Farris Family's Day Off

I first learned about Animal Kingdom Lodge while watching a show on TV about Walt Disney World when I was 24 years old and I was fascinated and excited. At the time Animal Kingdom Lodge was a deluxe Disney hotel and did not yet have Disney Vacation Club rooms. I had always wanted to go to Africa for a safari and this looked like the true African experience. I had just started my life out of college with James and we did not have it in our budget to travel to Africa but we could afford a trip to Walt Disney World to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We ended up booking 4 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge followed by a 3 night cruise on the Disney Wonder in September of 2004.

We were so excited for our first vacation together and packed our stuff about 1 week before our flight was scheduled to leave from San Francisco to Orlando. Unfortunately a big hurricane hit Orlando when we were supposed to head over there so our flight got delayed by one day. We finally arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge and were amazed by what we saw. Entering the magnificent lobby we saw beautiful African tribal architecture and I immediately imagined being in a grand safari lodge in Eastern Africa. After checking in and making our way to our savannah view hotel room we were once again left speechless when we walked out onto our balcony and saw giraffes and zebras grazing right outside. I instantly fell in love and felt like this is where I was meant to be, this was my home away from home.

We spent the next 3 days on a whirlwind tour of all 4 Disney Parks during the day and enjoying the mornings and evenings at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The more we explored the lodge the more we got attached to it. We could spend hours on our balcony watching the animals roam and play outside. We enjoyed time in the 11,000 square foot Uzima Springs pool and relaxed in the hot tubs. We are vegetarians and loved dining at Boma - Flavors of Africa because not only did they offer unique African dishes but most of the food was vegetarian friendly which at the time was not easy to find at Disney restaurants.

Photo Credit: Loren Javier

After our short time at Walt Disney World we boarded the Disney Wonder for a 3 day Bahamian cruise. On the cruise I happened to see a scheduled presentation called Disney Vacation Club. I have never heard of Disney Vacation Club and wanted to find out more. At the presentation I learned that this was a flexible point based timeshare program that would last 50 years. I was intrigued but not ready for such a large purchase at the time. Also the resort that they were showcasing was Saratoga Springs which had just opened for sales a few months prior and never having stayed there I was not ready to commit.

We ended up getting engaged on that cruise and got married one year later. Life went on and we were finally at a place in our lives to go on another Disney vacation. This time we picked a 7 night Mediterranean cruise on the Disney Magic in August 2007. On this cruise I saw another Disney Vacation Club presentation on the schedule and remembered how interested I was at the last presentation so I attended again. This time they were showcasing Animal Kingdom Lodge as the newest Disney Vacation Club resort and I instantly knew that I wanted to be an owner. We went to a one on one meeting with a DVC representative and they gave us a break down of pricing and financing options. The sales rep was not pushy at all and gave us the facts and told us to think it through before we made a decision. We talked it over for a few days and we decided that this was the right place, time and home resort for us to buy into so we ended up signing a contract. This one move changed our lives for the better.

Our purchase has more than paid for itself in just a few short years and has allowed us to travel to Disney World multiple times per year without worrying about paying for deluxe accommodations. We have been able to stay at most of the DVC resorts on our points. We have also been to Disney's Hilton Head Island, Aulani in Hawaii and the Grand Californian Resort on our points. We have been able to treat and impress our family and friends to luxurious rooms at the Disney resorts. Throughout the past 12 years as DVC owners we have added on a second contract at Saratoga Springs Resort and hope to add on even more points in the future. We were eventually blessed with a daughter and she has been spoiled with her Disney trips and little does she know that she is the sole beneficiary to our contracts. Even though I enjoy experiencing the different DVC resorts my heart has always been at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Every time we stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge which now has two resorts (Jambo House and Kidani Village) I love it when I check in and the cast member tells me "Welcome Home" because that is exactly where I am, home.