Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

This is my last Disney post for Disney week. *sigh*


Today I'm going to talk about Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge's pros and cons, as well as some tips.

The resort is split between two buildings: Kidani Vilage (where I stay) and Jambo House. Kidani is the Disney Vacation Club part of the resort. Rooms are essentially more like mini apartments. Kidani has a small gift shop and a very home-y feel. While it's typically meant for DVC members, I do know non-members who have stayed there.

Jambo House is much bigger, and is home to a large breakfast buffet at Boma. It has a huge gift shop and definitely feels more like a hotel, if you ask me. I've never actually stayed there, but I did eat at Boma on my most recent trip.

Bonus: All of the rooms were just refurbished this year!

Phoebe reading by the savannah!

Pros

First off, the pros:

🦁 The Views! If you book a savannah view, you will not be disappointed. There are giraffes, ostriches, zebras, and more! The animals are confined so that they don't come too close to the guests, but they still come pretty close. We had this one ostrich that wandered outside our room every day. My niece appropriately named him "Mr. Ostrich". If you can't get a safari view, no worries! There are two viewing areas by the lobby, and the animals can be seen through the windows in the hallways.

🦁 Distance to AK You could probably assume this given the name, but Animal Kingdom is only a 5 minute (maybe less) bus ride away from the resort, so buses are pretty easy to come by.

🦁 Activities I'll talk about this in a little bit...

Cons

Now for the cons...

🐵 Distance Because of the animals, like Animal Kingdom, the Lodge is pretty far from the rest of the parks (on Osceola Parkway). It's a decent bus ride to and from, not including traffic. So if you're looking to go to a park opening, prepare to leave early. If you love Animal Kingdom, it shouldn't really be an issue. But if you, like me, don't visit AK as often, this is a drawback.

🐵 Buses My family loves to walk to the parks (we find it much easier), which would explain why we usually prefer to stay at The Boardwalk or Baylake Tower (both resorts offer a walkway to one or more parks). For Animal Kingdom Lodge, the only transportation is a bus. This is me being very picky because I love the monorail and the exercise, so for me, this is a con. It's probably the biggest con, actually. 

🐵 Size Because the resort pretty much sits on a savannah, the rooms wrap around the entire area. This means the hallways are long. We were on the main level, so it was about a 7 minute walk to and from our room. I kid you not. I know this kind of contradicts what I said earlier, but after riding an immensely crowded bus for 15-20 minutes on top of it being past 10, the last thing we wanted to do was walk the distance to our room. It's not a huge deal, considering you get to see animals all the time, but it is something to consider.

Tips

🐗 Take advantage of the activities going on at the resort. One morning, we had nothing to do, so we walked outside and got to put together feeding boxes for the giraffes. Because we did it, we received a giraffe bead. Other families had many other kinds of beads from actives at both

Here we are putting together the feeding boxes 🌿

Kidani and Jambo. Had we been staying longer, we probably would have done more, but alas, we had a short timeframe.

🐗 If you can, try to to get a savannah room. It really is worth it! The kids loved waking up and sitting on the balcony to watch the animals! 

🐗 Check out the pool! I must admit, I'm not a pool person. My parents and I prefer to go, go, go. But my nieces love to swim, so we walked to the pool. It's a hidden spot tucked away, but it was really nice. Per the Disney way, it was themed to the resort. My nieces loved it! It was a great way for them to take a break without  losing the Disney fun.

The slide at the pool 

🐗 If you're eating at Boma, the restaurant at Jambo House (or Sanaa at Kidani), and you're staying at the opposite part of the resort, take the shuttle! It runs to and from the resorts. You can walk or take a taxi, but it's a great option nonetheless. It was the last day of our trip, so we took the shuttle. 

If you or your family loves animals or Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great choice. However, if you prefer Magic Kingdom or Epcot, a closer resort would be a better option. My nieces LOVED it, while my parents and I like it, but would prefer to stay somewhere closer to MK and Epcot. It truly depends on your preference!

Disney Springs and the Cupcake ATM

As we continue our week of Disney, I'll be talking about the newly renovated Disney Springs and (more importantly), the cupcake ATM there. Yes, I said cupcake ATM.

I should start by saying that this was my third trip in a year, so I got a sneak peak of Disney Springs beforehand. However, each time there was a portion blocked off. When we got off the bus, we were plopped into that previously restricted area.

In a nutshell, the area reminded me of a shopping outlet. Many high end stores like Kate Spade and Origins were in the area. New restaurants were open too. It was a lot to take in at once.


As we walked to the old side of the Springs (think World of Disney and the Co-Op), we noticed small details like a water crank (spinny thing? tube?), where guests could spin a wheel to carry water up from the water. The bridge overlooked perfectly blue water, and the newly signature water tank emblazoned with "Disney Springs" sat overlooking the area.

The non-restricted but still relatively new side has many restaurants and new shopping areas as well, including a sushi restaurant, Irish pub, and small kiosks.

We also saw that restaurants such as Planet Hollywood and Fulton's Crab House were in the process of being renovated. For those interested, Planet Hollywood is being given a new entranceway and losing the stars as well as other updates, and Fulton's Crab House is being given a complete modern redesign and a new name, Paddlefish.

After eating, shopping, and walking around, we made a final stop before going back to the hotel -- the cupcake ATM.

Now, no one really cared (except for me) to stop and do this. They were grumpy and thought it was pointless, even calling it a "teen girl thing". But I insisted (this was the one thing I wanted to do), so we did it.

The ATM has a jingle that plays, but we meant business, tapping the screen before the jingle even had a chance to begin. There's a pretty good selection of cupcake flavors. We decided on red velvet, dark chocolate, and black & white.

After completing the purchase, the screen showed the cupcakes being put into the ATM opening. This was where my dad began understanding that, yes, it's like an actual ATM. The automatic door opened, revealing three small boxes, which my nieces helped to grab.


By the time we returned to my brother and his wife, my dad was telling them how it really was an ATM. They all had thought someone behind the counter put the cupcakes through the hole or it was just an order window.

That night, I ate my cupcake (red velvet), and it was amazing. The cake was moist, the frosting sweet. I must confess, I wiped a bit of frosting off, but it was delicious nonetheless. Even my nieces, who don't like cupcakes or cake in general, tried bites and thought it was really good.

If you find yourself in Disney Springs looking for a sweet snack, the cupcake ATM is definitely an experience worth trying 😋.

Jedi Training at Walt Disney World

I just got back from Disney yesterday, so you could say I haven't exactly lost the Disney spirit. So....for the next week my posts will all be Disney related. #sorrynotsorry

While I was in Disney, my nieces did the Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios. It's something my parents always wanted me to do (even tried bribing me), but, much to their dismay, I was the princess type. My nieces, on the other hand, LOVE Star Wars. Since Penny is 9 and Phoebe is 7, they were both eligible to participate (the age limit is 12).

Penny & Phoebe on stage

We woke up bright and early so that we could get right in at opening. My family stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge (more on that another time), so it was a 15-20 minute bus ride to the park. While on the bus, a family next to us informed us that when they signed their kids up, they got to the park at 8:00am. It was already 8:30, so the pressure was on. My brother handed his bag to my mom so they could get through faster, and prepared to run with the girls to the sign up spot, located between Indiana Jones and the Prime Time Cafe.

I didn't see them again until about 9:15. According to my brother, a long line was waiting for them. When they made it to the front, the cast members asked about fast passes and reservations to find the best time for them, and the girls were put in the 11:30 show. Success!

At around 10:40, the designated time to arrive to prepare for the show, we brought the girls to the spot where they signed up. They were brought to a shady "queue" and sat down. It was already piping hot outside, but we were happy to see a cast member handing out cold water to the kids.

Olaf!

At this point, my parents and I left to grab front row spots to watch the show. While my parents waited for spots, I hopped in line to meet Olaf. It was only a 10 minute wait and I was wearing a Let It Go shirt--I had to.

Here's Phoebe in Jedi mode

When the group of kids processed to the stage in their robes, the park was even hotter than before. The kids were sweating, and I was told that my nieces were already itching to take their robes off. A nearby mom remarked the same about her own daughter.

The show started, and the storyline unfolded. By the time the show ended, the girls were red with sweat and ready to cool down. (Crazy to think that the day got even hotter and more shows were taking place.)

Overall, it was fun and the girls enjoyed participating, but if you are planning on doing it in August or even July, be prepared for the humidity and high temperatures.

The Force is much stronger when the heat is at bay 😆.

I'll be adding a video of the show later, so check back soon!

Handling New Ideas

What if [insert amazing story idea here]…. This is often how I come up with new ideas. It might be a random thought, an observation, maybe even a dream (which is where my latest WIP came from 💡 ) No matter how ideas come about, there has to be a way to bring them to life. I use a four step process to insure that, whatever it is, it’s something I’d like to spend time on.

1. WAIT ⏱

My first step is to wait. I let the idea sit around and see what it does. If it’s something I’m really into, it will sit in my head and refuse to leave. This past NaNoWriMo, I was working on a story I really loved. Then I had a dream about a completely different story! What’s a girl to do? As I was in the middle of NaNo, I decided to wait, and figured it would dissolve into some old thought I once had a dream of. Nope! Boy, was I wrong. The idea bothered me constantly. I would always think about it and ask myself questions and wonder. How would marriage work? Why would society be arranged in this way? I found myself craving answers. So, I moved on to step 2.

2. BRAINSTORM🤔 

The next step is to brainstorm. I did this using Ulysses, my favorite writing program, which you can read all about here. I started by writing out the gist of the plot and, because it’s utopian, elements of the story world. I did my best to answer the questions that had, for lack of a better word, plagued me. I also researched character names and generally described each MC. I picked out my POV and decided on 3 first person POVs (I feel crazy just writing it 😬). I spent some time getting to know the story. It was far from done (I’m still figuring out certain details), but it felt good to get all of my ideas down on paper. I used this time to work out little plot details and just get excited because OMG I have a solid idea! I printed out my brainstorm sheet and made little notes where I needed to figure out certain things. It was time for step 3!

3. WRITE 💻

I know, I know, you’re thinking “Isn’t this a FOUR step process? How come writing is step 3?” My next step is to try writing the idea. Because you can plan out all you want, but nothing beats putting yourself into the characters’ shoes and writing. Sometimes it just isn’t possible to write something. Not every idea is a good fit. And that’s O-K. By trying it out, you can find if you like these character’s enough to become them every day. I know this also sounds bonkers, because you create the characters, so why wouldn’t you like them, am I right? But…characters have a funny way of becoming their own person with their own ideas and plot twists. Nevertheless, make sure this is a story you could foresee a future with. Think of it like finding a boyfriend…sure you pick out the guy you go out with, but it might not be the best fit. And why would you want to date a guy who you wouldn’t want to spend time with and who you don’t see a future with? Point made…it’s time to move on to step four, the final step.

4. PLAN 📝

Step four isn’t completely necessary, and it fully depends on whether you fancy yourself a plotter or a pantser. I myself am a plotter, so this step is very very necessary. I use this time to really get to know my story and my characters. I write up scene plans and fill out character worksheets. On her website, Jill Williamson offers character worksheets, and Go Teen Writers (which Jill writes with fellow authors Stephanie Morrill and Shannon Dittermore) has scene planners too. I took each one and formatted them to form worksheets, which I color coded and changed fonts for (I’m a real sucker for cute fonts).

Recently, I've become obsessed with outlining and its many possibilities. If you'd like to hear about them, you'll find the article here.

In conclusion, I wait, brainstorm, write, then plan. This process isn’t for everyone, but I’ve found it really helps my stories along. I love this process because it allows me to be flexible while remaining prepared.

The Wonderful World of Characters

Characters. We wouldn’t have stories without them — these twisty, three dimensional, abstract entities of matter with minds of their own.

I like to figure out my characters using a character worksheet. I downloaded one from Jill Williamson’s website, then formatted it and changed fonts until it fit my personality. I find I often am surprised by the answers I write down. Characters really do have a mind of their own.

Character building is
very extremely important because it helps you to better understand who you’re writing as. Writing becomes easier when you know what motivates your character, what they’re willing to sacrifice, what they value, what their goals are, etc. By knowing these things, it’ll be easier to see where the story is going.

On the Go Teen Writers site, there are multiple posts that explain the character worksheet and how to use it. I highly recommend that you check them out!

As far as the importance of characters, it probably seems obvious and totally unnecessary to explain (but I’m going to anyways). The characters are the core of the story. They are the reason the reader keeps reading. If a character is written well, the reader will want to root for the character and see them succeed. They’ll keep reading to see through that outcome. Characters who are flat and boring won’t engage the reader. The book will be closed, the story abandoned.

Harry Potter was the boy who lived. We meet him as this poor boy with broken glasses and a lightning bolt-shaped scar, living in a cupboard under the stairs because of his terrible relatives. Immediately, we are drawn to this character. As we see him learn about the wizarding world and arrive at Hogwarts, we want to see him succeed. As he
undergoes challenges, we find ourselves enthralled and committed to seeing this boy come out victorious.

Characters are pretty awesome, am I right?