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Orlando

Walt Disney World

The Kahula Flavored Chocolate Cake is amazing!More Photos

by tashasamson

A March 2005 travel journal

Last Updated: February 4, 2007

Journal Usefulness Rating 2 out of 5
Journal Usefulness Rating
8
Reviews
6
Photos

What gives Disney World such an edge over its competitors? What is it about Disney that justifies the title "The Happiest Place on Earth"? In my journal, I plan to explain why children and parents are enthralled by the Wonderful World of Disney!

This resort was absolutely wonderful! From the time my family and I stepped through the carved wooden doors to the time we packed up the car and drove home, we were treated like African royalty. We stayed in a deluxe room with bunk beds, a queen bed, and a pullout sofa with almost twice as much space as an average hotel room! From our deck on the third floor, we had an amazing view of a beautiful savannah with antelope, giraffe, zebra, and at least 100 different types of birds! This resort is an amazing experience for anyone looking for a magical stay in the Orlando area.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on June 10, 2005

Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 South Osceola Avenue Orlando, Florida
(407) 934-3000

Best Things Nearby:
Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom

Best Things About the Resort:
The amazing lagoon views, white-sand beaches, volcano pool with a long slide, beautiful lobby (with an indoor waterfall), and the Polynesian-themed rooms

Resort Experience:
This resort is a wonderfully themed, beautiful getaway. It is far enough away from Disney World to give you the quiet and relaxation that many people long for after a busy day in the parks, yet it gives you the quick access to parks via monorail, ferry, or a Disney bus. The staff at this resort is amazingly friendly and always ready to help. Inside the Polynesian Great Ceremonial House (the main building), there are several shops and restaurants. Each store is specially themed (the Polynesian Princess sells clothing for women and girls with a Polynesian motif, and Captain Cooks sells hot food, as well as fruit, cereal, and baked goods).

Each of the rooms at the Polynesian is located in one of the 11 longhouses. Views from the longhouses include beautiful lagoon and garden views. Right outside each of the long houses is a white-sand beach with hammocks and beach chairs, and you can even wade out into the Seven Seas lagoon. This is a great resort for families and adults because of its fantastic theme and flexibility to fit your (and your family's) needs.

  • Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
  • Activities: Excellent
  • Amenities: Excellent
  • Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on July 4, 2005

Polynesian Isles Resort
3045 Polynesian Isle Boulevard Orlando, Florida 34746
(407) 396-1622

Boma

Restaurant

Boma is themed like an African open-air market. There are hand-woven rugs hanging from the ceiling and what looks like merchant’s booths set up along one side of the restaurant. Boma is set up as a buffet, and a child's meal costs $10.99, while an adult's meal costs $24.99.

Boma offers a wide variety of food that can be found in different countries all over Africa. There is food from Morocco, Egypt, Chad, and many other countries. The waiters and waitresses are dressed in traditional African attire, and many of them speak English as a second language.

When we ate at Boma for my daughter's 10th birthday, we were given a card from all the waiters, waitresses, and chefs signed in over 14 different African languages. All in all, this dining experience is a delight for kids and adults alike.

  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on July 4, 2005

Boma - Flavors of Africa
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Orlando, Florida 32830
(407) 939-3463

The Kahula Flavored Chocolate Cake is amazing!
The Whispering Canyon Cafe is situated right in the middle of Disney's Wilderness Lodge, but unlike the rest of the lodge Whispering Canyon is not quiet, serene, and calm. In fact it's the exact opposite. Whispering Canyon serves barbeque, great fish, and other northwestern entrees. The all-you-can-eat BBQ is amazing. It is brought out in a huge skillet and set on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. The waiters and waitresses run around the resturaunt hooping and hollering. There are organized "pony races" for younger kids around the outer edge of the resturaunt, and everyone has a great time with the others in the resturaunt! It is worth the cost of food just to have such a great time with the waitstaff!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on January 31, 2006

Whispering Canyon Cafe Disney's Wilderness Lodge
901 Timberline Dr Orlando, Florida 32830
(407) 824-3200

These fire works were beautiful! They were amazing!
Magic Kingdom is a great place for families and friends to have fun TOGETHER. Magic Kingdom is designed to take visitors to a different time and place than the present. Whether you are exploring Futureworld, Liberty Square, Mickey's Toontown, Frontierland, or Adventureland, you are sure to discover the true meaning of the saying "The Happiest Place On Earth"...
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on June 10, 2005

Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom
Interstate 4 at U.S. Highway 192 Orlando, Florida
(407) 824-4321

Epcot

Activity

Every night in EPCOT there is a wonderful fire works show called Illuminations Reflections of Earth.
EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is a peek into the future and a trip around the world. Norway and Mexico offer enjoyable boat rides while a narrator tells about the country. Canada, France, China, and Great Britain offer great movies that show the most beautiful parts of each unique country. In Future World there are several amazing rides like the Universe of Energy, Soarin, Test Track, and Space Ship Earth.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on June 10, 2005

Epcot
Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida

Splash Mountain

Activity

The line wraps around a sort of tree house. Then you are led down into a moist, dark cave where you see Brer Frog in his home and pictures of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox line the walls. You then load onto a log (with four rows that hold two to three people each) and are sent off on your ride. The logs wrap around the mountain until Brer Fox throws you over a 50-foot drop into the brier patch. All of the "Song of the South" characters on this ride are so well done. This is a must-see for any family in Disney World. The view of the "Wishes" fireworks show from the top of Splash Mountain is worth admission to the park in and of itself!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on January 31, 2006

Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom
Interstate 4 at U.S. Highway 192 Orlando, Florida
(407) 824-4321

The queue wraps around an abandoned mine shaft before you reach the trains. Two to three people can sit in a car. When the cars are sent off, they enter a very noisy, very dark cave filled with abandoned mining equipment and bats. The train then passes under a waterfall and out onto the open part of the track. You are then wound in and around the very realistic mountains and go pass a flooded mining town. This roller coaster is a lot of fun for the whole family, although this is a definite no-no for people with moderate to severe problems, as it is a bouncy, although not very rough, ride.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by tashasamson on January 31, 2006

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Frontierland in Magic Kingdom Orlando, Florida

About the Writer

tashasamson
tashasamson
Birmingham, Alabama

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