We drove up Friday afternoon and set up everything. This was my first time visiting this resort. You really would have no idea you were so close to the Magic Kingdom. The grounds are very peaceful and you really feel like you are in the middle of the country surrounded by pine and cypress trees and not to mention all the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and deer.
We had a great location in the 500 block off Big Pine Drive. This location was in easy walking distance to the Meadow Pool, Pioneer Hall (where the restaurants are), and right across from a playground. Most people rent golf carts while they are there. We opted not to since we weren't going to be there that long, but I could definitely see the benefit! There are internal buses that we took, fortunately we did not have to wait long for them, but I have heard that sometimes that can be hit or miss.
In addition to Campsites, they also have Cabins that can accommodate up to 6 people that provide a full bathroom and kitchen with a separate bedroom. We were lucky to be a very short walking distance from what they call Comfort Stations, which provide restrooms, showers, laundry and ice. We found them to be very well kept and never had to wait to use the shower.
Friday night we headed over to Hollywood Studios to check out the Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular fireworks show. We grabbed a spot on Hollywood Blvd right passed the intersection for Sunset Blvd about 45 minutes before the show. Luckily it was not too busy that day, but the streets still do fill up the closer to the show it gets. Unless you are right up front or really tall you will have people, trees or buildings blocking your view, but for the most part we had a decent view. It was a great show incorporating projections, lasers, and pyrotechnics all to the music and sound clips of Star Wars.
On Saturday we spent the morning at the pool. There are two pools at the resort, the Meadow pool and Wilderness pool. The Meadow pool has a 67 foot corkscrew water slide and a splash area with a smaller slide for kids 48 inches and under. We got there about an hour after it opened and stayed for a few hours. I would definitely recommend getting there early to claim a good spot! When we got there there were still a lot of lounge chairs open but only 1 table with an umbrella left.
After a day of relaxing we had dinner reservations at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review dinner show. This is a really popular show where dinner is served family style along with on stage entertainment full of singing, dancing and even some audience participation (take your que to use the restroom or duck under the table)! Your table awaits you with some super delicious corn bread and salad to get you started and your server takes your drink order. Included with the price of dinner is unlimited beer, wine, and sangria! (Totally makes up for the price!) Dinner consists of fried chicken, bbq pork ribs, mashed potatoes, baked beans, corn, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. I am a vegetarian so I was given the option of pasta with marinara sauce, pasta primavera, or mac and cheese. I opted for the mac and cheese. My son has a dairy sensitivity which we added to the comments when we made the reservation. When we got to the table there was a separate salad for him that didn't have cheese on it, plus cornbread with no dairy in it. For dinner he had a baked potato, vegetables, and then he ate the fried chicken. They even made him a separate dairy free strawberry shortcake. They were definitely very accommodating and gave us several options to choose from.
After dinner we took a boat over to Wilderness Lodge resort and walked around the property for a little while and then headed back to catch the Electrical Water Pageant. This is just a super short little parade of about a dozen or so lighted floats that make their way around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake with multiple viewing locations at the surrounding resorts and Magic Kingdom. It was cute, but really not something I would go out of my way for.
Sunday morning I got up early and went for a run around the property. It was really quiet and peaceful and if it wasn't for the humidity I wouldn't even feel like I was in Florida. The trails take you basically around the whole resort and there is a trail that you can follow over to Wilderness Lodge. I snapped a few photos while I was out.
We left shortly after breakfast. It was a short but fun trip. There is so much more the resort offers that I would love to go back and enjoy one day! Horseback riding, wagon and carriage rides, bike rentals (also canoe, kayak, and boats as well), fishing, archery, Chip and Dales campfire sing along, and Mickeys Backyard BBQ to name a few!
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