Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level

About five weeks ago, I lucked out and was able to book a Club Level 1-Bedroom at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We were thrilled to be able to stay there again. The Club Level cast members there really know how to do it right!

When we arrived at about 1:30pm, we were greeted by a cast member under the portico. He escorted us straight to the Kilimanjaro Club Lounge and offered to get us drinks. Marc and I both got some Jungle Juice, which was so refreshing after our long drive.

In less than five minutes, we had our Welcome Home packet and room key cards, and our room was ready. We dropped off our bags and were surprised with this nice little gift:

We also had chocolate giraffe lollipops and a letter waiting that explained all the day's offerings in the Kilimanjaro Club. We headed straight over to the lounge and got some snacks. 

After filling our tummies, I was ready to chill out and take some pictures. As always, the room was gorgeous and immaculately clean. 

The Kitchen

The Living Room

The Living Room

View from Our Patio

The Bedroom

The Bedroom

The Bathroom

The Bathroom

The New Toiletries Bottles

After resting for a little bit, we went to dinner at High Tide Harry's with my sister and her family. After that, SNORKELING PRACTICE!!!

Check...Check...Check

Part of what I love about our upcoming trip is not having to wait a long time for it to get here. The part that I hate is trying to fit months of planning into a few short weeks. But I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!

So, the first thing we needed to do was decide if we were flying or driving. Airline prices are OUTRAGEOUS right now so we picked driving. That meant making parking reservations at the port. We chose Park 'n Cruise because they only charge $6.99 a day compared to $20 a day at the terminal. They have a secure, fenced parking lot, and you take your keys with you. They drop you off at the terminal and pick you up after the cruise. Can't beat that! We also loaded our SunPass with enough money to cover all those pesky tolls between here and Orlando and then Orlando to Port Canaveral and back. No more stopping at toll booths!

The next thing we did was make sure that one of our dog/house sitters could be here when we were out of town. I lucked out, and the first person was available. (We love her!) It is so much less stressful, on us and the dogs, to be out of town when you know there is someone staying at your house. No worries!

I also made reservations at Walt Disney World before and after the cruise. Although they are usually booked 11 months in advance, we were able to snag a Club Level 1-Bedroom at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We stayed there after our last cruise and fell in love with it. They have a keyed-access lounge that has lots of drinks and snacks available at all hours of the day, and the service there is wonderful. Can't wait!

After the cruise, we are staying at Animal Kingdom Villas. We plan to chill out, swim, and really enjoy the resort without having to rush to a park. This will be our first park-free trip on WDW property, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm totally looking forward to it. We're still a little "parked out" so I don't think we'll miss the hustle and bustle. 

Our door magnets are finished, our Fish Extender is ordered, and I'm almost finished working on our Fish Extender gifts. We've already finished clothes shopping so we're set there, too. Only a few more days, and I can start packing. 

I CAN DO THIS!

Happy Anniversary!

to the Most Magical Place on Earth!

Thank you for all the wonderful memories!

The View from the Top

Okay, so one of the main reasons that Marc wanted to stay at Bay Lake Tower was that we'd be able to see the fireworks from there. You can only access the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower if you're a DVC member staying there on points. Lucky for us, we met both requirements!

We went to the lounge a little early to have a few drinks and take some pictures. The view was amazing! You could see Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, the Wilderness Lodge, etc. The sky wasn't very clear that night due to brush fires, but we were still impressed with the view.

Magic Kingdom

The Grand Floridian

Cinderella Castle, Astro Orbiter, 

and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Space Mountain

Ferry boat on its way to Magic Kingdom

Red monorail on its way to the 

Contemporary Resort

Bay Lake view from the lounge

The lounge had a lot of little sitting areas. It was early, so we were the only ones inside the lounge at this point.

I got a Pom-Power Mojito. It was the first time I'd ever had a mojito, and it was very (VERY!) strong!

Seeing the fireworks from the lounge was so exciting! They pipe in the music that's played in the park so it was just like we were there. Of course, I cried during Wishes like I always do. Sniff, sniff...

Unfortunately, I didn't get many great pictures of the fireworks. I didn't bring my image stabilization zoom lens with me. (Stupid, stupid, stupid!) Oh well, there's always next time. And there WILL be a next time. We loved our stay at Bay Lake Tower!

Disney's Bay Lake Tower

When we woke up on the morning we left Beach Club Villas, we went over to Hollywood Studios to get a few more rides on Star Tours. (And maybe a couple more on Toy Story Midway Mania, too!) The park wasn't that crowded, so we were able to ride three times within just a few minutes. We also had FastPasses for Star Tours, but we didn't need them. So, we handed them to a couple that were coming in for the day. They were excited and very thankful to get them!

We went back to Beach Club, packed our stuff in the car, and headed over to Bay Lake Tower. One of the castmembers greeted us by name as we drove up into the valet area, an we went in to check-in. Our room wasn't ready, so we drove over to FuddRucker's to get some burgers. (Yum!) During lunch, we got a text saying that our room was ready. Back to Bay Lake Tower we went!

We drove up to the pick-up/drop-off area and unloaded our stuff. The building was modern and beautiful!

Bay Lake Tower

Room 7927

The Entryway

The Dining Room

The Kitchen

TV/Dining Area

The Living Room

The Patio

The View from Our Patio

The Laundry Room

The Closet

The Master Bathroom

I want this picture!!!

The Shower (with Dual Shower Heads!)

The Toilet

The Bedroom

The Second Bathroom

Community Hall

The Sky Bridge

Contemporary Resort Shop Windows

Mural in the Contemporary Resort

Love this picture!

The Night View from Our Patio

Sunrise Over Bay Lake

We loved staying at Bay Lake Tower! It was very convenient to Magic Kingdom...only a monorail ride away! What's funny is that Marc and I almost bought our DVC points here, but as much as I loved the resort, we're actually still very happy with our Animal Kingdom-Kidani purchase. Bay Lake Tower is still a wonderful place to visit, though. It's just not our Disney "home."