TK and Tink: The Trip Report You Never Saw Coming - *Update 7-22* P43

[TarzansKat]

yum! (and I was not referring to the popcorn)

And, TK...

Your next post is your 7000TH post... so make it a good one!!!

I took your advice to heart, my dear. It's on my PTR.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Okay, this is going to sound completely random now and nuts, but Tink I just love the bag you have in this pic...

Is that a Coach wristlet? I think I need one. These stupid boards are just way too enabling even when they aren't intending to be.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm in tears...what a beautiful way to start your trip.

 

[TarzansKat]

Okay, this is going to sound completely random now and nuts, but Tink I just love the bag you have in this pic...



Is that a Coach wristlet? I think I need one. These stupid boards are just way too enabling even when they aren't intending to be.

I know Tink should be getting on soon, but I didn't want to ignore you. That is her Coach wristlet, and she loves it. It's a great little organizer, I have to say.

I'm in tears...what a beautiful way to start your trip.

Aw. I'm glad you're enjoying our sentimentalness. Is that is, in fact, a word. If not, I make it up as I go along.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I know Tink should be getting on soon, but I didn't want to ignore you. That is her Coach wristlet, and she loves it. It's a great little organizer, I have to say.

I guessed she was busy. I'm such a fan of small bags. The majority of my family and friends think I'm nuts. I just could never get into carrying around a big huge tote bag.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

You know, after you sent me your photos via cd, I saw those pics, and said to DH, this must be the last place Tink stayed with her grandmother. I'm glad you got to do that, hon.

I am too.

Just to clarify, you're taking the room arrival and dinner, right?

Correctamundo, my friend.

Is that a Coach wristlet? I think I need one. These stupid boards are just way too enabling even when they aren't intending to be.

It is a COACH wristlet as TK confirmed. This is a better view of it (only with white leather rather than teal):

However, bad news. I can't find it online anymore. You might be able to luck out if there is a COACH outlet near you or with eBAY (though I hate wondering if what I'm getting is REALLY real). The style name is Hampton.

If I wasn't so attached to mine I'd give it to you.

I'm such a fan of small bags. The majority of my family and friends think I'm nuts. I just could never get into carrying around a big huge tote bag.

I tried the bigger bag this time around (you'll see it later as it was a trip purchase) and I did ok with it. But really, I also do just fine with my wristlet. It's big enough for the things I tote with me to the parks:
-camera
-cell phone
-cash/cards
-headache meds

However, I'm also not traveling with a family, namely children, so I can see how that would be a BIG factor.


OK, folks, now for the slightly disappointing news. I'm on tap for the next chapter(s), which includes our room, getting ready and then dinner and what came after. However, I'm having trouble with Photobucket and I think it has to do with my work computer. My plan was to post the first part of the chapter anyway and then do a photo chapter but given a big part of the first chapter is room pics, I don't think that will work. So, I'm going to upload from my home PC tonight and I'll post everything for the first part of the chapter first thing tomorrow morning. The second chapter with dinner should be shortly thereafter.

Sorry for keeping you waiting. Feel free to stop by my work and assault my PC.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Correctamundo, my friend.

Tink, aka "The Fonz", bellarella.

It is a COACH wristlet as TK confirmed. This is a better view of it (only with white leather rather than teal):

However, bad news. I can't find it online anymore. You might be able to luck out if there is a COACH outlet near you or with eBAY (though I hate wondering if what I'm getting is REALLY real). The style name is Hampton.

If I wasn't so attached to mine I'd give it to you.

I might have to make a day trip up to the Clinton outlet. Too cute. I love the teal with it too.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

YAY!!!!! Photobucket is cooperating this morning! You will either have two updates today or one incredibly long one. I'll just have to quickly format the pics when I get to work and then combine it all with the update. Sit tight folks.

 

[TarzansKat]

YAY!!!!! Photobucket is cooperating this morning! You will either have two updates today or one incredibly long one. I'll just have to quickly format the pics when I get to work and then combine it all with the update. Sit tight folks.

Is it wrong that I'm excited for an update which is in fact...on my own trip report?

I love co-writing this. It's so much fun! It's like I get to anticipate all over again!

 

[LegoMom3]

YAY!!!!! Photobucket is cooperating this morning! You will either have two updates today or one incredibly long one. I'll just have to quickly format the pics when I get to work and then combine it all with the update. Sit tight folks.

YAY!!...

.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Waiting patiently...and then I will forget and probably not check and read the update until sometime next week.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Aw. I'm glad you're enjoying our sentimentalness. Is that is, in fact, a word. If not, I make it up as I go along.

Works for me!

Tink, glad to hear Photobucket and your PC are cooperating this morning! Looking forward to the update sometime soon.

 

[pooh'smate]

Looking forward to your next update.

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

When we last left our beautiful, intelligent, impeccably dressed, pirate-loving heroines...

Well, they were consuming rum beverages. Who's surprised?

I know TK discussed the NOM-iness of those beverages. And I even corroborated on that. But, as that's where we're picking up from, let me further extol the fruity-rumm-y virtues of the Pina Colava.
It's NOMtastic.
NOMtacular.
NOMmerific.
Just. NOM.

We sat at our umbrella table, watching the World go by, excited that we would soon be able to get into our room, but really in no huge rush to do so. The pool was hopping. The pool bar was hopping. In summary, there were lots of people hopping (not literally) out and about with their Disney happy on.

Except for the guy on his cell phone at the table behind us.

He wasn't bothering us in any way, and it wasn't that we were eavesdropping, it just became kind of noticeable that while his family came and went from the table, he was married to his cell phone dealing with what sounded like a big concern. I hate that. I feel bad for people like that. Vacations are meant to be relaxing escapes. It's unfortunate when everyday life comes barging on in. Let's go back to the time when cell phones and Blackberries didn't exist. When your boss, heck, when your PROBLEMS couldn't find you while you sat under an umbrella'd table, enjoying an adult beverage while your kids frolicked in the pool.

In the meantime, TK and I RE.LAXED. I don't know that we actually said it out loud, but I think the stresses of home started to melt away with every sip of our drinks. Or maybe we're just lushes. Don't judge. LOL We talked about everything and nothing. Disney and home. Past, present and future.

One thing we haven't mentioned yet was the weather. It was hot, but not unbearably so, breezy and the clouds had been rolling in since our arrival. It wasn't raining (yet) and the sun was still in attendance, but we were both sure there may be impending weather to be had.

I finished my drink first (not without a few cold headaches, I assure you, but that puppy was so good I just kept sucking it down!). And though it had only been maybe an hour since we'd checked in I asked Kat if she wanted to give the handy dandy little "Is-my-room-ready?" number a call and see if we could get into our digs.

She dialed.
They answered.
She waited.

SCORE!

We were given our room assignment in Jamaica (I warn you, it's dangerous, you start singing 'Kokomo' in your head as soon as you head over) and I did a little seat dance.
Or did I?

I let Kat finish her drink (I still can't believe how much alcohol was in those - certainly enough to notice but not enough to be overly obnoxious to my taste buds) because it would've been a crime to let a single drop go wasted and then we sallied forth. Over the river and through the woods to our Jamaica building we went.

Ok, maybe it was by the pool.
Over a bridge.
Through an island.
Over another bridge.
And along a lake.
We went.

If you've never been to CBR or taken a look at a map of the resort there are a few things you should know:
1. It's a BIG resort.
B. It's roughly oval...ish.
III. When looking at it on a map, it's easy to think things are much farther away than they appear.

Now, TK had mentioned that when we checked in we'd been assigned to Jamaica, which we were pretty excited about getting without having asked for it. Why? Because Jamaica is one of the locations that's close enough to be like a "Preferred Location" without paying for a "Preferred Location". The "Preferred" buildings are located in Martinique and Trinidad North. They sit on either side of Old Port Royale and it is, for most rooms, a stone's throw to center town.

However.

If you cross the island over to the other side of the resort's "oval", you will immediately find yourself either in Jamaica or Aruba. The walk takes an entire 2 minutes. So, unless you can't do inclines (one of the bridges is a tad steep), at the most from the furthest room you'd have a 5 minute, relaxing and beautiful walk to OPR.

Hey, you know what? I'm all about visuals. Here, take a look for yourself.

Our room was in Building 42 on the ground floor. See that little courtyard looking area where Buildings 41, 42 and 43 meet? Well it didn't just look like a courtyard, it was one. That our room happened to face. This room:

(Ok, except it obviously wasn't decorated yet.)

And let me just tell you, for such a big resort with so many rooms and, obviously, so many people, we Never. Heard. A. Peep.
It was lovely.

Let's venture on in, shall we?

When we opened the door, I'm happy to report there were no unpleasant surprises - no luggage belonging to other guests, no other guests, no funny smells (...yet) and it was already a rather comfortable temperature. Since my camera was already out and ready to go, I took on room picture duty, you know, before we destroyed it with all of our girlie things.

The "seating" area. To be honest, once we got our luggage and over the next few days this became the "let's throw it all THERE" area.

The beds. And if it's REALLY crucial to your DIS survival to know - I slept close to the door, TK slept close to the bathroom. I really don't even want to know what Freud might make of that.

This cute little dude was waiting for us on the nightstand. He stood watch over the remote...and the phone...and the clock...and our glasses. Our brave, fluffy, sentinel.
(TK, I took the pen. I didn't know if you knew.)

The bureau and TV. The bottom right cabinet holds the fridge.

The fridge.

Which held THE SMELL. We didn't find this out until the next morning (or was it later that day? I can't really recall...) when TK ran to OPR to get us milk for our cereal. And I opened the fridge. And promptly shriveled up and died. I'm not kidding you. It smelled like someone had brought home a leftover fish platter, put it in the fridge, unplugged the fridge and left it there for oh, say 6 weeks. Funny, it was bad enough that when Kat asked me if it was really THAT bad and I said, "You come over here and smell it!" with a mortified look on my face and my hand covering my mouth and nose from the offending odor that she said, "No. I believe you." Smart girl.

We never complained about the fridge. It really wasn't that important to us (we used the ice bucket as a makeshift cooler for the milk). Plus I didn't want that door opened again while I was within 1,200mi. of Orlando. I only hope that it was cleaned after we left and that no small children or woodland creatures died in its presence.

The "seat/hook" area (NOCapt.HOOK). Not just pretty to look at! It was functional! There is storage space IN the seat (which we didn't use). We hung everything we could possibly hang on those hooks by the end of the week and used the seat for packages. I don't remember sitting on it. If I did, it obviously didn't make an impression. LOL

The exterior bathroom shot (with the hairdryer on the wall. A laughable hairdryer. TK can speak to its inefficiency.)

Now. Let me just say. TK and I came with baggage. Of the toiletry kind. And there was plenty of space for ALL of our stuff on that vanity.
Not pictured, to the right of the vanity is an open closet area with shelves and a rod and never enough hangers. The room safe is also over there.

I also apparently didn't get a better shot of the interior bathroom than this:

No gratuitous toilet shot for you. Just the shower.

But let me tell you something nice about that shower. Where the tub ends on the left there is a shelf. A shelf that held ALL of our collective shower-y things. I heart-ed that shelf. And see the pretty jungle design on the shower wall? Nice. I felt like I was showering in the Amazon. Maybe.

Once all of the room shots were done, I called Bell Services to bring our luggage. We'd been warned it could take an upwards of 40 minutes, so we didn't want to risk having to get ready for our special evening dinner in a rush.

The luggage took 3.2 minutes. And that might be too long of an estimation. Which was pretty impressive since it was 3-ish and check-in time.

We started unpacking and then we exchanged gifts. Each of us had gotten a little sumpn-sumpn for the other.
And all of it was great.
And all of it was very much 'personalized'.
And I have a picture of none of it. (TK, we might want to get on that, if I can find where I put everything...)

But suffice it to say it was wonderful.

It then took me approximately 6.5 years to decorate our window. Since I apparently couldn't come to terms with the fact that my screenname would, in fact, take up the ENTIRE upper portion of the window.

::sigh::

But no, simply putting TINK would not have sufficed.

By the by, all of the window decorations were bought at the dollar store. For a whopping total of $4. Score!

So, what do you do now that you're in Disney and checked into your room and have consumed an inaugural beverage and unpacked?

Why you EAT of course!

Up Next: A Very Special Dinner and Our Biblical Return to the Room.

 

[creativeamanda]

What an awesome update, Tink! I love the description of the drinks. I only have one question, though:

I can has a nommy drink, too?

CBR looks like a beautiful resort. We'll have to try it one day. For now, though, I think I've found a little corner of home at POR. (Or maybe just because it's the least expensive choice for a family of five. I'll never elaborate).

And as for the Pina Colavas? Rum makes everything better, doesn't it? (Don't tell Grumpy Pirate I said that, though)

 

[LegoMom3]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!








Who's excited over this most recent installment?!!......


So would you say that your Pina Colavas were, perhaps, the Happiest NOM Ever? Or some variety thereof?!

.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yeay! Room pics! I am very excited! So, in reading your post, I am led to believe that I should request a room in Jamaica for our October trip? I want a nice relaxing, somewhat short walk to that pool bar!

I just hope we don't get the room with the fridge!

 

[pooh'smate]

Your room looks nice. Eww on the fridge smell. Looking forward to see where you eat.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Sounds like you room was ready in the perfect amount of time.

Shopping with our eyes only - check

Drinking rum-laced nommy beverages by the pool - check

Time to check out the room.

That is my kind of check in experience.

The room looks very nice, we may have to check out CBR before the annual passes expire, in May.

Can't wait to hear about dinner. I wonder if there will be more nommy rum-laced beverages?

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

I only have one question, though:

I can has a nommy drink, too?

Amanda can haz nommy drink.

CBR looks like a beautiful resort.

No joke, I could wax poetic on how much I love this resort. And what's funny is I don't think I truly realized it until this past visit. I can see how some people might be put off, on the sheer size alone, but I'm partial with my grammy memories and a love for most things pastel.

And as for the Pina Colavas? Rum makes everything better, doesn't it?

Lemme tell you, for something with THAT much alcohol (I think the bartender tipped the rum bottle a little longer when she saw that we were celebrating) to taste that good to me (I don't care for the taste of alcohol itself) you KNOW it was good!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hm. Expectant, were we?
Impatient, were we?

Well there.

LegoMom can haz an updayt.

Who's excited over this most recent installment?!!......

So would you say that your Pina Colavas were, perhaps, the Happiest NOM Ever? Or some variety thereof?!

I would say it's part of my trifecta of "Best Disney Things Imbibed Through a Straw", the remaining of which are a Dole Whip Float and an Italian Margarita.

Hey - BF and I were watching TV last night, though for the life of me I can't recall what we were watching, and this lady came on the screen and I exclaimed and pointed, "OHMYGOD I THINK THAT'S LEGOMOM!!!"
Obviously, it wasn't.
But it made me smile.
And it made BF do an internet search for straightjackets.

So, in reading your post, I am led to believe that I should request a room in Jamaica for our October trip? I want a nice relaxing, somewhat short walk to that pool bar!

Jamaica or Aruba. Trinidad South isn't too bad but some of the rooms would be a longer walk. Truthfully, all of the villages have their high points, which I'll get into with my morning walks, but really, if you don't want to pay the higher price for 'Preferred' request one of those two. As you can see, we were one of the furthest Jamaica buildings away from the bridge/island and it was still maybe 5 minutes.

I just hope we don't get the room with the fridge!

It was atrocious. Really. If it had been more important we'd have requested it be swapped out but we closed up the door and forgot about it.

Oh! And we took a picture, just for you, that will appear in the next chappie.

Your Looking forward to see where you eat.

Really, to be honest, there isn't much we DIDN'T eat. Some days I think I'm still full.