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A Slower Morning, On Purpose
We slept in a little on our third day. Once we were ready, we headed to Animal Kingdom, then took the bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge, because we could not resist having breakfast at Sanaa again. I got a small loaf of banana bread with a side of bacon, and my mom got Mickey waffles with a side of fruit. We were both still pretty full from Cake Bake Shop the night before and only wanted something light. The animals were out in full force the whole time we ate, which is always the best part of eating there.
The Butter That Haunts Us
Nothing could cover up how dry that banana bread was. There was only fake butter out at the table by the bar, and we wanted the real thing, so I asked at the register. The woman said they had some, but it would take a minute because it needed to defrost. I waited. I checked back. I checked back again, but by then a huge group had come in to order breakfast and the cashier was too busy to check on it for me. I gave up. My mom’s waffles were getting cold anyway. The butter haunts us. This trip really does have a running theme now.
I took some photos and videos of the animals from our table, and then we met up at the front for the art tour again.
The Same Wonderful Guide, and Mom Falls Asleep Again
We actually got the same guide as before, Karabo, and she was just as cute, fun, and informative as the first time. It really is a great tour and a genuine deep dive into African culture, and I would highly recommend it to adults or to kids who are into art or interested in Africa. My mom, however, fell asleep during it, which has become a recurring thing on this trip. I think it’s because she takes Benadryl in the evenings to help her sleep and it just had not fully worn off yet in the mornings.
An Accidental Detour Into Jewelry Making
Next up we went to check out Simba’s Hideaway and found out you could actually make African-inspired jewelry there. My mom loves jewelry, so we decided to go for it. At the time it was just us and one other family in the community room. We sat down and they brought out all of the jewelry-making beads, in several boxes, each bead type sorted so neatly into its own section. It made it really easy to look through everything and start getting ideas.
It took us about an hour, mostly because we could not decide what to make or which colors to use. They had these clever bead holders shaped like the necklace or bracelet you were building, so you could actually see how it was coming together as you went. We had a whole necklace and bracelet set picked out at one point but did not love it, and once we calculated that both pieces at $1.50 per inch (July 2026 pricing, your mileage may vary) would run about $100, we switched to just bracelets. We felt a lot better about the whole thing after that, and what we really wanted finally clicked.
Partway through, it started pouring rain outside, and all the kids who had been at the pool came pouring into the community room with us. It got pretty crowded, and I felt a little bad taking up table space from kids who had just gotten kicked out of the pool, though there was plenty of room for everyone. We finished right as the rain stopped.
We stopped at a table in the lobby running a pollinator matching game and lost miserably. I am apparently not smarter than a fourth grader. We popped into the gift shop, where I picked up a frozen Uncrustable, which is genuinely my favorite thing, I try to grab one or two every trip. Back at All-Star Sports, we stopped at the food court, where my mom got some snacks and also bought her own butter. She was done going without it.
Part 2 covers our dinner at Artist Point that evening, and a certain villain who could not stop talking to my mom.
never miss the magic
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