Nov 7 – 14, 2022 – First Trip with 2 Kids Under 3 – Day 5

So I checked and I actually took 0 pictures on the Friday of our trip, not even of our food – I know! I’m as shocked as you are!

Anyway, we DID have a reservation for Epcot this day, but given Tuesday’s fiasco and that it was a holiday (Veteran’s Day), we opted to keep it a park-free day. Our day began with Breakfast at Boma in Jambo House. SO SO SO glad this buffet is open again! And it did not disappoint. I did notice that the omelets are no longer custom. They basically serve up 3 or 4 different options, but I was OK with that. I usually just get a Western Omelet anyway. Love the grilled vegetables and hand-carved ham for a breakfast buffet. And, of course the cinnamon raisin bread pudding with pecan praline sauce, and the jungle juice (have I listed the entire buffet offerings yet?). I actually only scratched the surface, but even in a post-pandemic, super-expensive, Disney World, this breakfast venue remains solidly the best in my book! So glad we went and left satisfied.

After breakfast, we planned to just mosey around Kidani Village and enjoy the resort offerings. We took some room time, enjoying the animals while the kids took a nap. I went for a walk down literally every corridor of Kidani. The place kind-of doubles as a museum to African tribes with various artifacts spread throughout the halls, so it was neat to see all of that. After nap time, a thin band of storms was swiping overhead, so we couldn’t yet visit the pool. We spent some time in the Community Hall. I played a game of 9 ball on the pool table. I also took a few rounds in the Arcade (turns out I had lots of unused credits from my last visit). When the storms finally passed by we had only an hour to spend pool-side. Ariel spent tons of time in the splash pad area, having a blast, while Christy and I took turns watching the kids and swimming (well, going down the water slide).

We left the pool and got cleaned up for dinner at Sanaa. Sanaa is a restaurant we make a point of going to every time we stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We love the Indian/African fusion food. We got the bread service, which is a must. 5 types of Naan with 9 different sauces. I got the Butter Chicken, Chickpea Wat, and rice. Christy got the Salmon. Both were good, but I am partial to that delicious butter chicken! We also got a couple of fruit smoothies

After dinner, we got back into our swimwear and took the kids back to the pool. They had a marshmallow roasting fire down there and we roasted some marshmallows together before going to the water. We just enjoyed a restful evening in and out of the water until it was time to get the kids ready for bed.

In conclusion, this day proved true what I have often thought. If you’re going to stay at a resort without going to the parks, Animal Kingdom Lodge is a solid choice. So much to do and explore, especially with all the animals around, and it’s so well-themed, it’s easy to forget you’re in Central Florida at times.