Starlight Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom
- Amaris Scipione
- Mar 5
- 6 min read
KHM Travel Group’s Crystal conference is nearing an end and I’m starting to prepare for my next journey. The two travel industry conferences that I decided to attend this year are very close together and I will be traveling from one to another. The next one is in Vienna which requires a different set of clothing compared to Orlando. I packed up my dirty laundry and stuffed as much as possible into a FedEx box. The hotel that the conference is at has a FedEx inside, so I use it to ship my clothes home. This FedEx location charges a handling fee on top of the postage charge. It is more than I’d like to pay for shipping laundry, but it’s less than adding the second checked bag to my next leg of the trip.
Today’s general session has an awesome lineup of speakers! Vikki Freed is from Royal Caribbean and such wealth of knowledge. She hosts a virtual coffee talk each month and I enjoy listening to it for the latest updates and general travel advice. It was really special to see her present in person! She had a polished presentation for us.
The conference concluded with a Virgin Voyages Float on Party which was supposed to take place on the lawn near the pool. Unfortunately, the one rainy afternoon we had occurred during this part of the event. They did an amazing job pivoting and moving the outdoor event inside. Virgin Voyages brought their upbeat party-vibe to us with dance music and energetic dancers. Many love this aspect of Virgin Voyages. I love the tranquil retreat from sunrise yoga and calming music played at The Dock. This aspect of Virgin Voyages was missing from this particular party. I ate lunch and hung out for a little bit, but the loud music that made it impossible to have a conversation led me to leave early.
It was a surprise that the Virgin Voyages party included lunch. I had made an early dinner reservation thinking the conference didn’t have lunch for us. Walt Disney World requires that dining reservations are cancelled 2 hours or more or you must pay a fee for last-minute cancellations. The surprise lunch was nice because I was really hungry, but it meant I needed to either pay to cancel my reservation or show up to eat when I’m not hungry. I decided on the second option because I do my best to fully experience the destinations I sell. I want to know the answers to all my client questions and the best way to have the answers is through experience. The restaurant I chose for my Disney meal is a new-to-me restaurant and one I’ve been really excited to try.
The Cake Bake Shop® by Gwendolyn Rogers is a relatively new restaurant at Walt Disney World. It is located on The Boardwalk. There are two halves to this dining venue. One half is a bakery and sweet shop where you can walk in, and order sweets to-go. The other half is a sit-down full-service restaurant. I checked in for my reservation for the restaurant and while I waited for my table, I scoped out the bakery. This place will satisfy your sweet tooth! My phone vibrated quickly with a message that my table was ready, and I returned to the other half.
The Cake Bake Shop® by Gwendolyn Rogers is a beautiful place with pastel pinks and glitter matched with tasteful decor that reminds me of The Grand Floridian Resort. It feels upscale and proper, and I LOVE it. I’m seated at a table near a window. The regular food menu sounds amazing, but since I just ate; I’m here for the cake.
We all have our list of buzz words that draw us in, and this menu was an encyclopedia of Amaris buzz words. It was hard to choose, but I settled on two items to try today. Lavender is one of my buzz words. I love the color, I love the smell, and I love the taste. If there is lavender on the menu, I’m probably ordering it. Sparkling Lavender Lemonade was the first item I ordered. The pretty drink comes out glistening with a white and gold paper straw and a real flower on top of the colorful drink. It’s so pretty and I feel like a princess sipping my non-alcoholic refreshment. The lavender taste brings a smile to my face, but the smell of the flower adornment which is not lavender creates an overwhelming clash of floral. I decide I like flower flavors in my drink, but not the flower itself. It was a rather pungent flower. The second buzz word I act upon is Champagne. I’m at a cake shop so naturally I need to try some cake. Raspberry Champagne Cake is my selection. It also comes out in a beautiful presentation. It’s a white cake with white buttercream and fresh raspberries in the layers. It is by far the most expensive slice of cake I’ve ever ordered. I was a little surprised by my first bite. It really does taste like champagne and I wasn’t expecting that flavor to be so dominant. I love champagne so this was welcome, but a child may not love it. The other thing that surprised me was the buttercream. It had a soft silky texture and was warm. The warmth meant the icing easily melted in your mouth. It was really lovely, but unexpected. I think I prefer my buttercream to be cool.
After my snack, I took the opportunity to walk the boardwalk. I made a stop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. I’ve never fully explored this resort, so I took some time to really check it out. I love how close this resort is to The World Showcase at EPCOT. It’s also close to the Disney Skyliner which means you can visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios easily as well. I haven’t stayed here but it’s on my list of places I want to stay! The ideal location coupled with the amazing pool makes this resort popular. The pool is currently under refurbishment, but I have seen it in the past. It’s one of the best ones at Disney. This resort also has a beach!
I walked a little further down the Boardwalk and found myself at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. This resort is a little further from EPCOT, but still within a comfortable walking distance. The dangerous thing about the resorts located here is the close proximity to so much good food.
The evening was drawing near, and I needed to change for my next adventure. I made my way back to Saratoga Springs by taking the Disney Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and then taking a bus from the park to my resort. It wasn’t the fastest way back, but I enjoy a Disney Skyliner flight whenever I can.
I’m absolutely exhausted from early mornings, late nights, and little sleep. I’m regretting signing up for something that starts at 10pm when I want to sleep. I remind myself that this trip is not a vacation, and I power through. My tour starts from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and to maximize my resting time before the tour, I take a Lyft. Entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is tighter than other resorts on-property. I must present my driver’s license to enter. I arrive at Kidani Village with ample time before the tour, so I explore.
Check-in for the tour opens and I meet the cast members at a desk near the Valet. All participants must sign a waiver, and we are warned of potential contact with common allergens such as hay and stinging bees. We’re leaving Orlando and entering the African Savana very soon!
The tour is called the Starlight Safari. It’s a nighttime safari through the rugged Disney Savannas. We hop into a safari truck and are each given night vision goggles. The next few minutes remind me a lot of scenes from Jurassic Park. The scenes where the truck passes through the gates and enter the park. Each gate is a double gate. One gate is opened, the truck moves inside, the first gate is closed, the second gate is opened, the truck moves again, and the second gate is closed. Most of the gates are manual so our driver has to hop in and out several times to move us forward.
The Savanna is bumpy, and it doesn’t take long to see our first animals. It feels like you are in a Savanna and the darkness hides the fact that you’re very close to the hotel rooms of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our guide is super knowledgeable, and she fills our brains with new information. We see zebras, giraffes, and more. The night vision goggles help a ton as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the tour and I’m glad I chose adventure over sleep.
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