Boo To You, our pirate adventure at Caribbean Beach Resort

[KathyRN137]

We first paused right outside and Abby pointed out to Ethan that you could see the people riding when the doors opened. We tried to shush Abby, but it was too late, Ethan heard her and quickly noticed the screaming people dropping He said "I don't want to ride it"

..... We had to get on an elevator with the CM to exit and He had to reassure Ethan that we were not going to drop and that was the way out.


....Abby and I start weaving our way through the outdoor part of the line and then she says "do I really have to ride it again?" No, I say, lets go find your Dad.

Aww, how sweet of Abby to want to ride with you! I don't blame her for feeling ambivelant about ToT... it's one of those rides that you love and hate at the same time!

And I'm sure the sounds of those terrified screams have caused "kids" much older than Ethan to reconsider! Nice of the CM to be so sensitive and reassuring to him... it's a bit unnerving when you discover that the chicken exit is also via an elevator!!


Back later to comment on Parts 2 and 3!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

So we walked through the building to the character Meet n' Greet area. We wanted to see the characters from UP! This Meet-n-Greet area is very elaborate and we really enjoyed it. Abby had a great time rubbing Doug's belly and Mr. Fredrickson really liked the Grape Soda Badge on my shirt

A family picture

Great picture!

We loved this meet n' greet, too. The characters are just so... well... animated!

Hmmm. Predicting a Potential Pencil Problem!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Ethan posed for a picture with a young Tiana.

Ethan looks a bit uneasy... perhaps he thinks Tiana is going to kiss him!

Strange that the CM didn't save your seats.

I'm looking forward to seeing those drawings, too...


Kathy

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

It is just a short walk from the Magic of Disney Animation to Pixar Place and Toy Story Midway Mania.
The que for this ride is so creative.

Chutes and Ladders on the ceiling.

Glasses on and we were ready to ride.

Ethan and I always ride together.

This ride is amazing to me. Ethan and I always have a great time.
Here we go. . .

After the ride it was time to check in for our ADR at the Hollywood Brown Derby.

We had to wait a moment while the CM's had difficulties finding an ADR in the computer. The family in front of us insisted they had a reservation for Hollywood & Vine. Ooops, the CM then had to explain to them that they were in the wrong restaurant.

We were next up, and checked in without any problems and they confirmed that we were there for the Fantasmic! Dinner Package. We waited about 5 minutes before we were seated.

We were seated at a huge booth right inside the entrance to the restaurant. Ethan had some space issues though. Despite all the room in the booth he wanted to sit right up next to me. Unfortunately, he hadn't slid in very far and I had barely enough room to get in the booth. I had to sort of pick him up and move him over to get into the seat and like a magnet, he slid back over next to me. Cozy.
Time for some drinks and appetizers.
I ordered the Sangria and the Crabcake Appetizer. DH ordered the soup, I think it was Butternut Squash.The kids ordered salads.

My appetizer

I thought I took pictures of our entree's and desserts but I can't find them.
For my entree, I ordered the Grouper and for dessert I ordered the Grapefruit Cake.

DH also had the Grouper and he had Cheesecake for dessert. Later on he told me he had wanted to try the Grapefruit cake. I had convinced him to get the cheesecake. Sorry, Honey. The food here was delicious. I thought everything was very well prepared and we weren't rushed through our meal at all. I found these little cards on the ledge behind me and helped myself to a couple. They have recipes for the House specialties, Cobb Salad and Grapefruit Cake.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Did your kids like Brown Derby? That one always seems not very kid friendly.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Did your kids like Brown Derby? That one always seems not very kid friendly.

I think they enjoyed it. Abby ate "Beefy Macaroni" which was elbow Macaroni with meaty tomato sauce.
Ethan ate chicken fingers and french fries.

They made Ethan a Shirley Temple to drink and both the kids had a cookie and ice cream for dessert. It wasn't quiet in there so I wasn't worried about the kids being loud and the menus had activities on them. I would say it was a very laid back restaurant.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I think they enjoyed it. Abby ate "Beefy Macaroni" which was elbow Macaroni with meaty tomato sauce.
Ethan ate chicken fingers and french fries.

They made Ethan a Shirley Temple to drink and both the kids had a cookie and ice cream for dessert. It wasn't quiet in there so I wasn't worried about the kids being loud and the menus had activities on them. I would say it was a very laid back restaurant.

You had Aisling at Shirley Temple Maybe she would like it here!

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Our ADR was at 4:30 and we had a very leisurely meal. The server didn't seem to want us to leave. I was getting restless and I wanted to go. Finally, he brought us the check (time on check 5:57) Fantasmic! started at 7:30.

Hollywood Brown Derby is at the end of Sunset Boulevard, we didn't have far to walk to get to the Fantasmic Pavilion, so we browsed in the Villains Shop along the way. We are big fans of the Nightmare before Christmas and there is a lot of merchandise there to choose from.
I picked up a pair of pins, Jack and Sally. Ethan chose a Zero lovie with a light up pumpkin nose. He loves sleeping with it.

Then we proceeded up the road to the special entrance. We had a ticket from the restaurant to get us into a special entrance and we followed the CM's instructions up the hill that we would eventually leave from.
Somehow, I hadn't noticed Mickey on the globe before (on previous visits) so while we were walking this way and seeing things from a different point of view. I noticed him. I must admit I don't notice things up high very much and he is on a big pole at the entrance, where I seem to be distracted. Anyways, I had to snap a couple pictures of him. . .

Walking along on the spinning globe

(looks like they have a lot of security cameras up there as well)

Ethan was getting tired at this point. This was his first Park day without a stroller, I have to say he did really well! We didn't miss the stroller and it is nice not to have to park it and then hunt it down when visiting the attractions.
Ron carried him for a little while

It was easy to find a seat and we were off to the side but fairly close to the show.

We had to wait about 30 minutes for the show to start. Abby played a game or two on Ron's i-phone and I played with the camera.

Ethan was rather restless. I put the backpack on the ground in front of me and put the rolled up pictures from the animation academy on the bench next to me. Ethan was very nervous and I was having a hard time being patient with him so Ron and I traded places. Finally, at 7:45 the show started, there were still empty places in the auditorium.

Captain Hook!

Snow White dancing with her prince

Malificient turns into the dragon

Mickey Saves the Day!

Steamboat Willie at the Helm of the ship

The show ended and the lights came back up, we filed out past the Cast Members waiting to clean up the trash left behind.

We hiked back to the bus stop after a very satisfying day at Disney Hollywood Studios. We found the bus stop for our resort relatively easily but it ended up being a long wait, somehow the dispatchers seemed to have forgotten about sending a Caribbean Beach Resort bus. We stood there and stood there for quite a while, then a bus finally came but there were several people on scooters who needed to board. After they were loaded along with the other people in their groups the bus was full. We stood there for a long time before a bus pulled up.

Then we boarded the bus and headed back to the resort. By the time we got back and ready for bed it was after 10:20pm. Ethan went right to sleep.

Abby didn't take too long to fall asleep, and I sat on the bed sewing buttons onto a couple of the shirts I had made. We were all looking forward to the next day. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. . .

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

We had a lot planned for this day:
9:30 am Breakfast at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian Resort
Shopping at Downtown Disney
Lunch and then Swimming at the resort
Rest
Get dressed and go to the Halloween Party!
A DisMeet!

Ambitious plans?? Let's see what we accomplish.

Things went well and we were quickly dressed and on our way to breakfast at the Polynesian. Although, Abby protested when we loaded up in to the van. Bus transportation from resort to resort is somewhat complicated and we wanted the freedom of our own vehicle. We could have taken a bus to the Magic Kingdom then, walked to the Monorail in front of the park, and rode over to the Polynesian, then taken a bus to Downtown Disney.

So off we went in the van and we arrived at the Poly quickly and found our way up to the restaurant. We waited the customary 5 minutes and were seated at a table in the middle of the room. I really prefer booths but the restaurant was relatively busy and so I took what I could get.

They have very good coffee here, Kona Coffee brewed in a press pot. It is hard to describe but I love to drink it. Some coffee is acidic, and some is really bitter. This coffee is smooth and easy to drink.

Abby ordered Minnie's French Toast with sausage

Ethan ordered Mickey Waffles

He was very restless that morning and very silly. He was wiggling around in his chair and fooling around with Abby.

My Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes!

Yummy Pancakes.
Yucky Sausage. . .
Ron ordered the Big Kahuna
Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, french toast, and Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes.

You can see the pot of coffee in the photo as well.

After we ate, Ron was taking care of the the bill, we paid out of Pocket for this meal, we were on the dining plan but because the dinner at the Brown Derby was two credits we had to pay for one of our table service meals out of pocket. He gave the waitress her tip in $2.00 bills (I think he gave her 5 of them) anyways, she came back out and was so gracious and thanked him so much. She was so sweet

As I was putting the camera away, Ethan, who was still wiggling and wound up, tipped over. His whole chair fell over and he ended up on the floor with the chair on top of him. A woman at the table next to us gasped loudly, and suddenly several servers were surrounding us. . .

Poor Ethan wasn't hurt at all but he was so embarassed. He was biting his lip trying not to cry and I asked him are you okay, and of course the servers were also trying to talk to him. But he just wanted to disappear.

 

[KathyRN137]

We had to wait a moment while the CM's had difficulties finding an ADR in the computer. The family in front of us insisted they had a reservation for Hollywood & Vine. Ooops, the CM then had to explain to them that they were in the wrong restaurant.

I'm sure that's not the first time that has happened!

I had to sort of pick him up and move him over to get into the seat and like a magnet, he slid back over next to me. Cozy.

Someone in my family likes to do that, too!

My appetizer

Gosh, that looks so good!

Great seats!

I put the backpack on the ground in front of me and put the rolled up pictures from the animation academy on the bench next to me. Ethan was very nervous and I was having a hard time being patient with him so Ron and I traded places.

Ruh-Roh! I think I see where this is going....

We stood there for a long time before a bus pulled up.

Funny, it was a different night, but we had our longest wait of the week at DHS on a Fantasmic night!

Ethan...was very restless that morning and very silly. He was wiggling around in his chair and fooling around with Abby...

As I was putting the camera away, Ethan, who was still wiggling and wound up, tipped over. His whole chair fell over and he ended up on the floor with the chair on top of him. A woman at the table next to us gasped loudly, and suddenly several servers were surrounding us. . .

Poor Ethan wasn't hurt at all but he was so embarassed. He was biting his lip trying not to cry and I asked him are you okay, and of course the servers were also trying to talk to him. But he just wanted to disappear.

Aww! Poor Ethan. He is in that silly phase!

The kids' shirts are super-cute!

I'm looking forward to reading about your DIS-meet!



Kathy

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

After the delicious pancakes I was ready for some shopping. Except for one little issue. At some point that morning, I had a very disappointing revelation. I had left our drawings from the Animation Academy on the bench at the Fantasmic! Pavilion. And, I needed to tell my husband.

 

[diznenut12]

Subbing

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Before we headed over to Downtown Disney I took some pictures of the kids around the resort...

Ron and the surfboard

Abby in a comfy chair

Ethan posing outside the hotel

​

On our way over to the shops, I broke the bad news to Ron about how I had left the pictures in the pavilion at Fantasmic!
It sort of spoiled the mood for a little while, we were both disappointed to have lost them.

A little shopping will help!
I browsed for a little while in Basin. I can't believe I hadn't been in there before. Ron took the kids to World of Disney.
I love the soaps with the Mickey Heads inside! I also got 3 fizzy bath bombs and sampled the scrubs which left my hands very soft and smooth but they are so expensive so I didn't buy any.

Then I went back with Ethan into the World of Disney. Shopping with Ethan is rather challenging, he wants to buy everything he sees. And he will ask you repeatedly if you will buy him things long after you have told him no for the tenth time...It really tries my patience.
I had to take a picture of this parrot

He really wanted this necklace, but I had just bought him a pin that was exactly the same the day before. It is the coin from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Abby was picking out a new Mickey Watch with Ron. They both love wearing watches, and Abby has worn the won she bought everyday since then. I didn't get a picture of it though.

Have I mentioned Ethan loves Tick-Tock Croc? He loves crocodiles!

At the World Of Disney I picked out a Princess Dog Bowl for Sophie, our Mini Dachshund, and a Disney Cat bowl for our cat. Ron got in line to pay for the watches and I saw a CM at an information desk. I got the idea to call Lost and Found at Hollywood Studios and see if they found our drawings after Fantasmic. (It is Disney and a girl can dream) So I explained the situation to the CM at the information desk. He was kind enough to give me the number for the Lost and Found. Then I noticed a pile of Calendars for 2010 on a shelf behind the desk. I asked the CM how much were the Calendars? He answered back How many do you need? I said just 2. He said here you go. . . I told him thank you and went to find Ron and go outside and call the Lost and Found with my cell phone.
I found Ron and we went out of the store. I told him about my idea about calling lost and found and I think he thought I was crazy. He said didn't you see those guys with the trash bags waiting to clean up? They didn't save those papers. Then I showed him the calendars, the CM gave me. When he flipped them over I noticed they had price tags on them. Suddenly, I became very scared that I was supposed to have paid for those calendars. I tried to take them back into the World of Disney but Ron stopped me. The Calenders had started with August, and at that point it was the end of October, he had given them to me because no one was going to buy them anymore. I wasn't convinced, I felt really bad about taking them and even worse about losing the drawings. So I went off to a bench to call Lost and Found before Disney Security dragged me off to jail.

Needless to say the kind CM at Hollywood Studios wasn't able to find my drawings there. But I tried anyways. Time to take a few more pictures, and get some lunch, then head back to the resort for a rest/swim and then it would be time for the Halloween Party.

There were some nice decorations at DTD and they were having some special events from 5:00 to 9:00. I'll have to scan the little flyer they were using to describe the festivities. Trick -or-Treat, Mystifying Magic, storytelling, Stilt Walkers, Dixieland at the Riverboat, Live Music and More!

We headed over to Earl of Sandwich to grab some lunch. As soon as I opened the door, I was stunned! The line went around the barriers, and around the corner to the back door. I love Earl of Sandwich, but I there was no way I was standing in that line. We headed back to the resort for some lunch at the food court.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

So we loaded up in the van and headed over to the resort food court. It was super easy to park and the food court was quiet and calm. We visited the restrooms, and washed up and then we looked to see what our choices would be. Ron and the kids wanted some chicken tenders. I wanted a sandwich.

The kids meals were served in sand buckets.

Ron's chicken tenders were yummy all white meat chicken with fries. The kids' were those little pressed chicken things that are all the same size and shape. My kids didn't like them. Abby liked Ron's better. Ethan just ate his fries.

I ordered a roast beef sandwich.

It was very yummy! It looks huge in this picture... with the dining plan you get a side item, I choose pasta salad and a dessert. I choose the pineapple upside down cake.
After I came back from getting the kids some ketchup, Ethan spilled his water all over me.The sandwich was very good, the pasta had an odd texture so I didn't eat it and I enjoyed the cake.

We had a nice quiet lunch and then went back to the room. Abby insisted she was not taking a nap. I told her she should lay down and then once Ethan was asleep, I would take her up to the pool. We all laid down, in the cool, dark room. Soon Ron was asleep, Ethan was tossing and turning. He was excited about the party and was really wiggly. And Abby was asleep! The girl rarely ever naps, but she was sleeping like a baby. Ethan tossed and turned and wiggled, but eventually he fell asleep too. Not me... I laid there for an hour and didn't feel the least bit drowsy. I got up and puttered around the room. Looked at my passporter, drank some water, straightened up some of the clutter. Finally, I decided to get dressed for the party. Everyone else was sleeping still. I put on my shirt and skirt. I didn't really like the way it looked. I tried some different shorts, and didn't like the way that looked either. So I put the skirt back on. Then I messed with my hair and my hat. I put and elastic headband on to hold back my bangs and then put on some makeup and my hat. Then I sat and waited some more. I decided to bring a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for everyone to change if necessary, so I packed that in my backpack. Then I got the gift ready for the dismeet. By that time it was almost 4:00 and we could get into the party with our tickets at 4:00 so I woke Ron up and the kids too. It was after 4:00 and finally we were ready to go. I took a picture of the pirates on their ship and we headed to the bus stop.

 

[reyasmommy]

I'm enjoying your TR, and your pictures are fantastic.

Love the costumes, looks like you all have an amazing time!

I can't wait until we leave in 13 days!!! Woo-hoo!!

I look forward to more.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Subbing

I'm enjoying your TR, and your pictures are fantastic.

Love the costumes, looks like you all have an amazing time!

I can't wait until we leave in 13 days!!! Woo-hoo!!

I look forward to more.

Thank you for joining me! We had a wonderful time! Halloween at Disney was a lot of fun.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Ethan is all about the pirates...So he was ready to go.

We headed down to the bus stop where we found a lot of people in costumes waiting for the bus.

As we waited the bus stop go more crowded. A Magic Kingdom bus pulled up but it was pretty full so everyone waiting for the bus wasn't able to get on.
More people came to the bus stop. A couple buses for Downtown Disney came by. One family boarded. Another Magic Kingdom Bus came and it was pretty full, but some people got on.
A family came along with a man in a scooter. Then another Magic Kingdom Bus came and they started boarding the family in the scooter. We waited patiently to get on the bus, but we were going to have to stand. While we waited another bus came up for the Magic Kingdom and it was pretty empty. We were able to get on that bus and sit. There were so many great costumes. Each Family was dressed as characters from Disney Movies. There was a family of Captain Hook, Wendy, Peter Pan and a baby girl Tinker bell. Another family had Jasmine, Jafar, and a boy dressed as Aladdin. There was a little boy dressed as Wall-E. So we enjoyed a nice ride on the air-conditioned bus. Have I mentioned it was warm?? It was Hot and Humid! We all had long sleeves on, I had a black skirt but everyone else was wearing pants.

There was so much excitement in the air. Everyone was smiling and just feeling good.

We were planning to ride a few rides and eat little dinner before the party officially started. It was a little after 5:00 when we arrived. The first thing we did was stop and buy some water to drink. Then we tried to decide which ride to go to first. The train was up in the station and Abby really wanted to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. So I suggested we take the train around to Frontierland. We hurried up the stairs and made it just in time to board the train. Such a nice way to get around the park with a cool breeze in our face.
We quickly made it around to the Frontierland station and hopped off. The Magic Kingdom hadn't closed for the Halloween Party yet so many guests looked at us in our costumes. BTMRR is next to the train station, very convenient and easy to find. There was no wait so we walked right up to the boarding station. Ethan and I sat together and Abby and Ron sat together. I had to take off my Pirate Hat and hold onto it so it wouldn't blow away. I was also holding the camera so it wouldn't bang into the lap bar on the train. It was a wild ride and Ethan was having a hard time. His pants were slippery and he was sliding under the bar. I had to grab him and pull him back up on the seat. Scary!

We cut through Frontierland and went to Adventureland to see if we could ride Jungle Cruise. There was a short line but there was a nice CM there chatting with the guests. Ethan traded pins with her and soon we were boarding. While I was boarding, my cell phone started ringing. It was Kathy! But the boat was noisy and I couldn't hear her and she couldn't hear me. I got a text from her shortly thereafter and we confirmed our plans for the DisMeet.

I took a couple pictures on the cruise...

After our long journey, we decided to head to the Caribbean to see some pirates.

A nice lady walking by while I took a picture of Ron and the kids offered to take a picture with me in it.
She did a great job!

Then it was time for a ride

After being dumped in the gift shop we browsed a little. Ethan talked us into buying a tiny sword that was really a pen. It was really clever, but it broke two days later.

As we left the shop we noticed our first Trick-or-Treat station.
Sorry for the blurry picture

We were hungry and thirsty so we decided to grab something to eat at Pecos Bill's.
We placed our order and got our food. As soon as we found a table Ethan decided he had to go to the bathroom. I took him which was good anyways so we could wash hands, then went back to the condiment station for some ketchup and cheese sauce. I don't have any food pictures but I do remember what we had. Ron ordered a new item a fried chicken breast with white gravy. He said it was pretty good. I ordered a barbecue sandwich with cheese fries. Abby had a salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing from the kids menu and Ethan had a cheeseburger. I didn't have room for my carrot cake dessert so I put it in my trick-or-treat bag.

Ron was interested in finding some Halloween Party merchandise so we decided to go to Main Street next. Probably not the best plan... but we did the best we could. At that point there was a steady flow of people who didn't have tickets for the MNSSHP exiting the park and we were sort of swept up in the mess. There was also a stream of people coming in who had arrived at 7:00. And it was rather dark. I held tight to Ethan's hand and we crossed the bridge near the Crystal Palace. A man shouted at me that he had some extra tickets if we needed them, I shouted back THANK YOU BUT WE HAVE OUR WRISTBANDS. I don't know if he heard me, he was there and then he was gone swept along in the crowd. Once we got over the bridge I had to hurry to catch up with Ron, he had gotten ahead of me in the big mess. We cut through Casey's and made our way through the crowded shop. We found a little section of Halloween Party merchandise, but nothing we wanted to buy right away. It was so crowded so we decided to head out and do some Trick-o-Treating. As we left the Emporium a Cast Member was handing out jewels for our bags. Argh! Pirate Treasure.

 

[KathyRN137]

So glad the kids got to rest... but you were too pumped up, huh?

I'm sure Ron was right about the calendar thing; they were probably getting new ones in soon!

Opting for the food court was a great choice.

The pirate kids look great on that bed!!

It was so very hot and sticky that night!

Your pictures came out great, esp. the one with the whole family in Adventureland!


Kathy

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

I will work on an update soon. Abby and I spent the day working on our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day projects. We chose to help Project Linus, which takes blankets to children in hospitals and homeless shelters.

I purchased three fleece blanket kits, trimmed the edges, rounded the corners and sewed them right side together. Then I turned them out to have the nice sides out and sewed them again around the edges to make a nice border. Abby sewed hers together herself!

Then I drove them to the address given to drop them off. When I got there, a nice man showed us all the blankets! Their dining room and living room was stacked up with hundreds of fleece blankets. They had agreed to accept 3,000 blankets for the Disney promotion! They sew a label onto them, and distribute them to children in hospitals and homeless shelters.

When I got home there was a very nice email from the woman in charge of the organization. She was really impressed with the blankets and said I could make more blankets for Project Linus anytime! She said that 98% of the blankets that were donated were tied together, and she really liked the way I had made mine!

 

[KathyRN137]

I will work on an update soon. Abby and I spent the day working on our Disney Give a Day, Get a Day projects. We chose to help Project Linus, which takes blankets to children in hospitals and homeless shelters.

Great!

Tricia's Family and Consumer Science (Home Economics) class made blankets for Project Linus and she thought it was "an easy project that could make a big difference to needy children."

(I'm sure their sewing wasn't as nice as yours, though!)


Kathy