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July 1, 2008
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.
May 22, 2007
It’s nice. Really nice.
Linda, I and a third friend spent 4 days in Orlando — and we didn’t feel guilty at all! It was just a time for us to visit, soak 
up the warm sun around the pool and do whatever we wanted. Sure, Orlando is regarded as a kids’ paradise, but it’s also a great adult getaway destination.
We Stayed at a Timeshare.
First of all, we chose to stay at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, a timeshare my husband and I own.
And it truly is a
grand resort. Gorgeous accommodations complete with kitchen, in-suite laundry, living room, large screened deck. We had two large bedrooms and two full baths — one with a large Jacuzzi. The suite was very comfortable for a group. Two luxurious pool areas with 4 whirlpool hot tubs in each area. Poolside bar and dining with great food. Very inexpensive — I think it cost us about $80 in fees total for our stay. So if you have access to a timeshare, consider using it for your girlfriends’ getaway to save money.
At Hilton resorts, we can book a studio or from 1-3 bedrooms. Some of the Hilton resorts will rent any unreserved suites. I checked out our resort for rentals and discovered that our 2-bedroom would go for a rate of $277/night. 
So we really got a deal!
Day 1. The pool. We got in late morning and decided to relax poolside. Later in the day we went over to Downtown Disney and Disney Marketplace — had to get one of the huge hot fudge sundaes from Ghirardelli’s!
Day 2. SeaWorld. Our time share was across the street 
from SeaWorld. Spent the whole day there. Always love the Shamu show — it is spectacular. But this time we also saw their dolphin show and it, too, was far better than any dolphin show I remember seeing. Played with the dolphins — you can feed and pet them. Same with the stingrays. And oh, yes, we visited the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales (A-B owns SeaWorld). Free beer samples of beer, too. The park offers a lot of hands-on opportunities and plenty of picture opps.
We wrapped up our day at SeaWorld with dinner and a show at its Makahiki Luau. Pretty good food and a very good show. $45.95/person. We enjoyed it.
NEXT: Day 3
May 14, 2007
