Animal Kingdom Lodge

I'm staying in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is a 15-minute drive from the Dolphin and Swan Hotels at Epcot, where the SAS Global Forum conference is being held.


A Certain Mouse Left His Calling Card on My Bed



Originally, I had a room at the Dolphin, but was asked to move to accomodate the growing number of SAS customer attendees.  Good sign for business.  I wonder if by sending me to the animal kingdom, someone is trying to tell me something....

Bunk Beds--I Must Have Gotten the Family Room



African Style Furniture



View Out my Window (1)

My co-writer, Brendan Wiley, has giraffes and other animals of the African savanna roaming near his bedroom window. Alas, I am not so lucky.

View Out my Window (2)



View Out my Window (3)



Queen Size Bed

Ceiling of the Carport Outside the Main Entrance

Carport Ceiling More Detail

The breakfast buffet is not inexpensive. Nor does one simply grab a plate and head to the food line. You give your name to the server who keys it into a tablet computer she is holding. You wait for another server to seat you. Then, a third server greets you, takes your drink order, and offers you a tantilizing guava, papaya, orange, and mango drink from a caraffe he is holding. Finally, you are allowed to go to the buffet line. $17 buffet, $3 coffee, tax, and tip. Total: $24 and change.

Main Lodge Lobby (2)

The meals are intentional, but I can see that you are forced to slow down and smell the proverbial roses--or at Disney--the numerous orchids.  In this world of instantaneousness, maybe slow isn't such a bad thing.