Stalking Orlando’s Wildlife

In spite of the many times my family has been to Disney in Orlando, I’ve never gone to Animal Kingdom. Our girlfriend group decided this would be the trip. The three of us were delighted with the park, the animals and especially the safari ride.

The safari ride was a big highlight in our day there because we took it twice. The truck drove us through the jungles and onto the savanna where we saw a wide range of African animals in a natural setting. Some were quite close and we could snap photos of them. But you had to be quick on the shutter as the touring truck did not stop. I wonder why???

It seemed costly to get into the park — about $60 per person I believe. But after you’re inside, you understand why. The park is absolutely beautifully laid out with natural landscaping for the wild animals. I’m sure it’s very costly to maintain this type of park and give the animals the proper care, food and environment for them to thrive. It was worth it to us — partly because we are animal lovers at heart. And partly because it gave Linda and I (the photo buffs) the opportunity to shoot more than a hundred photos of scenes we wouldn’t find anywhere else.

After our animal adventures, we went back to pool at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club to cool off and relax before dinner at my favorite Orlando restaurant, Bahama Breeze. We have always found it to be excellent and fun. A covered outdoor bar with tables and Jimmy Buffet type music plays while you wait to be seated. Very relaxing. Drinks are good and the food even better. My favorite there is coconut shrimp. Had hoped to meet up with some other Midwest Airlines gals we knew who were down for a getaway at the Animal Kingdom resort, but were unable to work out our schedules.We had tried to get reservations at one of the restaurants in the Downtown Disney area, like Rainforest Cafe or House of Blues, but they didn’t take reservations and the wait during peak evening dinner hours would have been more than 2 hours. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants in the Disney parks that do take reservations and are very nice.

On our 3rd day in Orlando, we went back to SeaWorld — right across from our resort. And the second day was free! If you stop at Guest Relations on your way out on the first day, you can get your ticket approved for a free second day as long as it occurs within 14 days. It worked out well, as we had a few things there we wanted to see and enjoy again. Like the Shamu show and the Clydesdales. This was a Friday and the park was quite a bit more crowded than on Wednesday. I guess it’s good to go mid-week. Then we just went back to our resort and had dinner at the poolside restaurant.

What a great trip! No shopping. We didn’t even browse. We just totally relaxed and enjoyed catching up with each other. The next morning we headed to the airport for our Midwest flight home. Didn’t need to stop to eat on the way as our flight offered great onboard breakfast choices.

If you didn’t think Orlando had anything to offer you for a girlfriends getaway, think about it again. And don’t forget to check out any timeshare options you and your friends might have that would save you money on your trip.