Kingdom Konsultant Travel Blog

Jambo! Get your safari hats and your appetites ready because today we’re trekking our way to one of the most delicious restaurants on Walt Disney World Property.   Boma – Flavors of Africa, located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort, has an African inspired cuisine sure to fill even the wildest of appetites! Located in the Animal Kingdom area of the Walt Disney World Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge opened in April of 2001.   Since opening, guests have been greeted by the magnificent and grand architecture of this beautiful resort.   Designed by Peter Dominick, who also designed Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Grand Californian Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge is stunningly built.   Upon entering the lobby, African drum music, dark woods and authentic artifacts seem to carry guests to another time and place.   While taking in these beautiful sights and sounds, you’ll find it hard to ignore your sense of smell.   Making their way through the atmosphere of the lobby, are the delicious an

An expansion of the amenities at Aulani in Hawaii will begin in September 2012. New water features will be added to the  Waikolohe Valley  pool area, along with additional deck space for sunbathing and relaxing. Two new quick-service food locations also will be part of the enhancements, and the popular “Starlit Hui” show will move to a larger lawn.  Picture from Disney Parks Blog In addition, for a limited time, you can stay five nights for the price of three at Aulani.   This offer is valid most nights, September 10-December 22, 2012. Jake and the Neverland Pirates will be performing at the Downtown Disney Marketplace in early August. The band will feature Jake, Sharky and Bones. The group will put on daily shows form 8/3/2012 to 8/12/2012. Show times will be at 2:00. 3:00 and 5:00 PM on the water side stage in front of World of Disney. Disney has confirmed the dates for the Osborne Family Spectacle of lights for 2012. They will run nightly from 11/9/2012 to 1/4

Many of our agents like to write trip reports when they get back from a Disney vacation. If you’re not familiar with a trip report, it’s basically a retelling of a vacation complete with stories, details and best of all – pictures! We post our trip reports on our favorite Disney discussion board Wdwmagic.com. Today we’re introducing a page on our blog with links to all of the current trip reports. There’s a link to that page on the bottom right side. Check back periodically to see what’s new and follow us on our Disney adventures!

My favorite dessert at Chef Mickey's!  What's your favorite dessert at Disney?

Does anybody else wish they were soaking in this view today?  Where's your favorite place to be in Disney California Adventure?

As I am sure many of you remember, Le Cellier switched to 2 credits for dinner only back in 2011. Starting in 2013 the popular Epcot restaurant will become a full time signature restaurant requiring 2 table service credits for lunch as well as dinner. Epcot’s 30th anniversary is right around the corner and Disney has released 30 th anniversary merchandise to go along with it. Items will include t-shirts, shot glasses, caps and of course, pins. Release dates have yet to be finalized but it is safe to assume that everything should be out by October 1 st with some limited edition items being available only in Epcot on October 1 st .  Photos courtesty of the Disney Parks Blog. Special events for the 2012 Food and Wine festival will be able to be booked on August 14 at 7:00AM by calling 407-WDW-FEST (407-939-3378). Disney also announced some new events for 2012.   The Marketplace VIP Access Chef Tour begins at 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday, with tastes from selected marketplaces ar

Where to stay the night before your cruise?   Well my first answer would be – not in your own bed!   The only exception to that is if you live in Florida and are a short driving distance from Port Canaveral.   Otherwise, you need a place to stay!   I always recommend flying in at least one day before your cruise.   Flight delays for the silliest of reasons can make you miss your ship and thus your entire vacation.   Could that happen the day before?   Sure!   But odds are much better that it won’t if you give yourself a little wiggle room to play with.   No matter where you’re sailing from, you want to be within a short driving distance on the day of the cruise.   Kingdom Konsultants can help you find a good place to stay wherever you’re sailing from, but I’ll concentrate on Port Canaveral for this blog.   Disney's Bay Lake Tower 1. Walt Disney World of Course! - This is the most fun answer.   Who doesn’t want to spend a night (or more) at Disney World before they sai

If you’ve ever wanted to get in a time machine and go back to the 1950s, I’ve got just the place for you!   Located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, just beside the famed Stormalong Bay pool, you will find Beaches and Cream Soda Shop.   This small eatery is a great place to take a break from the parks and will be a big hit for everyone in your group.   The older adults will love the nostalgia it evokes as they remember their own teenage years.   Kids will love the fun colors and the playful atmosphere.   And who doesn’t love a jukebox!   An actual, working jukebox! Beaches and Cream serves up your standard soda shop fair—hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, and fries.   But who are we kidding?   The hamburgers are great, but you go to Beaches and Cream for the ice cream!!!   The Kitchen Sink Even if you’ve never heard the name of this restaurant, I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of their legendary Kitchen Sink!   This gargantuan sundae is comprised of eight scoops of ice cream and e

The type of bag to take to the parks is very much a personal choice. Some prefer backpacks, some messenger bags, others like totes or purse-style. You see all types of bags in the parks, from the one that looks like it is packed to actually stay on the jungle cruise for a week to some that look like they could hold only a pack of gum. You obviously want to choose something in between. The lighter, the better. That overloaded bag you declare first thing in the morning as “not being heavy”, will quickly start to feel like you are carrying a child.  The bag you select should fit your needs. It should be large enough to hold what you plan to bring to the parks, have easy access to items you need frequently, but most of all, be comfortable. The fashion police will not be issuing tickets for a less than attractive bag, so that should not be a major factor in your decision making. Only take what you absolutely need in the parks. Most items you might forget to bring can be purchased

This post has been updated. Click here to view the updated blog post.

Disney has announced the visiting HGTV stars for this year's International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. 9/28/2012- 9/30/2012– “Design Star” Season 7 Winner (To be announced July 25) 10/5/2012-10/7/2012 – Casey Noble – “Design on a Dime” 10/12/2012-10/14/2012 – Alison Victoria – DIY Network’s “Kitchen Crashers” 10/19/2012-10/21/2012 – Brian Patrick Flynn – HGTV.com, “Design Happens” contributor 10/26/2012-10/28/2012 – Meg Caswell – “Meg’s Great Rooms” 11/2/2012-11/4/2012 – Marianne Canada – HGTV.com, “Design Happens” contributor 11/9/2012-11/12/2012 – Emily Henderson – “Secrets From a Stylist” Image from WDW Magic The expanded bakery in the France Pavilion is expected to open in late December 2012.  The new bakery will be named Boulangerie Pâtisserie Des Halles, and is expected to feature an expanded menu and more seating. Disney parks merchandise released a new line of Disney smell inspired air fresheners. Candy Apple, Mickey Waffle, Turkey Leg, and a Mick

Free Dining is BACK! Starting today, we can book the free dining offer at Walt Disney world up until September 29 th for the following dates. Sept.30 th -Oct.4 th , Oct.19 th ,-Nov.1 st , Nov.9 th -Nov.15 th , Nov.23 rd -Nov.29 th , and Dec.10 th -Dec.13 th . Keep in mind that you will have to check in on one of those dates listed in order to qualify for this promotion. Contact us now for your free quote and please keep in mind that we do not charge any fees for booking with us! 1-866-566-7858 toll free or email us at vacations@kingdomkonsultant.com today.

Contact us now @ vacations@kingdomkonsultant.com or toll free at 1-866-566-7858

Free Dining is BACK!   Starting today, we can book the Disney Visa cardholder free dining offer at Walt Disney world up until September 29 th for the following dates.   Sept.30 th -Oct.4 th , Oct.19 th ,-Nov.1 st , Nov.9 th -Nov.15 th , Nov.23 rd -Nov.29 th , and Dec.10 th -Dec.13 th .   Keep in mind that you will have to check in on one of those dates listed in order to qualify for this promotion and you must use your Disney Visa to pay your deposit. Contact us now for your free quote and please keep in mind that we do not charge any fees for booking with us! 1-866-566-7858 toll free or email us at vacations@kingdomkonsultant.com today.

Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog Walt Disney Imagineering is currently working on all new costumes for Epcot's World Showcase pavilions.  The new costumes will be introduced at the American Adventure and Mexico , with additional countries to follow. Guest feedback has reportedly been indicating for some time that World Showcase is viewed as somewhat dated, with the costumes being identified as one of the biggest issues.  Imagineering is therefore moving to make World Showcase a more current version of the world, and not a historic interpretation. Characters in Flight at Downtown Disney has been closed following an accident with a similar balloon at Hong Kong 's Ocean park. As a precaution, the Downtown Disney balloon has been dismantled and removed for inspection, and is not expected to reopen in the near future. Aerophile President Jerome Giacomoni said in an email that “The balloon of Orlando was scheduled to be replaced in November. Instead of re-inflating it

The 2013 Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort vacation packages will be available to book starting on July 11, 2012!  These packages will be valid for arrivals January through December 2013. Magic Your Way Packages may only be booked for travel up to 499 days prior to arrival (and travel must commence by Dec. 31, 2013). Be sure to contact your favorite Kingdom Konsultant Agent for your 2013 trip! Pam@kingdomkonsultant.com Missy@kingdomkonsultant.co m Tammy@kingdomkonsultant.co m Tiffany@kingdomkonsultant. com Richard@kingdomkonsultant. com Stacy@kingdomkonsultant.co m Jenell@kingdomkonsultant.c om Gloria@kingdomkonsultant.c om Marie@kingdomkonsultant.co m Jessica@kingdomkonsultant. com Heatherk@kingdomkonsultant .com Anna@kingdomkonsultant.com Aubrey@kingdomkonsultant.c om Betsy@kingdomkonsultant.co m Danielle@kingdomkonsultant.com

If you’re wondering where the best steak dinner is located in Walt Disney World (“WDW”), well I’m here to tell you it’s at the Yachtsman steakhouse in the Yacht Club Resort.  The Yachtsman is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at when I visit WDW, and for me it’s a must-do when I go.  The Yachtsman has the ambiance, charm and décor of an old-world New York steakhouse with service and food to match. The restaurant is a Signature Dining location and as such has a resort casual dress code to enhance the dining experience for all of the guests.  The steaks and side dishes served here rival the best steakhouses in New York, such as Smith & Wolensky’s, Sparks and the Post House.  As you walk into the restaurant, there is a small glass room where the beef ages and develops flavor and tenderness.  Sometimes you will even see one of the chefs slicing the steaks.  On the way to the seating area, you will pass the open kitchen where they grill your steak and prepare several of the