1 year, 10 months and 16 days from today - A May 2016 PTR FINAL UPDATE 5/6/16

[ddstratton]

Day 4 Plans

Nothing. That’'s right, nothing. We'’ll make some tasty meals and just enjoy the resort. Beach time, pool time, RELAX TIME!!! Ahhhhhh…..

I found this resort by reading DizneyDawn’s trip report back in 2010. I am SO looking forward to this portion of the trip. This little resort looks so nice! Each “pod” is a separate condo. Lower level is laundry area. Next level up is dining room and kitchen. Up a spiral staircase to the top level is two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small living space.

I have read reviews that state the décor is a little dated. “Three'’s Company” is how I'’ve seen it referred to. I don’t care. I'’ll only be there for a few days. What'’s great about the place is the LOCATION. Right in the middle of the Florida Keys. Hot tub and pool on site. Private beach. Um, yeah!!!! Price isn’'t bad either. A little over $200 per night, for 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen… -- Yeah. You can'’t get a hotel room for that, with similar amenities.

I am just drooling over pictures of this place…...

You go up a flight of stairs on an outside deck to enter. You share this level deck with another “pod.”

Pictures courtesy of the internet -– I think a couple came from DizneyDawn’s trip report

Kitchen and dining room area is on this main level.

There is also a screened-in porch off the main level.

Living room, bathrooms and bedrooms are on the upper level.

Floor plans

I seriously have NOTHING planned for today, other than getting a few groceries if we haven'’t done it already. I just plan on being lazy and enjoying the resort. Sounds wonderful…...

 

[Laura Bell]

Subbing to keep up with your PTR. Love this so far, especially how you are inserting other trips within the report. I love to hear about other places people have visited and see the pictures.

I also am a big planner. I find that starting early makes for a better trip. I never could go on the spur of the moment. Planning is part of the fun.

The only thing that you should consider is the place you stay at the dark side.
Although Cabana Bay is a nice resort, you don't get the perks of the other resorts there. These include early entrance to HP and especially Express Pass--Fastpass every time you ride on most rides. It is a must in my opinion. We stayed at the Royal Pacific and it was fabulous.

Can't wait for more...

Laura

 

[pkondz]

Boo



I'm finally all caught up with, well, life I guess.
And now I'm all caught up with your PTR/mini TR too!

I'd never even heard of Marathon, FL before.
FL Keys is on my bucket list... someday.

The auto train (never heard of it either) sounds intriguing.
Looked into it. You're right, it's not cheap! But still..... wheels are starting to turn in my noggin.

$100/night for the cabin??? What a steal!
It sure looked nice.

Smokey & the Bandit. Great movie. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen it.
And it never gets old.
"Frog, meet Fred. Frog, feed Fred."

I would've stopped to try Happy Days no matter what.
My favorite show back in the day.

When I saw the Moonshine for sale, the first thing that crossed my mind is would I be allowed across the border with it???

What's MyPoints?

 

[KatMark]

Darla, that is an AWESOME price for that resort. You did great. And I love how the floors are separated.

I'd be doing nothing either but enjoying the pool and the beach.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Sorry but I had to giggle at the Three's Company reference. I would have never ever thought that those condos looked like that. I think that they look great!

 

[ddstratton]

Subbing to keep up with your PTR. Love this so far, especially how you are inserting other trips within the report. I love to hear about other places people have visited and see the pictures.

I also am a big planner. I find that starting early makes for a better trip. I never could go on the spur of the moment. Planning is part of the fun.

The only thing that you should consider is the place you stay at the dark side.
Although Cabana Bay is a nice resort, you don't get the perks of the other resorts there. These include early entrance to HP and especially Express Pass--Fastpass every time you ride on most rides. It is a must in my opinion. We stayed at the Royal Pacific and it was fabulous.

Can't wait for more...

Laura

I love planning a trip. It's half the fun for me. I'm still deciding on a resort for Universal. I do know that with Cabana Bay, you don't get Express Pass, but Early Entry is included. The Cabana Bay resort just looks like fun. More research is definitely called for, though.

Boo



I'm finally all caught up with, well, life I guess.
And now I'm all caught up with your PTR/mini TR too!

I'd never even heard of Marathon, FL before.
FL Keys is on my bucket list... someday.

The auto train (never heard of it either) sounds intriguing.
Looked into it. You're right, it's not cheap! But still..... wheels are starting to turn in my noggin.

$100/night for the cabin??? What a steal!
It sure looked nice.

Smokey & the Bandit. Great movie. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen it.
And it never gets old.
"Frog, meet Fred. Frog, feed Fred."

I would've stopped to try Happy Days no matter what.
My favorite show back in the day.

When I saw the Moonshine for sale, the first thing that crossed my mind is would I be allowed across the border with it???

What's MyPoints?

We've never been further south than Orlando, and I simply can't wait to visit the Keys.

The Auto Train is, or was, quite nice. Some plan changes may already be in the works, due to some changes the Auto Train has made recently. We really did enjoy it when we used it before, but it may not be in the works this time around...

Couldn't beat the price on that cabin. It was beautiful, and in a beautiful location. The only bad thing was the road up to it.

My DD is obsessed with Jerry Reed, and therefore, the Smokey and the Bandit movies. Gotta love 'em.

Hmmm.. Are you allowed to take any liquor across the border? If so, you should be allowed to take the moonshine. It's legally made, so no different than any liquor you'd think.

MyPoints is a reward program online. You can get points back for shopping at certain online places. You also get points for reading emails they send (only 5 points at a time, but it adds up). I've used the accumulated points for gift cards for Cracker Barrel and the Landry restaurants -- such at T-Rex at Disney World.

 

[MEK]

The layout of that condo is really cute! /it's very 80's, but super cute! Doing nothing but lounge on the beach sounds perfect!

I miss DizneyDawn!

 

[ddstratton]

The layout of that condo is really cute! /it's very 80's, but super cute! Doing nothing but lounge on the beach sounds perfect!

I miss DizneyDawn!

The condos do look dated, but really - who cares??? I don't think it'll bother us a bit. The OCEAN is right there! Lounging around sounds wonderful right about now...

I miss DizneyDawn, too. She had a flair for writing that just sucked you in.

 

[ddstratton]

Day 5 Plans

Day 5 of our trip. Today we have plans. We'’ll be driving down to Key West!

We want to visit several things in the area. We'’ll cross off another Hard Rock Café when we have lunch.

Attractions to visit in the area include another Ripley'’s Believe It Or Not Museum.

We may visit the Key West Aquarium.

We do plan on just walking around, seeing Duval Street and Mallory Square.

Duval Street runs across Key West, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

Mallory Square often has street performers and other entertainment. Also a popular spot to watch the sunset.

Not sure what else is a don'’t-miss here, but more research is in progress.

Supper at Margaritaville is on Mom’s must-do list.

Any suggestions on must-see’s for Key West? We’'ve got the whole day set aside, and only a few must-do’s. We may just wander around and see what we can see. There is SO MUCH we could do, but I don'’t want to rush around, trying to see everything. I think we’ll likely just go with the flow and see what we see.

 

[Laura Bell]

Don't forget to hop a ride on the Conch Train--I super cute way to get a tour of the town and hear a bit of its history.
Also, check out Hemmingway's house and visit with the descendants of his cats, wandering around it.
If you have the time, the glass bottom boat tour is wonderful (and educational, too). If you take the last one of the day, you get to stop and toast the sunset with mimosas on the way in.

You will have a wonderful time there, I'm sure, whatever you choose to do.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I've never been to Key West before but I've read lots of things about it. Do you subscribe to Karin & Tom's trip reports? They have been to Key West while on a Disney cruise before.

 

[ddstratton]

Don't forget to hop a ride on the Conch Train--I super cute way to get a tour of the town and hear a bit of its history.
Also, check out Hemmingway's house and visit with the descendants of his cats, wandering around it.
If you have the time, the glass bottom boat tour is wonderful (and educational, too). If you take the last one of the day, you get to stop and toast the sunset with mimosas on the way in.

You will have a wonderful time there, I'm sure, whatever you choose to do.

Ohh, good ideas! I'll have to look into these.

I've never been to Key West before but I've read lots of things about it. Do you subscribe to Karin & Tom's trip reports? They have been to Key West while on a Disney cruise before.

I do follow their reports! At least, the most recent ones. I just may have to go back and check out some previous ones and see what they thought of Key West.

 

[pkondz]

We’ll be driving down to Key West!

That map gives me goose bumps.
I've always wanted to make that drive.

We’ll cross off another Hard Rock Café when we have lunch.

Maybe we were twins in another life?
I'm seeing a lot of similarities here!

Duval Street runs across Key West, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

Cool. And I've never heard of it, before.

Supper at Margaritaville is on Mom’s must-do list.

Stop it! You're starting to freak me out!

 

[MEK]

I have never been to Key West, but your plans look great! I love all those pictures. Key West really does look like a great place to visit!

 

[QueenJen]

Any suggestions on must-see’s for Key West? We’ve got the whole day set aside, and only a few must-do’s. We may just wander around and see what we can see. There is SO MUCH we could do, but I don’t want to rush around, trying to see everything. I think we’ll likely just go with the flow and see what we see.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

How about a quick visit and photo op at the southern most point in the US? Sample the different key lime pies. If you like to enjoy a drink, there are plenty of options.

We visited Hogs Breath Saloon and it was fun to interact with home by having family watch us on the bar cam.

 

[ddstratton]

I have never been to Key West, but your plans look great! I love all those pictures. Key West really does look like a great place to visit!

Thanks! We've got lots of time before the trip for research, so who knows what I may find between now and then, to add to the list.

How about a quick visit and photo op at the southern most point in the US? Sample the different key lime pies. If you like to enjoy a drink, there are plenty of options.

We visited Hogs Breath Saloon and it was fun to interact with home by having family watch us on the bar cam.

A photo op at the Southernmost Point is definitely on my list. Oh, key lime pie -- I love it. Will definitely have to sample a few while there... Visiting a bar/saloon may not be the best idea for our group -- our DD will be 17 when we visit. Probably frowned upon to either take her in or leave her on the sidewalk to wait for us

 

[KatMark]

Darla, plans for Key West sound great. One of these days we are going to take the boat ride from Marco to Key West.

I understand it is quite beautiful.

 

[ddstratton]

Maybe we were twins in another life?
I'm seeing a lot of similarities here!


Stop it! You're starting to freak me out!

Not sure how I missed your reply earlier!! I do see a lot of similarities going on here...

Darla, plans for Key West sound great. One of these days we are going to take the boat ride from Marco to Key West.

I understand it is quite beautiful.

Ohh.. That sounds wonderful... Hmm... More to research!

 

[ddstratton]

Day 6 Plans

Today will be our 25th anniversary. Just planning on having breakfast at the condo and enjoying the resort.

We may venture out into Marathon for lunch. Browsing around TripAdvisor, I found a neat little local place that we might have to visit for lunch. It’s called Fish Tales. They sell fresh seafood, and have a little restaurant in the place. Gets pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor.

pictures courtesy of the internet

We'’ll just veg the day away at the resort, or may tour around Marathon and see what we can see. There are several interesting things right near the condo -– such as the Turtle Hospital and the Dolphin Research Center.

pictures courtesy of the internet

I'’m seriously considering the Dolphin Research Center. They have several programs available where you can “meet” a dolphin. Anywhere from just touching one to actually being in the water with one. More research is required here...…

Supper will be at the Key Colony Inn. Again, I’'ve read some pretty good reviews from Trip Advisor, and it looks like a nice local place to have our anniversary dinner.

pictures courtesy of Google Maps and the internet

That'’ll about do it for the day. Not a lot going on, but sounds like a beautiful way to spend our 25th anniversary.

 

[pkondz]

Today will be our 25th anniversary.

Um....

Our 25th is next year too.


What is going on here????

Browsing around TripAdvisor, I found a neat little local place that we might have to visit for lunch. It’s called Fish Tales. They sell fresh seafood, and have a little restaurant in the place. Gets pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor.

I like the looks of that place.
Reminds me of something you'd see on Diners, Drive Inns and Dives.

I’m seriously considering the Dolphing Research Center. They have several programs available where you can “meet” a dolphin. Anywhere from just touching one to actually being in the water with one. More research is required here…

Word of advice. When you meet a dolphin for the first time, don't try to shake hands in greeting.
They don't have any.


just a little PSA for y'all.

That’ll about do it for the day. Not a lot going on, but sounds like a beautiful way to spend our 25th anniversary.