding and to WDW!
...and there is more!!! lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by lColexis Mom
Great plans Kenny! How great everything is just falling into place!
Thanks, Marnie... Stay tuned!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
WOOHOO for free dining! I am keepin my fingers crosses that we get free dining for next year!
Fingers crossed! At least we won't starve! lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
That is so wonderful how everything just fell into place!
Yes, and we ain't done, yet!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeL
Looks like everything is falling into place for you
By the way I don't know about you but I am not an OLD FOLK I am a kid with a whole lot of experience
I like that you are a kid with experience, Mike, but, no, Iam an "Old Folk"... I just never grew up!! Too many aches and pains!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
This trip was meant to be with everything falling perfectly into place (and free dining to boot ). We had a fantastic meal at Tony's in February, we had always been on the fence with this but I finally took the plunge on my mom trip. Dinner was fantastic!!! Now the girls are mad that I went without them....guess we will be adding that on sooner or later.
I'm taking your advice and dragging this dinner out as long as possible! lol, maybe we can still be there for the Parade!... and if I get dessert... Wishes!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsblady01
more please
Coming right up!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
So glad it all worked out for you!
Wait till you hear about the next part!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojjo
So glad it all worked out. DH would be so jealous if he knew what you did for a living. He's off the road now and I have him in an office job so it's easier on his job.
Tony's is one of my favs. The food is good and it's nicely themed.
Well, it's a job. I like it pretty much, and the bennies aren't bad. I'm glad to hear that you like Tony's. I've heard it was good and the reviews are OK, but the more good stuff you hear, the better!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
Way to go on the free dining! I'd say adding a day was a smart choice. And you will be there on my birthday!
Happy Birthday to you... and Happy (Your) Birthday to US!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Just found this PTR. Congrats on the free dining and in making your Disney dream come tru!
Thank You!! And, Welcome!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneygramma
What a great start by harking back to the old days (ah I remember them well being a 55+ myself). I look forward to reading your posts about the dream trip. I made my first visit to WDW (never been to DL) in 1993 at the "young" age of 39 so I understand about waiting so long!
Please post more soon!
2 Rings, A Birthday, And Life on the Savannah, AKL June 29-July 10, 2011 Updated June 20, 2011
Originally, I had wanted to do concierge level at AKL so we could try for the Sunrise Safari, however if you book concierge level, you can't be sure of getting a "savannah view", and that, to us, was the most important thing about AKL. There was always the “Sunset Safari”, but that was really expensive for just a 3 night vacation , so we decided to just leave things as they were. We have some very good friends, Dale and Charlotte Black.
(L-R)Kenny, Charlotte, Brenda, and Dale
We always ask them to tag along with us on vacation and have some fun! Dale thinks he would hold us up and no amount of encouragement from us will change his mind. Well, Charlotte said Dale wanted to help us out with expenses so we could have some fun at Disney, so they gave us some love in the form of enough money that we no longer had to worry about the cost of the Sundown Safari. We booked it right away. I was surprised we were able to get it so late, but I guess it was meant to be! And to top it off we got it for our second night, Wed, the 6th! Dinner at Jiko's at AKL is included in the price of the safari and you have that dinner at the end of the Safari, so that covered dinner for our third night!
I should take a moment here and explain my title,
“2 Rings, A Birthday, And Life on the Savannah”.
The 2 rings are for my DNephew, Craig and Jamie's wedding ; the birthday is, of course, our nation's 235th (OMG! I remember our 200th!?!) birthday; and “Life on the Savannah” refers to our 3 night stay at AKL. Now that I look at it, it seems a bit corny. Now that it's getting close, we are realizing that July might not be the coolest month of the year to visit Florida! We are even contemplating wearing such clothes as we wouldn't be caught dead in under normal conditions.
Anyway, here is the breakdown of what we have so far:
Wed, Jun 29: Finish loading the car and point it South. With any luck, we will get to Charlotte, NC between 5 and 6pm. We will meet our son, Scott and his girlfriend, Elizabeth for dinner somewhere of their choosing, (I have it on good authority it may be a Japanese steakhouse). After dinner we will bid the kids goodbye and go on to Columbia, SC for the night . We will see them again on the way home.
Thu, Jun 30: After we get up, we will go on to I-95, turn South through Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL to I-4 where we will turn West to Longwood, FL and DBIL's home, where we will be staying for the next several days.
Fri, Jul 1: No specific plans at this time.
Sat, Jul2: Wedding in the evening.
Sun, Jul 3: No specific plans. Depends on the family.
Mon, Jul 4: Probably cook out with the family
Tue, Jul 5: DISNEY!!!!!!! Check in to AKL in the A.M. And get KTTW. We will probably start in Animal Kingdom till our room is ready, although it doesn't matter which park we go to, we will need to return to the room in time to get ready for our Yachtsman Steakhouse ADR at 6:55pm. After dinner, maybe a stroll down Main Street in The Magic Kingdom and take in Wishes before we go back to the savannah for the night.
Wed, Jul 6: We don't know the times yet, but Brenda will have to be at a clinic in Celebration, FL, probably this morning. Then, I'm thinking Epcot for a ride on Soarin'. This was our favorite ride in 2005, so we can't wait to do it again. Whatever we do, we have to meet at Jiko at 4pm for our safari.
Thu, Jul 7: We will probably do some park hopping today to get in as much of the things we wanted to do as we can. Our ADR for Tony's is 7:05pm, so we will try to stretch that out so we can view the Main Street Electrical Parade from there.
Fri, Jul 8: Brenda will be at the clinic again this morning. I will most likely drop her off, then go back and load the car and check out. After her treatment, we will leave the “Happy Place” and head towards Charlotte, NC. We want to spend Saturday and part of Sunday with our son, Scott, so if we can get all the way to Charlotte tonight, we will.
Sat, Jul 9: Spend the day with Scott and Elizabeth.
Sun, Jul 10: After spending some more time with Scott, we will head on home, arriving late in the evening.
So, there you have it, my friends. As always, some plans are subject to change. We have to take time while we are in Florida to meet Amy Bedore, Passporter goddess, and our good friend. We almost met her back in '08. Amy and her DM, Angela, were two of the people waving us “bon voyage” from the shore that day. We didn't know it till we returned. That was so special, to find out they were there to see us off.
This is a picture Amy took. I added the arrow to point us out on our veranda.
We had intended to take another Disney cruise in 2009. Medical problems have prevented us from doing that. Right now, I think our real dream is to float off in a Dream... a REAL Dream. Do you suppose this dream could Magic-ally come true someday... or will it just be a Fantasy..... I Wonder............? (hehe)
Up Next: Lists and ... and... and... Hmmm, I don't know!
It sounds great, Kenny! So thoughtful of your friends to help you to do the Sunset Safari. I did it on my last trip and it was fantastic. Dinner at Jiko is out of this world! And Celebration is so close for Brenda to make her medical visits. AND you get to meet Amy! A visit with her and her mom is now a must-do for my trips.
Couldn't happen to nicer people. Just call it the first step to the Dream.
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Know all sbout the aches and pains that the body develops Feeling them today after catching a nap last night on couch at work Still you are only as old as who you feel
I am beyond exited for you! It's so great your friends helped you wihthe Sunset Safari! It's getting so close! It sounds like a great and well deserved vacation!
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And you will be there on my birthday! 
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There was always the “Sunset Safari”, but that was really expensive for just a 3 night vacation 
Well, Charlotte said Dale wanted to help us out with expenses so we could have some fun at Disney, so they gave us some love 
in the form of enough money that we no longer had to worry about the cost of the Sundown Safari. 
We booked it right away. I was surprised we were able to get it so late, but I guess it was meant to be! 
(OMG! I remember our 200th!?!) birthday; and “Life on the Savannah” refers to our 3 night stay at AKL
. Now that I look at it, it seems a bit corny. 
Now that it's getting close, we are realizing that July might not be the coolest month of the year to visit Florida! 
We are even contemplating wearing such clothes as we wouldn't be caught dead in under normal conditions. 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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