overstreetprncss
prncssbex
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2011
This is my first trip report, so I thought I'd give a little background information before getting into the actual trip.
My husband and I are both big Disney lovers, we even made Disney a stop on our European Honeymoon. We've also both been working on our health and getting into running. Since we're also big Star Wars fans, and we were planning a trip to Disneyland for our first anniversary, my husband wanted to try the runDisney Lightside Challenge. When he learned about the Kessel Run Challenge (doing the Star Wars half-marathons in CA and FL), he decided that would be his goal, and I decided to join him. Of course all the runDisney events got cancelled until further notice, so running in California would not be an option for us. We had already signed up for the DarkSide Challenge in Florida though, so we still had that to look forward to. We also jumped at the chance to run a virtual Star Wars half-marathon to qualify for a chance to still earn the Kessel Run medal. Now, I call myself a runner, but I'm very, very slow. During our virtual Half-Marathon I managed around an 18 minute per mile pace (runDisney requires runners to have a 16 minute mile pace.) I was training very hard though, and I really believed I could make it.
Day One: Polynesian Resort & Animal Kindom Villas
We left the house the at 3:45am to catch a 6:15 flight. We should have been super tired, but the Disney excitement kept us chipper.
The airport was pretty empty that early in the morning, but our flight was still packed. Our takeoff was really rough because off the heavy rainstorm this morning, and I was both thrilled at the bumpy ride and a little scared that the plane was going to drop out of the sky. We made it to Florida safely though and exited the plane to sunny skies. We got lucky with the Magic Express and our bus was waiting for us, so we were able to get right on and we're headed to the hotel soon after that. 
The front entrance of our hotel was very pretty, but the room wasn't ready and we weren't there to stay yet. So, we dropped our carry-ons off with the bellhop and called an Uber to take us to breakfast at the Polynesian.
While planning this trip we read that the best coffee in Disney World was served at the Kona Cafe, so we choose that for our first breakfast.
We arrived very early, so we had a chance to wander around the hotel while they prepared our table. They did end up seating us 20 minutes before our actual reservation, so that was nice. 
Along with their coffee, the Kona Cafe is also known for having Tonga Toast, which is two pieces of French toast stuffed with bananas, rolled in cinnamon sugar, then topped with syrup and strawberry compote. 
I also have been wanting to try a mimosa and they offered a mimosa flight which is a small sample of three different juices. I tried orange, pineapple, and lilikoi; my favorite was the pineapple.
We had three hours until our next scheduled thing, so we decided to walk along the running trail that connects the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian. It was a beautiful walk with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing. The scenery was lovely as well: white sand beaches, the cute little wedding pavilion, and the Grand Floridian itself.
From the Grand Floridian we took a bus to Animal Kingdom then transferred to a bus headed to the Animal Kingdom Villas. The villas are specifically for the Disney Vacation Club members, but they're also home to Sanaa, which was where we had our lunch reservations. There were still a couple hours to burn before our actual reservation, so we silent some time exploring the hotel.
The center of the villas is a large open area, home too many savannah animals, such as antelope, zebra, and giraffe. I was way too excited about the animals, for a person my age, but I wasn't afraid to enjoy the experience.
That's it for right now. I've reached my photo limit and I have to go make dinner. More to come soon
My husband and I are both big Disney lovers, we even made Disney a stop on our European Honeymoon. We've also both been working on our health and getting into running. Since we're also big Star Wars fans, and we were planning a trip to Disneyland for our first anniversary, my husband wanted to try the runDisney Lightside Challenge. When he learned about the Kessel Run Challenge (doing the Star Wars half-marathons in CA and FL), he decided that would be his goal, and I decided to join him. Of course all the runDisney events got cancelled until further notice, so running in California would not be an option for us. We had already signed up for the DarkSide Challenge in Florida though, so we still had that to look forward to. We also jumped at the chance to run a virtual Star Wars half-marathon to qualify for a chance to still earn the Kessel Run medal. Now, I call myself a runner, but I'm very, very slow. During our virtual Half-Marathon I managed around an 18 minute per mile pace (runDisney requires runners to have a 16 minute mile pace.) I was training very hard though, and I really believed I could make it.
Day One: Polynesian Resort & Animal Kindom Villas
We left the house the at 3:45am to catch a 6:15 flight. We should have been super tired, but the Disney excitement kept us chipper.
The airport was pretty empty that early in the morning, but our flight was still packed. Our takeoff was really rough because off the heavy rainstorm this morning, and I was both thrilled at the bumpy ride and a little scared that the plane was going to drop out of the sky. We made it to Florida safely though and exited the plane to sunny skies. We got lucky with the Magic Express and our bus was waiting for us, so we were able to get right on and we're headed to the hotel soon after that. The front entrance of our hotel was very pretty, but the room wasn't ready and we weren't there to stay yet. So, we dropped our carry-ons off with the bellhop and called an Uber to take us to breakfast at the Polynesian.
While planning this trip we read that the best coffee in Disney World was served at the Kona Cafe, so we choose that for our first breakfast.
We arrived very early, so we had a chance to wander around the hotel while they prepared our table. They did end up seating us 20 minutes before our actual reservation, so that was nice. Along with their coffee, the Kona Cafe is also known for having Tonga Toast, which is two pieces of French toast stuffed with bananas, rolled in cinnamon sugar, then topped with syrup and strawberry compote. I also have been wanting to try a mimosa and they offered a mimosa flight which is a small sample of three different juices. I tried orange, pineapple, and lilikoi; my favorite was the pineapple.We had three hours until our next scheduled thing, so we decided to walk along the running trail that connects the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian. It was a beautiful walk with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing. The scenery was lovely as well: white sand beaches, the cute little wedding pavilion, and the Grand Floridian itself.
From the Grand Floridian we took a bus to Animal Kingdom then transferred to a bus headed to the Animal Kingdom Villas. The villas are specifically for the Disney Vacation Club members, but they're also home to Sanaa, which was where we had our lunch reservations. There were still a couple hours to burn before our actual reservation, so we silent some time exploring the hotel.
The center of the villas is a large open area, home too many savannah animals, such as antelope, zebra, and giraffe. I was way too excited about the animals, for a person my age, but I wasn't afraid to enjoy the experience.
That's it for right now. I've reached my photo limit and I have to go make dinner. More to come soon
