Cue the Music: How we MADE money and slept with Ariel! Done!

[mickeystoontown]

LOVE your Minnie Mouse shirt! And the updates were great. I wish I had one of those burgers you got from the food truck right about now. They looked amazing!

I loved the shirt! Thank you so much! I wear it all the time even when I'm not at Disney.

 

[Steppesister]

It is no secret that our hands down favorite Disney resort is Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Love, love, love it!

And I hope we will too!! Sept is our time to try it out. Thank you for such a thorough and picture-filled review. I know by Sept most, if not all, the construction will be over and done, but it's good to have a comparison. I doubt we'll eat there at all, but it's good to know there are new options there.

I too think the Canada Pav is so, so pretty. Love to spend time in there, and am looking forward to the show again this trip.

 

[jenseib]

Man I wish we could post more than just ten pictures per update

You should use Flickr or something like that to host your pics. I can do 35 per post using that.

Loving the updates. I am not crazy about all the changes too. And it seems to be taking forever!

 

[mickeystoontown]

And I hope we will too!! Sept is our time to try it out. Thank you for such a thorough and picture-filled review. I know by Sept most, if not all, the construction will be over and done, but it's good to have a comparison. I doubt we'll eat there at all, but it's good to know there are new options there.

I too think the Canada Pav is so, so pretty. Love to spend time in there, and am looking forward to the show again this trip.

I hope that you end up loving CBR as much as my family does. I wish that they had a good travel agent rate there, we'd be back in a heartbeat now that the construction is almost done.

You should use Flickr or something like that to host your pics. I can do 35 per post using that.

Loving the updates. I am not crazy about all the changes too. And it seems to be taking forever!

I guess that I'm too darn lazy to upload them to Flickr.

 

[theskyisawake]

I'm finally all caught up! I've read a few of your other reports and always enjoy them!

 

[thumper*]

Still following along even if I'm not commenting

 

[Steppesister]

I hope that you end up loving CBR as much as my family does. I wish that they had a good travel agent rate there, we'd be back in a heartbeat now that the construction is almost done.

Me too!! I'm so torn on which bldg to request. I heard Martinique 24 would be closest to the Riviera Station, but now am wondering if that station won't be open by Sept since the tower won't be. ?? So someone else suggested Barbados 33 which is closest to the DBR station with our room type. (preferred with 5th sleeper). I am so happy that the construction will be almost over too, not sure it'd be good to have it be all torn up for our first, and maybe only, stay.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I'm finally all caught up! I've read a few of your other reports and always enjoy them!

I'm glad that you are all caught up. I had thought to post another update or two last week but was so busy. Hoping to rectify that tonight and tomorrow.

Still following along even if I'm not commenting

Thanks so much for sticking with me!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Me too!! I'm so torn on which bldg to request. I heard Martinique 24 would be closest to the Riviera Station, but now am wondering if that station won't be open by Sept since the tower won't be. ?? So someone else suggested Barbados 33 which is closest to the DBR station with our room type. (preferred with 5th sleeper). I am so happy that the construction will be almost over too, not sure it'd be good to have it be all torn up for our first, and maybe only, stay.

The "new" Barbados is what used to be called Trinidad North and is the only village that we haven't stayed in. But, we have stayed in Martinique several times and have always enjoyed the location. I wish that Disney would release more information as to when they will be opening the Skyliner and stations so that guests can plan a little better.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Real life update:

I've had several clients travel the last couple of weeks and in the next two weeks. I've been busy finishing up their itineraries, asking last minute questions, putting together their thank you gifts, etc.

Are y'all ready for some fuzzy Disney math, some pixie dusting and planning?

Originally, we had a split stay booked. We were spending four days/three nights at All Star Movies (or was it Sports?...I've changed so many things). I was able to get a good agent rate at Coronado Springs for eight days/seven nights at Coronado Springs. We don't really like split stays so I changed the Movies stay to the same type room at CSR which was a king bed in a preferred location. That was booked at rack rate and it was killing me to pay rack rate.

We talked about just doing a split stay with the first part being at a value or a standard room at one of the moderates. Problem was, there were no standard rooms at the moderates. I, literally, wrote Movies, Caribbean Beach (king room), Port Orleans French Quarter (garden view) and Port Orleans Riverside (garden view) down on paper, cut them into strips, folded them and put them in John's cap and we pulled one out. It was Movies. Decision made, we were going to do the split stay. First part at Movies, second part at CSR with the rate the I booked with.

I went online to modify the reservation and it wouldn't pull up. A call was made to Disney Travel and in the process of them verifying my info, I asked them if they would check other resorts with my special rate. After much to-do, they came back and offered me Pop Century. Heck yeah! That would save us a lot of money. They changed CSR to Pop and then we changed Movies to Pop. Cha-ching! Money saved! That reservation has been in place for quite some time.

One of my co-workers and fellow Diser, @jenseib and I talk almost everyday on Facebook. We often laugh at one another because we are constantly planning, modifying, pricing our own trips even if we are well satisfied with what we already have booked. We can't help it. Can we Jen? I was just telling her that very thing...we were satisfied with having our reservations at Pop....on the day that I had to call Disney for a reservation other than mine.

I finished up that business and then told them castmember that I needed to add dining to my reservation. They pulled it up, gave me my new total and for some reason, it wouldn't let her add it. She asked me to hold, connected me with Guest Services and I was disconnected.

I called back and was chit chatting with the cast member. He asked if we had stayed at Pop before. I told him yes but that we had left a day earlier than we had originally planned so we could stay at our favorite and home away from home...Caribbean Beach Resort. He asked why we weren't staying at Caribbean Beach this trip and I told him because there were no special rates in any room besides a pirate room. He said that he was having a bit of trouble and asked me to hold. I held for a while, listening to Disney music. Periodically, he'd come back and say they were working on the reservation and thanks for holding. After another ten minutes or so, he came on and said that he had a special offer for me. Would I like to stay in a standard room at CBR instead of Pop and it would be almost $300 cheaper! I told him "BOOK IT!" and he did. If I could have reached through the phone and kissed him smack on the mouth, I would have.

So, we were back to doing a split stay. I started looking for a standard room at CBR but nothing. Just pirate rooms. I didn't want to pay that extra money for a pirate room. We'd be fine with a split stay. I'd leave it as it was.

Yeah right. Did you really think I could leave well enough alone? (and really, weren't you listening to the story?)

I checked standard room availability at CBR several times and still nothing. Yesterday, I logged on and there it was! Not a standard room but a king room. And for less than $300 more than Pop. I snapped that baby up before it went away. And then it did. A website error. Are you KIDDING me? Disney! You are killing me! Figuring that I'd never seen that room available again but I was going to try, I signed out and back in and it was still there and I was able to book it. You're crazy if you think that I'm not going to keep looking for a standard room. It won't save us a whole lot but it would probably increase our chance of not having to switch rooms after our first reservation. At this point, that's more important to me than saving a few dollars on a standard room.

So, at this point, we are booked as follows:

1) One day/one night stay at All Star Movies;
2) Four day/three night stay at Caribbean Beach Resort in a king room;
3) Eight day/seven night stay at Caribbean Beach Resort in a standard room.

I'm super excited to be going back to our home away from home. I am hoping and praying that we still love the resort as much as we did before.

Okay, so I'll stop here. I hope to get more updates written tomorrow.

 

[FBandA]

CBR was our favorite resort for years! Hoping to get back to the resort one day staying at POP in September only because CBR was almost $500 more for 7 nights, with a bounce back rate. Part of me wants to see what the rate is after your last post. Will have to see! Love reading your trip reports! Thanks

 

[mickeystoontown]

CBR was our favorite resort for years! Hoping to get back to the resort one day staying at POP in September only because CBR was almost $500 more for 7 nights, with a bounce back rate. Part of me wants to see what the rate is after your last post. Will have to see! Love reading your trip reports! Thanks

If I had not gotten the special rate, we would have been paying over $1,000 more for a stay at a moderate. That's why I was fine with staying at a value. Plus, I have to admit, we really like the bus stops at a value way more than those at moderates and deluxe resorts. At a value resort, at least you know whether or not you will get on the next bus that pulls up. At a moderate, you have to wait and see if the bus is full by the time it gets around to you.

 

[RDawn]

Hi Lisa! I messaged you for a quote last night & that has prompted me to log back onto your trip report. I too have been busy with life & lost track of this thread. So don't feel bad & update when you can! I especially enjoyed the construction pictures from CBR. We stayed there in 2016 all because of you & we LOVED it. I say that I look forward to the day that my husband & I can take a couple only trip to WDW, but in reality, I will be like you & have a pang of guilt for leaving the kids behind. But we have never been able to stroll World Showcase & see the Canada movie either! I always say that if I can't be in Disney, I will be just as happy to hear about someone else's vacation. Thanks for always sharing your trips.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

So excited for you guys that you are back to your CBR!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

So excited for you guys that you are back to your CBR!!!

Me too! Almost all of the construction should be done by the time we get there. Riviera won't be open yet but it is opening in December so I am sure that they will be putting the finishing touches on everything.

 

[Mary Pops In]

Take your time writing because I am taking my time reading. I just finished your anniversary weekend. Our 34th is in 3 weeks...I am thinking chicken salad sandwiches to celebrate!

 

[jenseib]

Can we Jen?

Yes! And I have a problem with quoting myself fake trips in hopes that I could possibly make one more happen. hahaha. I have a real problem!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm proud of you for overcoming your fears of heights and conquering the big AK rides! Nice work!

I didn't know CBR had an actual tent in place of the food court. They really must have gutted the place.

Good work on the new Disney reservations!

 

[thumper*]

YAY for CBR deal

 

[debedo]

Hi Lisa! Love your trip reports!! Sooooo are you riding the new gondolas when they open? Thinking about your fear of heights!