We woke up and you know the feeling......you see the bags packed and sitting there except for a few last minute things and you just feel sad.
Let me explain what why we were moving off-site for one night (which we will never ever do again!) With our package, we purchased an Ultimate Hopper Pass (same as length of stay). It was good from the day we checked in until the day we checked out. So our reasoning was if we checked out of OKW which was costing somewhere around $270 a night, and headed for home, we were in essence losing the whole day at the park that we were still entitled to - check-out day. So we figured we'd save a little money and move out to a nearby hotel just for the one night. I got the a great rate off of mousesavers.com and booked one night at the Caribe Royale. So we used Express Checkout, took a last look around our villa (and I made a promise I would definitely be back someday) and we shut the door and drove away
We had no trouble finding Caribe Royale since it was very near the souvenier store we had shopped at yesterday, so we got there quickly, with no problems (which is somewhat of a miracle, wouldn't you say?) DH sat in the car with DD & DS and I went inside to check in, hoping there was some remote chance we could get in early. Do you believe it, the suite is ready and we are handed our keys. We are supposed to get a 1-bedroom suite. It has a mini-kitchenette type of set-up, table and chairs, pull-out couch and two queen-sized beds in the bedroom. DS is really looking forward to this, because he will finally be able to get a bed to himself
We get our overnight stuff inside and upstairs and open the door. Ok, it is clean and the view to the pool is beautiful. The pool itself is really something, with a great slide and waterfall. But it is so small! At least compared to OKW! And when we close the door between the living room and the bathroom area, there are no windows in the living room at all and I suddenly feel like I am in a box! I think if you are going to change hotels, it is always better to go up a step instead of down. Remember that! Ok, so we are only here for the night. It's just a pit-stop.
So we decide to head back to Disney and go into Epcot and the worlds a little while. DD wanted to try out some quiche they have in France and I wanted to try out the Beaver Tails in Canada. So we drive over, a very uneventful trip and park without a problem. We take the little boat ride over to the worlds and we are very close to France. We head inside the bakery - I apologize - I can't remember the name, but I will never ever forget their pastries! I cannot believe the wonderful choices they have in there. If they taste as good as they look, I might have to pull up a cot and never leave! DD finds out she will not be eating the quiche (it has ham in it) but orders one of the desserts instead (big sacrifice there don't you think?). DH, DS & I each choose something different and then I order an extra....just because! We find a table and taste each other's choice and just sit there oohing & ahhing over how delicious this stuff is. You have to try it! By the time we were done, I forgot all about the Beaver Tails (I'll save that for next time). We headed back to the boat and before you know it we were back in our car and headed back to Caribe Royale. DD had made PS at Ohana's earlier so we were planning to relax at the pool this afternoon, have a nice dinner at Ohana's for our last night at Disney and then get to bed early. We were going to drive as far as Virginia the next day and then the rest of the way to Pa. on Sunday.
So back in the room DD & I change into our swimsuits and DS says he will come to the pool shortly. Ok, we are going to get into another "gray" area here - we are going to discuss something again that is definitely not "dinner-table" conversation. So some of you may want to leave now. For the rest of you brave souls, I'm sure you will feel this story just "fits" our vacation tale so far.
So, how to say this politely.....ok, lots of people take lots of odd things on vacation with them.....George Foreman Grills, ear plugs, etc., well let's see if any of you can beat this.............we always take a bathroom plunger. Yes, you read that correctly, a bathroom plunger. DS has a bad habit of plugging up toilets! Ok, there I said it! Let's not be squeamish here - everyone goes to the bathroom - you know it's true. So we put the plunger in a plastic garbage bag so "no one will ever know what it is" and we sneak it in with our luggage.
So I remembered that the plunger was still in the car as I was walking to the pool with DD. I had a moment where I considered going to the car and getting it and taking it back to the room, but I figured, we are only going to be here one night, what are the chances????????????? Remember what I said about that song....."isn't it ironic"?
We were in the pool a while and then relaxing on the lounge chairs and I mentioned to DD that I couldn't understand why DS hadn't come down to the pool yet. DD thought maybe he figured he wouldn't be able to find us and changed his mind. The "mother witch" part of me kicked in and I had this weird feeling something else had happened. So another 15 minutes went by and I headed back to the room to find him. I stepped into the room and first thing I saw was him lying on the bed watching tv and he looked over and smiled at me. DH was standing at the vanity in the middle of the suite holding the hairdryer in one hand and a sock in the other, apparently drying the sock with the hairdryer! Let me tell you, if looks could kill, I would be a goner! Before I could stop myself the words came out of my mouth, "what happened? we were waiting for you at the pool." DS, the precious young man that he is, just calmly smiled and said "I plugged the toilet and it started overflowing." As if he was telling me that the weather channel was predicting rain next week. Of course, DH was not nearly as calm about it! Apparently DS had used the bathroom first and thought everything was working fine mechanically and walked out. DH went in to use the bathroom and I don't have to go into details about this, do I? Anyway, DH is inside flipping out for DS to get in there and DS is out in the bedroom without a clue what the heck he did wrong this time? He opened the bathroom door and saw DH trying to stop things from going from bad to worse. DH yelled at him to go get the plunger and you didn't have to tell him twice - he was outta there! By the time he got back, DH had everything under control and there really wasn't much of a mess to speak of - no towels were even involved. Just DH's socks
It was kind of funny then, but there was no way I was going to laugh while DH was standing there drying his socks! So I said I was going back to the pool and DS he would be there in a few minutes. We lounged around a little more retelling the story to DD who just kept shaking her head!
By the time we go back to the room, DH's socks have dried off and he has cooled down We shower and dress and we head to Ohana's for our last meal at Disney (hey maybe I can almost eat a whole meal - I haven't had any problems since the Imodium yesterday - just a lingering slight queasiness off and on). So we were all in a pretty good mood by the time we got to Ohana's.
DD & I had done lots of research on the restaurants at the different resorts and we had told DH & DS all about Ohanas, so they kind of knew what to expect. But it was much better in reality than even I imagined. We enjoyed the coconut races a lot, in fact there was a bridal party there and they had their own race, which was really cute! The view of the Magic Kingdom was great and our meal was excellent. DH wasn't too thrilled with the steak when it was first brought out - it was way too rare for him, but he asked nicely about a well-done piece and the fellow was glad to oblige. The steak, chicken & pork were delicious - so tender and tasty. They made a special vegetarian lo mein for DD the vegetarian. We were all very impressed with the place and that is up at the top of the list with Bomas for a repeat visit next time!
We walked around outside the Polynesian and decide we would like to stay here someday, but since we prefer a suite style, it might not be until I win a very big lottery!
We now say a final goodbye to all things Disney and head back to Caribe Royale. We watch a little tv and then decide to turn in early and prepare for a long day on the road tomorrow.
So that is it - it is all over - and we have lived to tell about it - the stabbing wire in the braces, the out-of-control bug bite - the endless stomach virus - the pole that just appeared out of nowhere - the broken relationship between myself and the bathroom (if you are not understanding this, you need to go back and start at Day 1 - believe me, you won't regret it - the next time you go on vacation, you will think of us and all those little things that go wrong will seem like nothing at all
We have survived and you know what? We had fun! A lot of fun! When I tell these stories to people, they focus on all the bad stuff and weird things that happend, but they weren't there for all the little moments that were so special!
We talked a lot on the long drive back to Pa. and this is what we decided...........we want to go back again as soon as possible! And next time we are going to stay longer! And next time my son will have his braces off, no bugs will dare bite my daughter, she will not take a jacuzzi bath in green or orange water and I will not allow any bathroom to form any kind of long-term relationship with me! Oh and we will take my husband by the hand and walk close to him if there are any poles nearby!
I hope everyone enjoyed reading about our vacation as much as we enjoyed living it!
Let me explain what why we were moving off-site for one night (which we will never ever do again!) With our package, we purchased an Ultimate Hopper Pass (same as length of stay). It was good from the day we checked in until the day we checked out. So our reasoning was if we checked out of OKW which was costing somewhere around $270 a night, and headed for home, we were in essence losing the whole day at the park that we were still entitled to - check-out day. So we figured we'd save a little money and move out to a nearby hotel just for the one night. I got the a great rate off of mousesavers.com and booked one night at the Caribe Royale. So we used Express Checkout, took a last look around our villa (and I made a promise I would definitely be back someday) and we shut the door and drove away
We had no trouble finding Caribe Royale since it was very near the souvenier store we had shopped at yesterday, so we got there quickly, with no problems (which is somewhat of a miracle, wouldn't you say?) DH sat in the car with DD & DS and I went inside to check in, hoping there was some remote chance we could get in early. Do you believe it, the suite is ready and we are handed our keys. We are supposed to get a 1-bedroom suite. It has a mini-kitchenette type of set-up, table and chairs, pull-out couch and two queen-sized beds in the bedroom. DS is really looking forward to this, because he will finally be able to get a bed to himself
We get our overnight stuff inside and upstairs and open the door. Ok, it is clean and the view to the pool is beautiful. The pool itself is really something, with a great slide and waterfall. But it is so small! At least compared to OKW! And when we close the door between the living room and the bathroom area, there are no windows in the living room at all and I suddenly feel like I am in a box! I think if you are going to change hotels, it is always better to go up a step instead of down. Remember that! Ok, so we are only here for the night. It's just a pit-stop.
So we decide to head back to Disney and go into Epcot and the worlds a little while. DD wanted to try out some quiche they have in France and I wanted to try out the Beaver Tails in Canada. So we drive over, a very uneventful trip and park without a problem. We take the little boat ride over to the worlds and we are very close to France. We head inside the bakery - I apologize - I can't remember the name, but I will never ever forget their pastries! I cannot believe the wonderful choices they have in there. If they taste as good as they look, I might have to pull up a cot and never leave! DD finds out she will not be eating the quiche (it has ham in it) but orders one of the desserts instead (big sacrifice there don't you think?). DH, DS & I each choose something different and then I order an extra....just because! We find a table and taste each other's choice and just sit there oohing & ahhing over how delicious this stuff is. You have to try it! By the time we were done, I forgot all about the Beaver Tails (I'll save that for next time). We headed back to the boat and before you know it we were back in our car and headed back to Caribe Royale. DD had made PS at Ohana's earlier so we were planning to relax at the pool this afternoon, have a nice dinner at Ohana's for our last night at Disney and then get to bed early. We were going to drive as far as Virginia the next day and then the rest of the way to Pa. on Sunday.
So back in the room DD & I change into our swimsuits and DS says he will come to the pool shortly. Ok, we are going to get into another "gray" area here - we are going to discuss something again that is definitely not "dinner-table" conversation. So some of you may want to leave now. For the rest of you brave souls, I'm sure you will feel this story just "fits" our vacation tale so far.
So, how to say this politely.....ok, lots of people take lots of odd things on vacation with them.....George Foreman Grills, ear plugs, etc., well let's see if any of you can beat this.............we always take a bathroom plunger. Yes, you read that correctly, a bathroom plunger. DS has a bad habit of plugging up toilets! Ok, there I said it! Let's not be squeamish here - everyone goes to the bathroom - you know it's true. So we put the plunger in a plastic garbage bag so "no one will ever know what it is" and we sneak it in with our luggage.
So I remembered that the plunger was still in the car as I was walking to the pool with DD. I had a moment where I considered going to the car and getting it and taking it back to the room, but I figured, we are only going to be here one night, what are the chances????????????? Remember what I said about that song....."isn't it ironic"?
We were in the pool a while and then relaxing on the lounge chairs and I mentioned to DD that I couldn't understand why DS hadn't come down to the pool yet. DD thought maybe he figured he wouldn't be able to find us and changed his mind. The "mother witch" part of me kicked in and I had this weird feeling something else had happened. So another 15 minutes went by and I headed back to the room to find him. I stepped into the room and first thing I saw was him lying on the bed watching tv and he looked over and smiled at me. DH was standing at the vanity in the middle of the suite holding the hairdryer in one hand and a sock in the other, apparently drying the sock with the hairdryer! Let me tell you, if looks could kill, I would be a goner! Before I could stop myself the words came out of my mouth, "what happened? we were waiting for you at the pool." DS, the precious young man that he is, just calmly smiled and said "I plugged the toilet and it started overflowing." As if he was telling me that the weather channel was predicting rain next week. Of course, DH was not nearly as calm about it! Apparently DS had used the bathroom first and thought everything was working fine mechanically and walked out. DH went in to use the bathroom and I don't have to go into details about this, do I? Anyway, DH is inside flipping out for DS to get in there and DS is out in the bedroom without a clue what the heck he did wrong this time? He opened the bathroom door and saw DH trying to stop things from going from bad to worse. DH yelled at him to go get the plunger and you didn't have to tell him twice - he was outta there! By the time he got back, DH had everything under control and there really wasn't much of a mess to speak of - no towels were even involved. Just DH's socks
It was kind of funny then, but there was no way I was going to laugh while DH was standing there drying his socks! So I said I was going back to the pool and DS he would be there in a few minutes. We lounged around a little more retelling the story to DD who just kept shaking her head!
By the time we go back to the room, DH's socks have dried off and he has cooled down We shower and dress and we head to Ohana's for our last meal at Disney (hey maybe I can almost eat a whole meal - I haven't had any problems since the Imodium yesterday - just a lingering slight queasiness off and on). So we were all in a pretty good mood by the time we got to Ohana's.
DD & I had done lots of research on the restaurants at the different resorts and we had told DH & DS all about Ohanas, so they kind of knew what to expect. But it was much better in reality than even I imagined. We enjoyed the coconut races a lot, in fact there was a bridal party there and they had their own race, which was really cute! The view of the Magic Kingdom was great and our meal was excellent. DH wasn't too thrilled with the steak when it was first brought out - it was way too rare for him, but he asked nicely about a well-done piece and the fellow was glad to oblige. The steak, chicken & pork were delicious - so tender and tasty. They made a special vegetarian lo mein for DD the vegetarian. We were all very impressed with the place and that is up at the top of the list with Bomas for a repeat visit next time!
We walked around outside the Polynesian and decide we would like to stay here someday, but since we prefer a suite style, it might not be until I win a very big lottery!
We now say a final goodbye to all things Disney and head back to Caribe Royale. We watch a little tv and then decide to turn in early and prepare for a long day on the road tomorrow.
So that is it - it is all over - and we have lived to tell about it - the stabbing wire in the braces, the out-of-control bug bite - the endless stomach virus - the pole that just appeared out of nowhere - the broken relationship between myself and the bathroom (if you are not understanding this, you need to go back and start at Day 1 - believe me, you won't regret it - the next time you go on vacation, you will think of us and all those little things that go wrong will seem like nothing at all
We have survived and you know what? We had fun! A lot of fun! When I tell these stories to people, they focus on all the bad stuff and weird things that happend, but they weren't there for all the little moments that were so special!
We talked a lot on the long drive back to Pa. and this is what we decided...........we want to go back again as soon as possible! And next time we are going to stay longer! And next time my son will have his braces off, no bugs will dare bite my daughter, she will not take a jacuzzi bath in green or orange water and I will not allow any bathroom to form any kind of long-term relationship with me! Oh and we will take my husband by the hand and walk close to him if there are any poles nearby!
I hope everyone enjoyed reading about our vacation as much as we enjoyed living it!