Let’s go on an adventure to the place where the giraffes gallop around, the bongoes are played, and the wine is surprisingly VERY good. Yes, I’m referring to the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

I was both pleasantly surprised and curious when my husband told me he made us a reservation to do a wine tasting at “Jiko- The Cooking Place” at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We are both avid wine drinkers, but most of the wine we drink comes from the US, Europe, or South America. Of all the countries that Disney showcases, I was intrigued what South Africa would have to offer for a wine tasting.

We showed up to Jiko at 3 PM when the tasting was scheduled. We were brought into the dining room, where we shared the entire restaurant only with the 5 other couples who were joining us for the tasting. Our hostess for the afternoon was Shellie, a bubbly sommelier who was very knowledgeable about both the wine and restaurant industry.

The tasting consisted of 3 wines paired with 4 cheeses. Shellie went into elaborate detail of the history of our wines and also the South African wine industry in general (which WDW is very much a part of!) We discussed as a group the different notes and flavors we were experiencing, along with which cheeses we liked with each wine.

We spent the earlier part of the day at Animal Kingdom. We saw lions and elephants during the Kilimanjaro Safari, we rode Expedition Everest, and even saw the Festival of the Lion King, which I believe to be the second greatest live show in all of WDW (second to Beauty and the Beast Live) You would think the highlights of our day came from our morning. But nothing was greater than leaving the crowded and hot theme park and tucking ourselves away into a cool, QUIET, dark restaurant to enjoy some truly fine wine with only a few other adults.

Following our tasting, we meandered around Animal Kingdom Lodge. We found some comfy chairs outside and watched as the giraffes until our buzz wore off.

To make reservations, call Disney Dining or log into their app or website.

I’m sure if you’re looking at this blog, you are familiar with the awesome term “Dink”. But if you just happened to fall upon this, no, I’m not talking about Doug Funny’s next door neighbor. Dink stands for Dual Income No Kids. Either the permanent lifestyle choice some couples make, or that awesome phase in every couple’s lives when they’re settled in stable adult careers, while blissfully enjoying sleeping past 9 on weekends and having the option of getting drunk at happy hour while pitying their friends who have chosen the loud, sticky, 24/7 jail cell which is parenthood.

(disclaimer- I am by no means against having kids, we plan on it in the future. We are just very much enjoying this phase of our marriage)

Besides the fact that my husband and I are enjoying the #dinklife, we are also Disney Vacation Club owners. We are incredibly lucky to be able to travel to Disney World sometimes more than once a year. During casual conversation with patients at work, vacations often come up. When I start to gush about my upcoming Disney vacation, many say “Why would purposely choose to go there if you don’t have kids? If I didn’t have kids, I’d never go back to that place” Ouch. Well I’m sorry your fond memories of the mouse consist of you being stuck in line for 90 minutes in the blazing August Florida sun to ride an animatronic ride that lasts less than a minute, all while your child is dripping a melting mickey ice cream cone down your leg. For the dinks out there (and adults planning a kid-free vacation), Walt Disney World and Disney Land offer a whole other luxurious side to vacationing that you may have never heard of; dink approved.

Every Monday I will be highlighting the hidden gems of Disney, perfect for your kid-free vacation. Warning- there will be a lot of booze!