I guess I'm rope dropping IASW! ~ A March 2024 TR updated 05/03 x2!

[jrmint427]

I was reading our book club pick for this month; Trust by Hernan Diaz.

That's been on my TBR! Did you enjoy it?

We had been reading each other's PTR so were looking for one another. Jessica found me first.

Still quite a coincidence we had reservations at the same time!!

 

[DVCkidz]

Bread pudding at DW is the best!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I hope they expand the Skyliner from AK to the All Stars, Coronado and AKL. That would be a game changer!

I would think that they could expand it to Coronado Springs. I think it would be close enough.

 

[franandaj]

One of the things I liked best about CBR was the ease of transportation. This morning I left my room at 7:25 am and strolled to the Skyliner. With early entry for resort guests in effect, I was standing in line for ToT by 7:50 am! Yes, that includes walking through the resort to the Skyliner, boarding, the flight over, clearing through park security, tapping in and strolling through the park!

That's pretty great transportation wise!

Did I mention I was doing this day without Genie+? In the thick of Spring Break crowds?

Yeah, we did the same thing.....

my first ever viewing of Indiana Jones! I was actually pretty impressed with this show and am happy I finally had a chance to see it.

I've never seen it either! Maybe that's something I should try next trip!

I opted for HBD lounge as I was craving their fabulous Cobb salad.

That's great you can get the salad there. I've only eaten at the restaurant itself.

I went with his drink recommendation of the Gin Mule (Nolet's Silver dry gin, Fever Tree ginger beer with lime juice, and mint). This was delicious and refreshing.

Hmmm....that does sound refreshing!

10 minutes from leaving the park I was back in my room! Thank you Skyliner!

Great timing!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Did I mention I was doing this day without Genie+?

You were had a fantastic morning without Genie+! The Tower of Terror is the BEST and I love Toy Story Mainia. Also, hooray for the Muppets! I love their humor as well.

Of course I had to jump in line….Chip and Dale are the best!

Yes, and they’re even better when they’re together! This was an excellent call.

I went with his drink recommendation of the Gin Mule (Nolet's Silver dry gin, Fever Tree ginger beer with lime juice, and mint). This was delicious and refreshing.

I went for the Cobb salad with dressing on the side which was fantastic.

I don’t drink much anymore but am a big fan of gin cocktails… your drink sounds delicious! The Cobb salad is always an excellent choice. Yum!

An afternoon of lounging sounds delightful as well.

 

[teach22180]

I enjoy your trip reports so much. Thanks for taking the time to write them. I have a question. I'm thinking I want to try some of the lounges this next trip, but I don't drink alcohol. Would I feel out of place if I wasn't ordering an alcohol drink?

 

[suse66]

That's been on my TBR! Did you enjoy it?

I did. There were parts I found a little dry but there was a very nice twist at the end that put the whole book in perspective.

Still quite a coincidence we had reservations at the same time!!

A very happy coincidence!

Bread pudding at DW is the best!!

It really is.

I would think that they could expand it to Coronado Springs. I think it would be close enough.

That would elevate CSR even more. I already consider it "deluxe lite".

That's pretty great transportation wise!

I had no issues with transport my whole trip.

I've never seen it either! Maybe that's something I should try next trip!

It wasa lot of fun!

That's great you can get the salad there. I've only eaten at the restaurant itself.

I enjoy the restaurant too but I feel bad sometimes taking up a table to just have a salad and cocktail. The lounge comes in handy!

You were had a fantastic morning without Genie+! The Tower of Terror is the BEST and I love Toy Story Mainia. Also, hooray for the Muppets! I love their humor as well.

It really was such a fun morning!

Yes, and they’re even better when they’re together! This was an excellent call.

Chip and Dale are simply the cutest!

I don’t drink much anymore but am a big fan of gin cocktails… your drink sounds delicious! The Cobb salad is always an excellent choice. Yum!

I don't drink much anymore either. There are definitely some Disney cocktails I enjoy though.

An afternoon of lounging sounds delightful as well.

I am a big fan of an afternoon relax and reset.

I enjoy your trip reports so much. Thanks for taking the time to write them. I have a question. I'm thinking I want to try some of the lounges this next trip, but I don't drink alcohol. Would I feel out of place if I wasn't ordering an alcohol drink?

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am happy you have enjoyed reading along. I find there are so many great mocktails now that it is no issue ordering a non alcoholic drink.. I hope you enjoy exploring the lounges and I definitely recommend going to Nomads!

 

[pkondz]

It really is. I've never had another Cobb salad as good as that one.

 

[teach22180]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am happy you have enjoyed reading along. I find there are so many great mocktails now that it is no issue ordering a non alcoholic drink.. I hope you enjoy exploring the lounges and I definitely recommend going to Nomads!

There are some good places to eat in AK though, so I'm thinking one of the lounges in HS might be on my list! Maybe I'll just make it a lounge-only trip.

 

[suse66]

There are some good places to eat in AK though, so I'm thinking one of the lounges in HS might be on my list! Maybe I'll just make it a lounge-only trip.

Both HBD lounge and Baseline Taphouse are excellent choices at DHS. If you wanted to hop on the Skyliner, both Banana Cabana and Bar Riva are also excellent.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I enjoy your trip reports so much. Thanks for taking the time to write them. I have a question. I'm thinking I want to try some of the lounges this next trip, but I don't drink alcohol. Would I feel out of place if I wasn't ordering an alcohol drink?

I know Susan already affirmed that you’ll feel at home in the lounges even without alcohol, but wanted to point you toward @Araminta18 ’s excellent trip reports. Tiffany and her husband Trevor do not drink but love the lounges and find tons of great non-alcoholic cocktails there (and all over property). I highly recommend giving her reports a look!

 

[vamassey1]

Skyliner transportation really is a game changer.

TOT is my favorite ride in Studios. It's a great way to start your day.

Your mix of rides, food and rest are a great combination.

 

[amazingact21]

All caught up!

I don't think I've ever watched the fireworks from the Adventureland bridge before. Always a good piece of information to know!

The Skyliner does make transportation so much easier! Glad to hear you were able to hop on TOT and TSMM without long waits.

I was waiting to see what would end up being your lunch choice, Baseline or HBD. Looks like you made a great call. That cocktail sounds delicious. And a salad on a warm day is perfect.

Of course you have to send pool pictures! I definitely sent my mom a few pictures while I was at Disney.

 

[kclark9830]

Count me in!!! We stayed at CBR backnowledge in 2016 and absolutely loved it. I keep meaning to get back there but haven't managed it yet.

 

[suse66]

Skyliner transportation really is a game changer.

TOT is my favorite ride in Studios. It's a great way to start your day.

Your mix of rides, food and rest are a great combination.

I want the Skyliner everywhere now. It was such a fun day but of course it feels a million years ago now.

I don't think I've ever watched the fireworks from the Adventureland bridge before. Always a good piece of information to know!

It's a great spot as it is so easy to escape from the post fireworks crowds there.

I was waiting to see what would end up being your lunch choice, Baseline or HBD. Looks like you made a great call. That cocktail sounds delicious. And a salad on a warm day is perfect.

I am really glad I went for HBD!

Of course you have to send pool pictures! I definitely sent my mom a few pictures while I was at Disney.

It's the right thing to do.

Count me in!!! We stayed at CBR backnowledge in 2016 and absolutely loved it. I keep meaning to get back there but haven't managed it yet.

So glad you joined in! I am definitely a CBR fan now.

 

[suse66]

There's always something new to discover at Animal Kingdom!

After my relaxing pool time and a little HGTV, I was ready to head out to AK. I left the room around 4:45 and was at the park about 5:10. AK was open until 8:00 pm this evening and my plan was to take advantage of the less crowded evening hours.

I enjoyed a stroll through the front of the park and up past the otters when I saw a sign I hadn't noticed before; "The Tree of Life Garden". I was intrigued and went in to explore.

Friends, it was amazing! I saw so many new carvings and thoroughly enjoyed wandering through here. AK is the best park to wander in after all. Now let me spam you with pictures...














The exit brings you out by the entrance to a Bug's Life. I hoped to get on one of the last safaris of the evening so headed that way next.

*continued in next post*





​

 

[suse66]

The safari was a walk on and I lucked out with the first row on the left hand side. It was perfect. I don't really have safari pictures from this evening as I just wanted to relax and soak it all in. The one exception was the cute new baby elephant.


I managed to get on the last Gorilla Falls trail walk and it was incredible. There was almost no one in the Gorilla family area and they were putting on a show.! Grace and Ada kept coming up to the glass, rolling over, playing with each other and hugging their mom. It was the cutest ever!






After this fabulous experience I decided to head to Nomad Lounge for a light dinner. I went for the spicy chicken and the Sinola Sangria to start. Both were excellent!
​

Grilled Chicken Satay​

Grilled Skewered Chicken Thighs, Curry Marinade, Cilantro, Pickled Green Papaya, and Peanut Sauce.
​

Sinaloa Sangria​

A South American Sangria made with Susana Balbo 'Crios' Rosé, Barsol Quebranta Pisco, and Fresh Fruit.

The views were lovely!


And of course I had to get churros! Don't worry, no churros were left behind. It would be wrong not to eat them all.


I popped down to Pandora to take in the atmosphere in the evening which was beautiful. I thought about watching the Tree of Life illuminations as well but wasn't as crazy about those so just gave them a passing glance.



I was ready to head back to the resort now and was lucky to have only a 5 minute wait for a bus. I wanted to be back on the beach in time for Luminous and it did not disappoint!

After fireworks I was happy to only have a 3 minute walk back to the room. I was meeting up with @KathyM2 at MK in the morning and wanted to be ready for a fun day!​

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Funny you mentioned the Tree of Life Garden- I had never heard of it until yesterday when I came across a video of it on Instagram. It looks gorgeous and you got some great photos of the tree carvings. Sounds like you had a perfect evening both at AK and finishing with the fireworks on the beach. I really can’t think of a better way to end a day

 

[Wood Nymph]

I enjoyed a stroll through the front of the park and up past the otters when I saw a sign I hadn't noticed before; "The Tree of Life Garden". I was intrigued and went in to explore.

We only discovered this garden fairly recently. The back of the Tree of Life has amazing sculptures. It is also very peaceful back there.

I managed to get on the last Gorilla Falls trail walk and it was incredible. There was almost no one in the Gorilla family area and they were putting on a show.!

That's good to know. We might be doing AK late in the day on our next trip and will include the gorillas.