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Monday, 2 March 2020

Walt Disney World with Irma -- Part V -- Meeting Irma

They cancelled my flight home days before the storm hit, which I mentioned before. I tried for several days to get out, and then resigned myself to having Irma crash my vacation. To be fair, I can't think of a better place to ride out a storm. They were evacuating people to the resort, so I knew I was in safe hands.

Before the storm, I was a little worried about the wildlife, and hoped all the little animals would find good places to shelter.



I wasn't worried about the pool chairs. I was pretty sure Disney had safe places for those.



They had closed the pool in the days leading up to the storm, but reopened it for a bit. I guess because it was still come, and the rain was not accompanied by lightning.



This is a before shot of the beach volleyball court.



Once the rain set in, they left baskets of towels near the doors of the resort so you could dry off.  Gotta love Disney's attention to detail.



They also prepped the property for high winds, including wrapping the light fixtures so broken glass wouldn't go flying everywhere.



Eventually, only the ducks were allowed to swim.



They kept Hurricane Hannah's open as long as possible, but in a partially shuttered state. The drink of the day was a "Cat 5".



They kept the indoor lounges open. The drink of the day was a "Dark and Stormy".



I found it cozy enough.


Even before the storm really hit, they had characters and activities in the lobby to keep the little ones entertained, and to prevent people from developing cabin fever.



The skies were getting darker, and the rain was getting harder.





The pool was definitely closed.



The Disney Cast who stayed did an amazing job keeping everyone entertained. (I don't have pictures of this, but people evacuated with their pets, so I was treated to the acquaintance of a few fine dogs besides Pluto).





Storm watch in the lounge.



I went to my room, and before the winds got too intense I was treated to the sounds of a father and son duo yelling about the "Gatornado". They later made up a song about it. I loved their spirit.

It wasn't much of an adventure for us really. There was wind, and rain, but we never lost power, or even internet. Disney was showing its best movies on the in-room television, and generally keeping everyone safe and entertained.



The next day we got to see what the storm had brought. The volleyball court was flooded, and there was debris pretty much everywhere, but we had come through unscathed. They asked us to stay inside that day so no one could be injured by debris. Once we were given the all clear to go outside though...









I was glad to see that this little guy was safe.



It was still a few days after this that flights resumed and I finally made it home.  I wouldn't deliberately get stuck in a hurricane, but if I found myself here during one, I don't think I'd have any concerns about how well Disney would take care of me.

Friday, 28 February 2020

Walt Disney World with Irma -- Part IV

In today's post, I will focus on Epcot, and its Food & Wine Festival, as well as Disney Studios. A note: I originally went to Epcot on the Sunday, and it was wall to wall people. Dear readers: because this is also a big event amongst locals (and who can blame them?) weekends are the worst times for a tourist to try and attend this event. So, I went back later in the week.


Peking Duck and Tsingtao

Before I go on, I would just like to do a shoutout to my favourite Epcot beverage: the Viking Coffee. It's a breakfast beverage! It's a reviving snack!



Kalua Pork and Mai Tai

There are also attractions and rides at Epcot. In the Living Seas, you can see this wonderful manatee that they rescued after it had its tail mangled by a boat motor.


And let us not forget the fabulous World Showcase, where one can visit several countries in a single day.



By the time I got to Disney Studios, I already knew I was going to be stranded until after Irma. Several days before the storm was due, they stopped sending planes to Florida. I guess they didn't want them to fly down empty just to evacuate people.

But I made the best of a bad situation, and did the Frozen Singalong. I also did various other things, like the Tower of Terror, and Indiana Jones.







By the time I got to the TV Tune-In lounge, they were doing excessively large pours. I guess to keep us calm?

* Stay tuned starting next Friday, when I start live-blogging my upcoming trip to Panama!


Thursday, 27 February 2020

Walt Disney World with Irma - Part III

First a disclaimer -- some of the pictures are from my 2015 trip because I inexplicably took no pictures of my room, or the lounge. But this post is going to be all about my favourite Walt Disney World resort: the Animal Kingdom Lodge; and my favourite way to stay at that resort: Club Level.

These rooms are notoriously hard to get, and need to be booked months in advance, usually. But I love them. I love the Savannah views.






The club is wonderful. They have my favourite beer, Tusker!, and wonderful African wines.



Also, in the evening they have delicious hot hors d'oeuvres, cheeses, and other delightful foods.




Victoria Falls is a lovely lounge if you're not staying club level. It has standard bar offerings, as well as imports from Africa.



The lobby of the main building is magnificent. It also has many small spaces where a person can sit and wait for friends and family.









Speaking of public spaces, the pool and hot tubs are lovely.






Especially with a nice beer.



The rooms are also very nice. I recommend getting a Savannah view, even if you can't get club level. There's something about sipping your coffee on your balcony in the morning watching the animals go by. (Don't forget to put something on if you sleep raw).




Sunday, 23 February 2020

Walt Disney World with Irma - Part II

While I don't wish to dwell too much on the Magic Kingdom in this report, I do want to give Honourable Mention to the Haunted Mansion. I just love this ride so much. It is a classic. And they have updated the line, so there are interactive bits, and lots to see while you're waiting. So, even if you don't have a FastPass for it, as long as the line isn't too terrible, it's worth the wait.

Haunted Mansion Musical Instrument
Haunted Mansion Cemetery
Haunted Mansion Line
Madame Leota Haunted Mansion



Polynesian Hot Tub
A few more words on the Polynesian resort. The hot tub is very nice, and there is a quiet pool away from the Volcano pool which isn't quite as hectic. The resort decor is amazing, and it is, of course, home to my favourite Disney bar -- Trader Sam's. I only spent 2 nights there, and then moved on to my very favourite resort: the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

While I was waiting for my room to be ready, and my luggage to be transferred, I went to the Animal Kingdom.
Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is the centrepiece of the park. It has many animals carved into the trunk.











Good Gnus!


Flights of Wonder

The Yeti
Meerkats

New this trip was Pandora, a new land in the Animal Kingdom from the film Avatar. The theming of this area is spectacular.

Pandora

Pandora

There are two rides here: Na'vi River Journey, and Avatar Flight of Passage. The River Journey is a fairly standard boat dark ride, but Flight of Passage is phenomenal! It is the best ride I have been on so far. It is a VR simulation of flying a banshee. It's breathtaking.