Wilderness Lodge Part Two

My continued exploration of the Wilderness Lodge: winding upper levels, cozy Vacation Club Villas, and a glimpse of the only Disney park to ever close.

Walt Disney World Dolphin

TENTH LOCATION

Walt Disney World Dolphin

What is this fancy place?

The Dolphin is the second tall and imposing resort designed by Michael Graves; it is the Swan's magnificent counterpart and wows with its colorful palette, huge statues and waterfalls, and swanky interior.

Like the Swan, the Dolphin has a bubbly colorful exterior, and a more fancy first-class interior. As I try to find a writing space, I begin to realize how business fancy the Dolphin actually is.

Beach Club Part 2

So a while ago I did a post about the Beach Club and mourned the loss of the Solarium (a parlor in which to sit and nap basically). I wasn't sure if they were simply refurbishing it, or doing away with it entirely.

The doors have reopened!
Speak friend, and enter!

I decide to visit the Beach Club today, purely to check out the Solarium, and I'm rewarded for my efforts.

It's reopened! Couches and outlets thrive! And unfortunately, a television thrives as well. Curse the TV! Not another distraction! I can feel...my writerly super powers...draining....

It's very quiet here and quite deserted, although there's some minimal foot traffic to-and-from the nearby DVC villas. The chairs and couches are all comfy, and almost every single one is near an outlet, so I go about testing chairs and tables and overall looking very strange as I investigate. Eventually I settle upon a couch near a window, enjoying having a proper table in front of me.

But I had sort of thoughtlessly put myself in range of the TV, and ergo accomplished very few writerly things, as I was suckered in by the Disney Channel.

You may have gotten me this time, television! But next time, I will prevail!

Walt Disney World Swan

NINTH LOCATION

Walt Disney World Swan

What is this fancy place?

Pack your briefcase and your Mickey Ears, it's time to mix business and pleasure at the Swan and Dolphin!

The Swan and Dolphin are sister resorts, cozied up right across from each other, and they share many amenities (very similar to the Yacht and Beach Club symbiotic relationship!). The Swan and Dolphin are both "conference" type resorts, meaning they were designed and built with business-people in mind. 

These resorts are not actually owned and operated by Disney; that honor falls to the Tishman Hotel Corporation, who was hired to build EPCOT, and contracted to build these resorts as well. The result is a combination of Disney-values and business-atmosphere, wrapped up in a splash of eye-popping color and "bigger-is-better" design.

Disney's Beach Club

EIGHTH LOCATION

Disney’s Beach Club

What is this fancy place?

Time to stretch out on the sand and soak up the sun! This quaint New England style resort opened in 1990 and offers guests sand-and-surf fun at a picturesque location.  Enjoy movies on the beach, catch-and-release fishing, a sand-bottomed pool and a boat ride to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Like the other EPCOT Area Resorts, the Beach Club takes guests back to the early 1900s…so grab your Edwardian swimsuit and hit the waves!

Holiday Happenings!

The resorts and parks have many ways they celebrate the holidays. From Neil Patrick Harris, to gingerbread masterpieces, to getting lost in the woods, here are some of the fancy and funky holiday happenings I’ve encountered!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

SEVENTH LOCATION

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

What is this fancy place?

Jambo! Welcome to the Animal Kingdom Lodge! Hop on board for a trek through the African safari, and spend a night in a tribal lodge with animals grazing outside your window.  The Animal Kingdom Lodge opened in 2001, and is based off of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, most notably Africa. It is a tasteful representation and amalgam of various African countries and tribes, with exciting features such as a safari, campfires, live music, cultural demonstrations, and a wonderful surplus of native artifacts.