Venue: Disney World – Orlando, FL
Dates: Feb 9th-20th, 2021 (12 Days)
Note: Because the Disney World articles are a multi-post review, I suggest you start with the very first article in this series entitled “Disney World”, then read on from there….. Enjoy!
Day 6: Ahhh, today is Valentine’s Day. Knowing that my date loves animals, I booked us a couple hours of Horse Back Riding at the “Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort“. I also reserved dinner for that evening back at Disney Springs. We nibbled on a few snacks for brunch then took an Uber up to the “Tri Circle D Ranch”. After signing waivers releasing Mickey of any responsibility due to accidental injury or death, we saddled up. My horse, Jack, was a little feisty but overall we enjoyed moseying down the trail through the wilderness…. Yee Haa!
Paddlefish Restaurant: That evening we headed back to Disney Springs for a V-Day dinner at this seafood restaurant. The Paddlefish is set on a replica of an early nineteenth century riverboat. Hint: Make sure they seat you on the water side of the first floor. With the lights reflecting off the waterway, these are by far the most romantic tables available. Upstairs seating is cramped and noisy. Definitely not acceptable on Valentine’s Day. We ordered the Lobster Corn Dogs and the Crab Ceviche as appetizers. These were delicious to start with, but the Stuffed Cod entrée literally melts in your mouth…. Another must if you decide to dine here.
Day 7: Last night we hit the sack early so we could get up at sunrise. Today was our designated day to visit the “Animal Kingdom“. The posted theme park opening time was 8am. Once again, we took advantage of “Early Entry” and cruised through the gates around 7ish. As we had done at the other parks, we quickly experienced the more popular attractions including: “Avatar Flight of Passage”, “Expedition Everest”, “Na’vi River Journey“, etc. Now it was time to go on a safari and view some exotic animals in the flesh.… Lions & Tigers & Bears, oh my.
Kilimanjaro Safaris: Ok, there were no bears on the African safari but there was definitely plenty of animal confrontations due to the cooler weather. We witnessed elephants crashing tusks, yaks butting heads, tigers a scrappin’, and big ol’ rhinos giving each other the horn! Daamn…. This is crazy entertaining. As a bonus; even the African goats got a little rambunctious. Our guide seemed a bit surprised by all the violent activity and explained that this was not common place. Please understand this: At times there is no barrier between you and these very beautiful but gigantic beasts. You are simply riding on an open-air truck with seats in it. The animals are obviously used to human interaction here, but I for one do not mess with Mother Nature…. Hell No.
Eventually we sat down to eat via reservation at the “Yak & Yeti Restaurant”. Not much to say here. I was not impressed by the food, service nor the ambiance. It was good to relax, refuel and take a break in the AC though. Later on, about an hour before we exited the park, we did find this really cool spot called the “Nomad Lounge”. We were seated at a small wooden table along a river. My companion ordered a glowing lotus capped drink called the Annapurna Zing, while I decided that a 3-beer sampler pack including one imported from Africa was the way to go. This is a great place to sit back and chill while listening to “wild” animal sounds in the distance.
Once back at the hotel, we decided to revisit the local “Trattoria al Forno” Italian restaurant on the Boardwalk. We had an awesome breakfast here a few days ago but the dinner items were not nearly as tasty. All good…. Live & Learn. Before going upstairs to crash, we once again stopped by the “Ale & Compass Lounge” inside our hotel lobby. We were immediately informed that it was last call for cocktails. So… we ordered two drinks each. By now, due to our frequent visits, the staff here knew us pretty well and allowed us to take our time while finishing our tasty beverages.
Day 8: The only purpose of this particular day was to have no plans, stay within the proximity of our room and be as lazy as possible. Our hotel, the Yacht Club Resort, is attached to the neighboring Beach Club Resort. It turns out that these two hotels exclusively share the largest pool anywhere on Disney World property. There is also a lazy river that circles within the swimming area and a giant pirate ship slide. We found a shady spot under a palm tree and fell asleep on a reclining beach chair. The weather was flawless on this day. Not too hot, not too cold…. Perfect.
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop: Directly behind the pool area at the Beach Club Resort is an ice cream shop that also serves lunch. We shared a French-dip sandwich, some side dishes and a small banana split for dessert. The signature favorite ice cream sundae here is the $35 Kitchen Sink which evidently can feed four (pictured). This thing is Huge! I asked our waitress if anyone ever orders and finishes it for themselves. Without any hesitation she replied…. “Everyday”.
After completing our mission of do-nothingness, we dragged ourselves back to our suite as the dark began to set in. After showers and some dress-up, we headed to the nearby Dolphin Hotel via the Friendship Boat. It was time for an up-scale tailgate party, medium rare.
Shula’s Steak House: For those of you unaware; Don Shula is the only head coach in NFL history to have accomplished an undefeated season. The 1972 Miami Dolphins won Superbowl VII, completing a 17-0 record. To date, that record has never been broken. Shula was the owner of this establishment appropriately located at the Dolphin Hotel until his death in 2020. The restaurant proudly displays memorabilia celebrating Shula’s achievements throughout his long coaching career. This classy venue is a throwback to the Sinatra years. Prime beef, beer and a fully loaded baked potato baby…. Gotta love it!
Day 9: Up way too early again, today we were headed to “Hollywood Studios“. Within this park is currently the most popular attraction in all of Disney World; “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”. In order to even get a chance to experience this new excursion, you must join a virtual queue on the Disney app at exactly 7am. If you wait until 7:01 am, you and yours will most likely miss out. The good part is that once you receive your reservation, they give a time window in which to be there without waiting in line…. Me likey likey.
Per usual, we arrived for the Early Entry benefit and rushed to favored rides mainly in the “Galaxy’s Edge” area. What stands out to me the most in this park are two things: 1. The detail put into the visuals is spectacular, especially in the Star Wars sector. It does feel like you are walking around inside one of George Lucas‘ feature films, and the Force might actually be with you. 2. Many of the rides created are an engineering marvel. “Mickey & Mini’s Runaway Railway” is one example of this. The carts you ride in are on no track and stay in no particular order. They cruise, they dance, and separate often with no attachments to the passenger cart itself. The technology is amazing…. Good Stuff!
The Hollywood Brown Derby: It was time for some grub ol’ skool Hollywood style. This spot is a replica of the 1920s Brown Derby that used to be located on Vine Street during the golden years of Hollywood. It was cool to see the classic caricature drawings hanging on the wall of motion picture’s early personalities. The atmosphere is cool, the food is good and it’s not crazy expensive. I heard that “Oga’s Cantina” is really interesting but saw that some tables are seat-less thus set up for for stand-n-eat only. A big “No Thanks”, after walking around and waiting in lines all day.
Because of my Rock & Roll roots, I have to mention the “Rock n Roller Coaster / Starring Aerosmith”. While waiting in line, we checked out cool cars, bad ass guitars and a recording studio. The ride itself took me by surprise. Most roller coasters slowly build up and then climax towards the end. This MFer took off at high speed right-out-the-gate. Major G-forces immediately punch you right in the face, it shocked the crap outta me!… Sweet Emotion, baby cakies…. To be continued….
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