Archive for March, 2015
Florida Vacation – Disney World Animal Kingdom & Epcot
Today I headed out, along with my friends Karen and Taty, two ladies I met while working in Alaska, to Animal Kingdom to have more fun and adventures.
First thing on the agenda was the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. Now normally I am not a fan of animals kept in captivity. But after reading how much Disney does for the welfare of wildlife I felt much better about having a look at these animals. Since 1995, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) has contributed more than $27 million dollars to support conservation programs in 114 countries.
So off we went in our jeep through the 110 acre wildlife reserve through open plains, shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands. We saw giraffes, elephants, hippos, rhinos, ostriches, and of course alligators.
Around every turn throughout the park there are entertainers including the African drummers that I loved the most!
We also went to a few shows including Finding Nemo, an interesting musical version of the film. People carried around huge puppets of the characters and with the added special affects you almost felt like you were under the sea.
Another good show was the Flights of Wonder. I was so impressed at the education that was taught during the show and message that “The future of the earth is in our hands. Be inspired to do your part today!”
But my very favorite show, and the highlight of the day, was the Lion King. What an absolutely awesome production! No one should miss this show. From babies to grandparents, it will be a highlight of your day, I guarantee it! I was so moved.
Then on to some rides. I normally don’t go on fast, roller coaster type rides but I know that Karen LOVES these kind of rides so I decided to take a leap of faith (that I wouldn’t die of a heart attack) and go on a ride with her. All I can say is, I did it! I did it!!! And I lived to see another day :-)!
Then we headed to the Kali River Rapids ride to get in our raft and head down the river.
I’m not sure which one of us got the wettest, but when we got off the raft we were all drenched and laughing. Time to go home!
The next day we pulled ourselves out of bed and got ready for another full day. We started out at a lovely little French Café that Taty goes to frequently and had a wonderful breakfast of crepes and croissants. Then off to Epcot!
I loved all the topiaries throughout the park.
We went to the Coral Reefs to see all the fish and marine life. We went on the Spaceship Earth ride that took us on a ride through the history of communication. Pretty interesting and well done! After getting our fill of rides, off we went to a trip around the world at the World Showcase Lagoon.
All around the World Showcase Lagoon we walked through several countries. In France we watched the Impressions de France film on a huge screen. We listened to an outdoor concert in America. We walked through the streets of Morocco.
In Italy we watched street performers and had pizza and sangrias.
Before we knew it, it was getting dark and time for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show.
All I can say is WOW! What a beautiful and moving display!
And the perfect way to end the day and our time with Taty.
And now it’s time to say good-bye… Good-bye Disney World! Good-bye Taty! You helped make all my dreams come true.
Florida Vacation – Grand Floridian, Downtown Disney & the Gaylord Palms Hotel
In 2006 I decided to change my life. I quit my job, rented my house out and traveled to Alaska to work for Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge for the summer. I have not for one minute regretted that decision. I have enjoyed each and every new experience I have had since that time nine years ago and continue to travel and experience new and fun things.
I’ve also met so many people, some of which have become good friends who, although I don’t have the opportunity to see very often, have lasted the test of time. One of those friends I met in Alaska is Karen who, after living in several states around the country, has settled in Zephyrhills, Florida along with her husband Jon.
I recently flew to Florida to visit Karen and do a little traveling and have some fun in the beautiful sunny March weather. First on the agenda was to drive to Orlando to meet up with Taty, another lady who we met in Alaska and now works at Disneys Grand Floridian Resort. Taty met us at the hotel and treated us to a wonderful breakfast, tour of the hotel, and hours of catching up.
After taking a ride on the monorail catching glimpses of the parks and stopping off to check out the Polynesian Resort, we headed to Downtown Disney to see the sights and pick up some souvenirs.
After a full day of seeing as much as we could cram into one day, three tired and happy gals took the boat back to the parking lot and headed to our hotel, the absolutely magnificent Gaylord Palms Resort.
The Gaylord Palms Resort is like a world all it’s own. The lush, tropical atrium recreate three Florida environments. We walked along the wooden walkways over misty bogs through the Everglades section with the moss hanging from the trees, thick vegetation, streams and waterfalls, alligators (that you can watch being fed twice a week), and a wooden shack restaurant.
The Key West section has shops that resemble the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of the island. There are also several species of fish in the streams and ponds that are fed several times a week.

Karen standing at the Fountain of Youth just outside the Key West section of the Gaylord Palms Resort
The St. Augustine atrium features a small-scale replica of Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest fort in North America. Designers studied the ruins of the original, built by Spain in 1672 in what is now St. Augustine, to emulate its mysterious, romantic aura. The fort displays treasures from the Spanish ship Atocha, discovered by Mel Fisher after a 16-year search. It includes a Wedding Gazebo, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, and several restaurants and bars.
Outside there are two pools. The family water park with a multi-level tree house playground and a huge screen that shows movies each evening called the ‘dive-in’, and the beautiful, quiet adult pool with private cabanas and two hot tubs. The list goes on and on. You could spend a ton of time here and never get bored.
Next we head to Animal Kingdom and Epcot.