Date Night at Disney's Animal Kingdom

A few weeks ago, John and I had the chance to get away for a quick date night to Disney's Animal Kingdom park.

We didn't really have a set plan, save for enjoying the cool evening and grabbing a drink at Nomad Lounge. 

We arrived three hours before park closing, and everyone was streaming out. I love the Oasis at the entrance to the park- the air plants and foliage are breathtaking. 

At the Tree of Life, we debated whether to head right into Asia or left to Africa. We knew we wanted to get a 'walking beer' and meander through either the Maharaja Jungle Trek or Pangani Forest. We usually choose Asia, so tonight we switched it up and headed to Africa. 

A stop at the Dawa Bar is always necessary. We each had a Tusker Lager and headed toward the walking path next to Kilamanjaro Safari.

Sadly, it was closed for the evening. We walked through Harambe Village a bit; while doing so, John booked us an 8:10 reservation for Tiffin's. It was already after 7:00, and I wanted to hang at Nomad Lounge without feeling rushed to leave. 

We headed that way and decided to check in at Tiffin's to tell them our plan. We said we'd like to enjoy cocktails before dinner; they said to take our time and come in whenever we were ready. 

We scored a comfy padded nook at Nomad (we were one of only three or four tables occupied) and enjoyed a cocktail. I'm sure this spot will get busier once Pandora opens, but for now, it's a nice quiet spot to enjoy a good drink. Around 8:30, we headed inside for dinner.

The park closed at 9:00 that night, so we were pretty much the last table sat. They initially put us at a four top table smack dab in the middle of the dining room. I was wanting something a bit more romantic so I asked if they could possible put us in a booth or somewhere in a corner of the room; they came back and moved us to a nice, spacious booth with a view of the dining area. It was really sweet. 

We ordered a bottle of wine and the bread service, which I'll admit didn't look like much on the menu, but was just the right amount of food to start the meal. It's no Sanaa bread service, mind you, but worked perfectly for an appetizer. The pomegranate olive oil was crazy good!

John ordered the Wagyu strip loin and braised short rib and I had the swordfish; we split the Brussels sprouts. Everything was really tasty, albeit a tad salty (and I love salt). 

Even though the park was technically closed, we never felt rushed, and our server was very nice and knowledgeable. We told him about Will and how we were on a date night. He talked about his family. 

At the end of our meal, he brought us out a small bag of chocolate bark. It was incredible and we snacked on it for a few days after. 

We left Tiffin's at 10:00 and walked out to a completely empty park. We maybe saw one cast member on our way out- it was quiet, dark, beautiful. 

Our following date night didn't end so peacefully (think: a phone call from Nana telling us Will had vomited all over, which ended up being a stomach virus that my mom and I also picked up), but that's a story for another day.

Thanks for reading! Kwaherini! 

Weekend Wear-abouts: Mom's Visit + THE Best T-Shirt (You Won't Believe The Price!)

True happiness is sharing the things you love, with those you love. So you can imagine my excitement when my mom came to visit and we planned to spend the weekend at my favorite place- Walt Disney World! 

She took advantage of the Florida Resident Discover Disney ticket, opting for the 4-day ticket plus park hopper option. Pretty sure we'll just bump her up to a Seasonal Pass and apply the Discover Disney ticket purchase toward that, seeing as what a nice time we had and the fact that she only lives an hour away.

Our goal was to take it slow and kind of do whatever we felt like doing, without any FastPass+. Oh, and to eat and drink our weight over the course of three days. 

We started off at MGM on Friday afternoon. I was eager to show Mom the new Starbucks and enjoy the ambiance of Echo Lake. Rumors are swirling that it's not going to be around in the very near future. (Sadness!)

We each grabbed a coffee from Starbucks, then headed down Sunset Blvd. to pick up some snacks from Anaheim Produce. I love these little fruit stands in each of the parks for light, nutritious and healthy bites. It's also the place to get a delicious Disney pickle. We selected some hummus and pretzels, carrots and celery with ranch, and I got a Magic Hat #9. Then it was off to the lovely Echo Lake seating area.

Vickers Bow Bracelet by Kiel James Patrick // Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet

We strolled back into the Streets of America, by the Muppets, and through Pixar Place.

I'm bummed that this is the only picture of what I wore that day- we even took a few Photopass pictures, but I can't seem to track them down. This would be a great sweater for Valentines Day. 

 Old Navy Heart Sweater (old, but I love this one here) // J.Crew Red and Navy Striped Painter's Tee (worn under sweater, old, similar here) 

Next, it was time for One Man's Dream. Hey, House of the Future! 

We did make a reservation for the Hollywood Brown Derby. We were both craving the famous Cobb salad. It was really quiet in the park that night; half the restaurant was unoccupied. 

I had the Celery Root Bisque - with Duck Confit, White Truffle Crème Fraîche and a Thyme Crouton along with the Cobb Salad.

As always, the salad didn't disappoint. It does have a strong bleu cheese flavor, but not overpowering. The soup was killer- creamy, savory, and the smoked duck was a nice counterpart to the richness of the dish.

Mom also had the Cobb Salad, along with the Blue Jumbo Lump Crab Spring Rolls - Snow crab claw and an asian slaw with spicy Miso Aioli. She really liked them, while I felt they were a tad fishy. We both had a glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, our favorite. 

We each ordered a dessert trio- Mom got two of the Double Vanilla Bean Creme Brûlées

- Served with a dark chocolate dipped biscotti and one Warm Seasonal Fruit Cobbler - With creme Fraiche and orange blossom honey. My trio (above) consisted of the Cobbler, A Brown Derby Original! Grapefruit Cake - Light layers of yellow cake with fresh grapefruit cream cheese icing, and

Banana White Chocolate Toffee Tower - Served on a cocoa almond cookie and Bananas "Foster."

The creme brûlée was too runny, and didn't have that satisfying crunchy top. The fruit cobbler, which was blueberry at the moment, was yummy, if not a tad too sugary. The banana dessert lacked any flavor really. BUT, I really liked the grapefruit cake. 

On Saturday, we headed to Animal Kingdom for Bloody Mary's. Luckily they were still serving them at the Dawa Bar when we arrived around 12 noon. They always have the mix, but run out of the accompaniments as the day goes on, and from what I understand, when those are gone, they stop serving Bloodys for the day. 

Mom snagged a table while I went to fetch some popcorn, a Mickey pretzel and a fruit and cheese plate. Brunch at Dawa Bar!

Confession: sometimes I wear an outfit two days in a row. Hey, they didn't invent Febreeze for nothin'! Scroll down to Sunday to see details, but I'll tell you know that this is the best t-shirt I've ever found, at a great price. 

After two Bloody's each, we watched the Festival of the Lion King. 

 Lilly Pulitzer iPhone Case // Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Girl Flower

Next up, Yak & Yeti. We LOVE the lettuce wraps. Apparently they updated the menu at the first of the year. 

Lettuce Cups for Two - minced chicken breast, chopped vegetables, Saigon Hoison sauce, crisp lettuce cups and Pork Egg Rolls - chili plum dipping sauce. Yum, all yum. 

This is one of my favorite spots in all of the park- this little 'hidden' walkway between Africa and Asia. It's really not hidden at all; it runs parallel to the main walkway, but it's tucked up in the trees and for some reason, NOBODY ever walks down it. We had it to ourselves as you can see. There's also a little covered pavilion with several tables and chairs, so it's a nice place to carry your food and eat. 

On Sunday, Mom, John and I went to Downtown Disney for dinner. 

Here's the outfit from Saturday, on repeat. This shirt, guys. This. Shirt. It's from Target. It's a drapey, substantial yet soft material. It's long enough that it covers my bum. And it's $12.99. It comes in grey, coral, white and black; scoop neck or v-neck. I got both neck styles in black. Not gonna lie, I probably have at least six black tees. They're so versatile, but this one's the best so far. 

Run, don't walk to Target and stock up. 

 Mossimo V-Neck MicroModal Tee with Pocket // J.Crew Toothpick Jean // J.Crew Necklace (old, but I love this one here) // Old Navy Sweater Coat (similar here). 

Mom was craving a Pina CoLAVA, which is a standard drink at most Disney resort pool bars and lounges. We searched high and low at Downtown Disney and couldn't find one, but were told that the pina coladas at Bongos were delicious, so we stopped there. 

 Lilly Pulitzer Call Me Wristlet Wallet

Our final destination was Fulton's Crab House. We called ahead to see if they had stone crab in season, and hallelujah they did, so that solidified our dinner plans. 

FYI- Fulton's was the only place we could find a variation of the pina colava, as they're the only place that carries the raspberry puree. House of Blues, Splitsville, and Bongos did not. Mom finally got her pina colava, and I had a raspberry martini.

We started with the Fulton's Seafood Tower- Alaskan king crab, shrimp cocktail, Ahi tuna lettuce cups, lump crab, and oysters on the half shell and Crab Ceviche- blue crab, avocado, peppers, onions, lime, salsa verde. It was all so fresh and tasty, not fishy at all. The oysters are of Apalachicola  variety, for all you oyster connoisseurs. 

For our entrees, John got the Fresh Caught Local Grouper, Oscar style- house guacamole, artichoke, spinach and cherry tomato sauté. Clearly he loved it, because he ate most of it before I could snap a pic. You'd think he'd learn by now... ;)

Mom and I shared a half pound of the Stone Crab claws, which were good, but for the price, we actually enjoyed the Alaskan King Crab legs better. 

Finally, for dessert the three of us split the Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Creme Brûlée. These were both fantastic! 

Here's a full view of the sweater coat. It's soft and cozy and the perfect layer for a cool Florida evening. 

Fully stuffed, we headed home. What a wonderful weekend!

Did you follow along on our adventures through social media? If not, why?!? How was your weekend? Let me know in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!

Dressing for Bloody Mary's at Disney's Animal Kingdom's Dawa Bar

John and I love to spend Sundays at Animal Kingdom with an adult beverage, wandering the tree-lined pathways and observing animals (especially the tigers!). So you can imagine my excitement when Dawa Bar rolled out four new variations of the classic Bloody Mary. 

photo cred: Disney Parks Blog

Now usually, especially on Sundays, we've found that the parks don't start serving alcohol until 11, 11:30, or 12 noon, depending on the bar or lounge. In fact, that seems to be the start time for most places in the World, any day of the week (boy do I sound like a lush!). So we were fully expecting to get there at rope drop, only to be told they weren't serving until later. 

Here's a tip for you-- they WERE in fact serving the Bloodies at 9, when the park opened. They were also pouring other drinks if people ordered them, so if Bloodies aren't your thing, but getting a buzz before noon while on vacation is, then Dawa Bar is your place. 

We entered the park just after 9 and made our way to Dawa Bar to ask Bob from Boston (our go-to bartender who is always there) if they were serving. 

Bob from Boston! And the Bloody Mary menu.

He said yes, we told him we'd be back soon, and went for a spin on Kilamanjaro Safari. Another tip, do this attraction as early in the day as possible-- it's as cool as it's gonna get, and more animals are active, or at least out, than later in the day. 

Photobombing John!

Because my dress matched the zebras. 

After helping Wilson stop poachers in Africa, we went back to Dawa and found seats at the bar. 

I started with the Discovery Island Bloody Mary, while John had the Dawa Bloody Mary because he likes spicy things! All of the Bloody Mary's start with the yummy Loaded Bloody Mary mix and Grey Goose Vodka (ftw!). 

Discovery Island Bloody Mary- lime and olive juice, garnished with parsley and a skewer of mozzarella cheese, basil, cherry tomato and a stuffed olive. 

Dawa Bloody Mary- Worcestershire sauce and horseradish, garnished with basil and a skewer of truffle and blue-cheese stuffed olives and prosciutto 

Mine was delicious- just a classic Bloody with yummy garnishes. John really liked his- I had a sip and it was really good, but very horseradish-y, so consider yourself warned. 

John held our spots at the bar, and I sipped my drink while walking to Pizzafari to get one of the new breakfast offerings. We needed something to soak up the alcohol! 

I returned with the new multi-grain breakfast croissant stuffed with egg whites, fresh spinach, provolone cheese and vegetable chutney, with a side of breakfast potatoes ($7.49). I asked them to wrap it in tinfoil so it would be easier to transport back to the bar. 

Lilly Pulitzer Dress  (scored this bad boy for $100 off during the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale// Dooney and Bourke Wristlet 

I know, I know, doesn't look too appetizing, but it was really yummy! And the potatoes- yum! They tasted like Cracker Barrel's hashbrown casserole, if you've had that. Tasty! And not relatively too unhealthy in park food standards. Had to offset the calories we were drinking, ya know. 

Speaking of, back to the Bloodies! We finished our first round and tried the other two. Hey, it's all in the name of research! 

I went with the African Bloody Mary, and John tried the Asian Bloody Mary. Again, both were really good! 

African Bloody Mary- spicy African berbere sauce garnished with a house-made berbere rubbed beef stick , celery and carrot stick, and parsley. 

Asian Bloody Mary- kimchee-sriracha puree, garnished with Asian slaw (cucumber, carrot, and daikon radish) and tandoori shrimp

Versace Sunglasses // Necklace: Old, from a souvenir shop in Tallulah Gorge, GA. I'm glad we have photographic evidence of these, because they now are at the bottom of a lake in Orlando, the victim of a Labor Day party boating-and-tubing fiasco. I don't want to talk about it... 

The African Bloody Mary had a slightly barbecue flavor from the berbere sauce, and even though it was described as spicy, it wasn't bad at all- and I'm not the biggest fan of super spice. And the beef stick (think beef jerky) really is house-made, which I thought was impressive and VERY good. 

John's Asian Bloody was good too, although a tad too spicy for my taste. The slaw on top was REALLY good, and thank goodness we had a fork from breakfast to eat it with. Bob from Boston said they usually serve it with chopsticks, but they were out at the moment. The curry-spiced tandoori shrimp was a nice touch. 

Seriously, with the amount of toppings, these drink almost like a light meal. And really, what's a cocktail if it doesn't have lunch floating on top? All in all, we really liked these and will be back for more.

While sipping our second Bloodies, some of our favorite Disney friends joined us- hi Thomas (@tradzak on Instagram) and Angie (@pangiehubbard on IG) (and Danny, forever not pictured)! 

A warning about the Bloody Mary's though... they may cause public dancing. 

So that happened. 

We ventured out of Africa and headed toward Asia, stopping to get a drink in one of the fun whistle cups! Then we thought it was a good idea to have a mini photo shoot in the little pavilion by Yak and Yeti.

We wandered through the Majahara Jungle Trek and serenaded strangers with our cup music.

I think this guy loved it. 

John and I left to attend said Labor Day party, mentioned above, then met back up with our friends at Epcot later that evening. This time, Luis (@disney_nuts on IG) joined in on the fun. I'll leave you with these pictures of how we closed out the night. Cheers!