Pig Pen
To all who have come to this happy place...welcome
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2001
- Messages
- 4,884
Okay, I'm on a roll here!
Day 4, Sunday, Sept 22.
Checking out of CSR....sniff, sniff. I have fallen in love with this resort and will miss it! I actually checked with the front desk to see if I could return if I hated the Dolphin. The CM said NO PROBLEM....(the place was practically deserted the entire time we were there).
So we drove over to the Dolphin - I can't remember the time, but it was probably around 9:00 or 10:00 am. By this time we are getting tired of loading and unloading the car so we splurged on valet and bell service. It was worth it.
The Dolphin lobby is huge and impressive. Again, check-in was a breeze. I had the gov't rate of $129 and had asked for "best view available" when I made the reservation.
I am also a Starwoods member and had earned some additional points, so at check-in asked for an upgrade to a balcony room if possible. The CM told me I had room 19101 which is a fantastic view. He was happy to give me a balcony for additional points, but it would not have a great view. So, he suggested I go look at the room and then come back if I still wanted a balcony.
Well, I kept the room. The view was absolutely better than anything I could have imagined. We could see Epcot and MGM and the Orlando skyline in the distance. I was happy.
We took the boat over to MGM. DH's favorite ride is the Great Movie Ride, so we roade that first, then toured the Walt Disney special exhibit "A Man and his Dream (?)"
We had never been on TOT nor RNR so we headed over there. DH chickened out - he kept reminding me that dinky little Primeival Whirl made us sick, why did I think I could tolerate these rides.
So I went on TOT alone. I admit, I was scared. In fact I was so anxious I think I made myself a little sick. It was okay, but I didn't enjoy it.
Then, to prove I was tough, I immediately went on RNR. Of course, there was NO WAIT so I went on both rides within 10 minutes. RNR really made me queasy, although now I believe my anxiety did it, not the ride. I had to go sit down and DH got some ice for my neck.
DH had a field day rubbing it in the rest of the trip.
Later on, we decided to try the Sci Fi for a late lunch. DH LOVED IT!!! He had the basic burger, fries, and a shake. I just had salad because I was still "queasy." It was a fun place to eat. The CM took our picture in the car. We will definitely go again (but not after TOT and RNR).
By 2:30 we were hot and tired and the weather looked threatening again so we went back to the hotel. I practically fell into a coma and slept till 5:00 - DH toured the resort and sat by the pool. I guess there was a huge storm too, but I missed it!
We ret'd to MGM for Fantasmic. We had never seen this and decided its the best show EVER! Afterwards, we walked back to the Boardwalk under a full moon. It was very nice. We managed to catch part of Epcot's Illuminations from the Boardwalk area. DH had some ice cream and I had a slice of pizza. We were a bit disappointed to learn that the Dolphin pool and hot tubs close at 9:00! We had been spoiled by our late night soaks at CSR.
We turned in about 11:30 after a long day.
Day 4, Sunday, Sept 22.
Checking out of CSR....sniff, sniff. I have fallen in love with this resort and will miss it! I actually checked with the front desk to see if I could return if I hated the Dolphin. The CM said NO PROBLEM....(the place was practically deserted the entire time we were there).
So we drove over to the Dolphin - I can't remember the time, but it was probably around 9:00 or 10:00 am. By this time we are getting tired of loading and unloading the car so we splurged on valet and bell service. It was worth it.
The Dolphin lobby is huge and impressive. Again, check-in was a breeze. I had the gov't rate of $129 and had asked for "best view available" when I made the reservation.
I am also a Starwoods member and had earned some additional points, so at check-in asked for an upgrade to a balcony room if possible. The CM told me I had room 19101 which is a fantastic view. He was happy to give me a balcony for additional points, but it would not have a great view. So, he suggested I go look at the room and then come back if I still wanted a balcony.
Well, I kept the room. The view was absolutely better than anything I could have imagined. We could see Epcot and MGM and the Orlando skyline in the distance. I was happy.
We took the boat over to MGM. DH's favorite ride is the Great Movie Ride, so we roade that first, then toured the Walt Disney special exhibit "A Man and his Dream (?)"
We had never been on TOT nor RNR so we headed over there. DH chickened out - he kept reminding me that dinky little Primeival Whirl made us sick, why did I think I could tolerate these rides.
So I went on TOT alone. I admit, I was scared. In fact I was so anxious I think I made myself a little sick. It was okay, but I didn't enjoy it.
Then, to prove I was tough, I immediately went on RNR. Of course, there was NO WAIT so I went on both rides within 10 minutes. RNR really made me queasy, although now I believe my anxiety did it, not the ride. I had to go sit down and DH got some ice for my neck.
DH had a field day rubbing it in the rest of the trip.
Later on, we decided to try the Sci Fi for a late lunch. DH LOVED IT!!! He had the basic burger, fries, and a shake. I just had salad because I was still "queasy." It was a fun place to eat. The CM took our picture in the car. We will definitely go again (but not after TOT and RNR).
By 2:30 we were hot and tired and the weather looked threatening again so we went back to the hotel. I practically fell into a coma and slept till 5:00 - DH toured the resort and sat by the pool. I guess there was a huge storm too, but I missed it!
We ret'd to MGM for Fantasmic. We had never seen this and decided its the best show EVER! Afterwards, we walked back to the Boardwalk under a full moon. It was very nice. We managed to catch part of Epcot's Illuminations from the Boardwalk area. DH had some ice cream and I had a slice of pizza. We were a bit disappointed to learn that the Dolphin pool and hot tubs close at 9:00! We had been spoiled by our late night soaks at CSR.
We turned in about 11:30 after a long day.
)
I see that you are trying to stay at the Carribean Beach Resort. My family and I stayed there for Christmas in 2001 and really enjoyed it. We stayed in Martinique 25. 
