Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

2 days until Disney! One year ago we went on our biggest trip yet. Lisa, Maddy and I, along with Ryan and Tyler made our (newly) annual fall trek to WDW. And we were finally staying at our home resort of Kidani Village ! Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village is an African lodge-style Resort boasting accommodations that include kitchenettes/kitchens and multi-bedroom units. Featuring over 30 species of wildlife that roam free amidst a 21-acre wildlife preserve that includes lush, tropical savannas, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village offers you the unique opportunity to observe exotic animals in their natural habitat from special viewing areas throughout the Resort – and from the balconies of select Guest rooms. And it was worth the wait and the DVC investment. We already loved the Animal Kingdom Lodge (now Jambo House) and Animal Kingdom had been a favorite destination since out first visit so it was pretty easy for Kidani to win us over. Smaller and q...

3 days until Disney! January 2010, just three months since out last visit and we're back at WDW! We decide on a quick 4-day trip to tide us over until our next fall excursion. Lisa books us at the Boardwalk Villas and we invite our friend Barb to tag along (she can use a break). The Boardwalk turns out to be a great location for access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but the atmosphere and surrounding amenities are a little too grown-up for our tastes. That and the fact that we can hear our neighbors crashing in at 11:00-12:00 at night doesn't help either. Seriously, knew when they were home, in the bedroom or in the shower, very annoying! But that matters little to the fact that we have another great stay at Walt Disney World. Maddy appreciates things that much more, Barb is great company and we have some great character meals and see some favorite locations in all of the parks. Best Meal: Donald's Dining Safari Breakfast at Tusker House Best Show: Beauty and ...

4 Days Until Disney! It's 2009 and we have been blessed with the arrival (Surprise!) of our very own princess, Maddy. As an excuse to return to WDW, celebrate Maddy's birthday (late) and subconsciously create an annual pilgrimage, we decide to book a vacation. Jumping in feet first Lisa starts the research and planning process. We buy every possible WDW guidebook, bookmark every relevant (and useless) WDW related website, and begin the all-important making of lists (Which are discarded, revised and updated with gleeful abandon!). We settle on a time (September), and length of trip (6 days) and then book the hotel; the Wilderness Lodge . In the process of making the hotel reservations Lisa is asked if she wants to upgrade to a Villa. Since it's a great deal and we'll have our own kitchen and laundry facility the answer is YES! Again, we had not been thinking about Disney Vacation Club and were only peripherally aware of it. Were we in for a treat! The trip is a ...

6 Days to Disney! We'll take another trip back in time... The year is 2006; Disney's Animal Kingdom opens with a new mountain. Expedition Everest puts Disney's Animal Kingdom back on the map as a popular place to visit. Disney announces the Year of a Milion Dreams. This time Lisa and I are headed to WDW for our first joint venture. Our good friends from PA, Barb & Mark, have invited us to go on a grown-ups only trip. Barb was able to get a good package deal through a friend, we got Park Hopper passes and we'd be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! We had just about perfect October weather, the hotel was amazing, the food was excellent and we got to go, go, go without slowing down for diaper changes, naps or early bedtimes. Even though we missed Wishes and the SpectroMagic! parade at Magic Kingdom we did get to see Illuminations at Epcot. We also spent some very relaxing time at the lodge (at night and early in the morning) spotting many of the local animal po...