Grab The Trash Bags, We Are Going to Disney!

[Kelrykengab]

So, we are moving onto day 7. This day ended up being one of our favorite days. Interestingly, it was one of our less scheduled or planned days. So, we again slept in until almost 9am! So we had to get dressed quickly to get DS and DD5 off to the Caribbean Adventure Pirate Cruise leaving right from our resort! I was so thrilled to have something like this right at our own resort. DS and DD wondered how much treasure they would find and if they should have brought their swords just in case.
Here they are waiting for their captains:

I noticed this unusual fruit tree we were standing under while waiting. Well, maybe it wasn't really unusual, but we don't have trees like this where I live.

We had them wearing their pirate bandanas from the Pirate League, but as it turns out they were given new ones! They were even given one for the baby. Very cute!
So, onto sign some papers and get life jackets. It was hot! I felt bad for the kids in those hot plastic life jackets, but safety first.

So, the captains told a few bad pirate jokes and let the kids know the rules and off we went to get them onto the pirate ship. My kids looked a little nervous, but I know they thought this Kids Only cruise was a very cool thing. So, we said goodbye and watched them sail away to uncharted territories. Now, it was time for us to spend time with the baby in the pool. Only problem was that the baby wasn't really a huge fan of the pool. She would go up to her ankles, but mostly liked having us "chase" her out of the water. UGH. So after taking turns with the baby in the water it was time to sit at "our" table and enjoy some cold drinks. Pina Coladas and Caribbean music. AAaaaah. Doesn't get much better than that. Even the baby stopped to take a seat and have her "bubba" in the shade. She also enjoyed checking out the beautiful flowers surrounding the pool area.

So, of course during my "downtime" the baby needs a diaper change so off to the room we go. This time I made sure to wear shoes. Ouch! The ground is hot in Florida!! So, baby and I are walking along the lake and who do we see floating our way, but some cute little pirates!! To my surprise the boat pulled up right on the grass and all the mateys get out and start searching the sand. DD5 gave me a big smile and a wave and DS had what looked like a big turtle egg in his had so I knew they were good. The baby was a little concerned that we were walking away from her siblings, but off we went.
So, my 90-minutes of downtime is over and now DB and I are off to pick up our little pirates.

We got there before the pirates and were told they were still having snack on the island. We anxiously waited. This was my first time letting them go anywhere in WDW without me, can you tell? So, they are back and one of the captains emerges with a huge treasure chest!

The kids are all able to reach into the chest for their treasures. Each kid received a very full looking goody bag. Aaargh. Wonder what is in those? So, off to check out their new treasures we went.

This was so fun! We heard about stealing snacks (fish crackers and gummy worms) from "grandpa" and about finding half a map left by Captain Jack Sparrow himself! DD5 could not wait to get into the pool so she changed quickly and in the pool she went! DS could not wait to dig into his treasures. There were rings, jewels, coins, whistles, tatoos, blow up swords, sticky scorpians, eyeballs and the list goes on. Uncle got to pick out a ring too.

Finally, DD5 decides she will check out her treasures too.

Of course some haggling needed to happen between the pirates, but everything turned out just peachy. What a great day at CBR. Now, do we go back to the room and get ready for our 6:00pm ADR at Coral Reef or do we sit and enjoy the pool some more? Tough decision and taking votes wasn't helping. Stay tuned for the rest of Day 7.....do we make it to the Coral Reef or do we end up missing it again for the second vacation in a row?

 

[heaven2dc]

The kids look so cute in their pirate outfits (even baby too)! What a fun experience for them and some down time for you. Your pic of the water and sailboat is beautiful - I may have to snatch that up for my screensaver!

 

[Lbg206]

I have spent the past two days reading your TR and all I can say is WOW!! You guys have had an amazing trip and i love all the pictures and your kids are just the cutest ever. Thank you so much for putting this out there for us all to enjoy. I began writing my TR from my honeymoon trip last night, but so far no one seems to be reading. Oh well, what can you do right? Anyway, just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed all your posts and I look forward to reading more.

 

[Kelrykengab]

The kids look so cute in their pirate outfits (even baby too)! What a fun experience for them and some down time for you. Your pic of the water and sailboat is beautiful - I may have to snatch that up for my screensaver!

Welcome! Thanks for joining in and for the compliments!! Snatch away! It is funny b/c I almost didn't take that pic. I just looked around as I was walking away with my little pirates and thought "what a great picture!".

I have spent the past two days reading your TR and all I can say is WOW!! You guys have had an amazing trip and i love all the pictures and your kids are just the cutest ever. Thank you so much for putting this out there for us all to enjoy. I began writing my TR from my honeymoon trip last night, but so far no one seems to be reading. Oh well, what can you do right? Anyway, just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed all your posts and I look forward to reading more.

Welcome! Thanks so much for reading and I am thrilled that you are enjoying it so much! We were blessed with an amazing trip. Very thankful. I am going to check yours out now! It might take me awhile, but I will be reading! Oh and congrats on your marriage!!

 

[Kelrykengab]

Ok, I am freaking out a little here! I thought this would be a good place to express my cautious excitement and frustration. Here is the story. Let me first say that I realize this is a good problem to have and do not mean to "complain". So, during our trip you have been reading about I booked a bounceback offer thinking maybe I could try for the 3rd time to get my Mom to come to WDW with us. See, she doesn't really like the outside, hates heat and is not a fan of amusement parks. Why do I want her to go? Well, because as we know WDW is more than the rides and she is very close to my children and I know she would get a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the kids interact with characters etc and my kids would love having her there. I am all too aware that none of us are getting any younger after losing my Dad 5 years ago. So, I booked AKL, a resort I have always wanted to stay at and I thought what better time to do it than now with the bounceback offer, right? Also, I thought that if my Mom did end up spending any time in the room, what would be better than a room where she could see animals?? So, it was booked and we came home knowing that it would be a hard sell. Sure enough, she wasn't really going for it after a couple conversations. She did ask how long we have to cx without penalty, which is September 15th. I figured she was just asking because she wanted to make sure I got the deposit back. So, I did not make any ADRs or do any other planning and actually was planning on making the cx phone call this week. So tonight the kids were talking about Disney as usual and Nana says something about if we go in November....hold up? So she is considering going? And she says she is! Now, this is just considering. I explain that even if she is still just thinking about it we should be making ADRS and planning. So, to the computer I went and honestly, I have no idea what I ended up with. At least we have an ADR for every day. The other part of the plan for having Mom go was the fact that the xmas decorations would be up and the meals so we had to book meals which were more about the food than the characters. As you have seen previous to this post, I am all about the characters. So, anyway.....I guess there is a chance I am going this November 8-14! Again, just a chance. So, should I start checking out AKL and making plans?? I would love to book the Christmas Party, but it is non-refundable. Well, if you have read this thanks for reading and if you have any info about AKL or WDW in November I would love to hear it!

 

[Queenofallthings]

Great post, great pictures, love the treasure pics....your kiddies are beautiful.

We stayed at AKL in August of last year and absolutely loved it. We had a 2 bedroom villa and it overlooked the main pool and it was nothing but pure heaven. We used the pool everyday and I can say I would stay there again in a heartbeat!! We loved Boma, eating both breakfast and dinner there....and my favorite was......a lady comes around while your on your lounge chairs and asks if you want anything from the bar...that's right my friend....she'll bring your pina colada right to you!!!!

I hope this helps!!!!

 

[Rozz]

The photos of your children with Mickey and Minnie are fantastic! My daughter was afraid of the costumed characters and avoided them at all costs. She was okay with face characters and even agreed to meet with Ariel and get her picture made. My son could take it or leave it. I love the interaction your baby had with Minnie and Mickey!

 

[Kelrykengab]

Great post, great pictures, love the treasure pics....your kiddies are beautiful.

We stayed at AKL in August of last year and absolutely loved it. We had a 2 bedroom villa and it overlooked the main pool and it was nothing but pure heaven. We used the pool everyday and I can say I would stay there again in a heartbeat!! We loved Boma, eating both breakfast and dinner there....and my favorite was......a lady comes around while your on your lounge chairs and asks if you want anything from the bar...that's right my friend....she'll bring your pina colada right to you!!!!

I hope this helps!!!!

Hi, I was just about to go back to your TR. I last left off at page 14 and I am really enjoying it! Thanks for the nice comments about my kiddos, pics etc! I really appreciate it. AKL sounds so wonderful!! And Pina Colada deliveries?! I am there for that!!

 

[Kelrykengab]

The photos of your children with Mickey and Minnie are fantastic! My daughter was afraid of the costumed characters and avoided them at all costs. She was okay with face characters and even agreed to meet with Ariel and get her picture made. My son could take it or leave it. I love the interaction your baby had with Minnie and Mickey!

Thank you so much!! As you can see, we love characters! I have heard that there are kids that will not go near them. I was pretty sure the baby would be all over them, but you never know. Is there something special that you can do to get your picture made with a princess? Thanks for joining in!

 

[Goofy442]

Love the pictures of the Pirate cruise. Just wondering is there a age limited? I thought they did this cruise from MK. Oh you are going to love AKL, your kids are going to love waking up to the animals right out side the door. AKV is our home resort , we especially love Kidani Village.

 

[Goofy442]

Oh just a thought when we went down last year my Mom wasn't sure about going to. My Mom and Dad practically lived there, driving their motor home down and staying for months at a time. Now since my Dad's passing two years ago she wanted no part of WDW, to many memories. When I called and made my reservations I explained to them my dilemma. She told me you can add them on days before your reservation, however if you add someone on and you want to take them off they charge you for it. Not sure how many days before your reservation. So we waited and about five days before we would go she said yes and then added her on.

 

[Kelrykengab]

Love the pictures of the Pirate cruise. Just wondering is there a age limited? I thought they did this cruise from MK. Oh you are going to love AKL, your kids are going to love waking up to the animals right out side the door. AKV is our home resort , we especially love Kidani Village.

I think the age limit was 4-12, but I could be wrong. I guess this cruise runs out of a few places and lucky for us CBR was one of them. We had to be sure to specify the correct place when I made the ressie. They really loved it and actually, it seemed to be one of the highlights of the trip for them. Well, I may be asking you lots of questions about AKL. I really didn't think this trip was happening and it still might not be b/c we are only going to do it if my Mom is going. So, I have no plans and have done very little research, which is not the way I usually do things!

Oh just a thought when we went down last year my Mom wasn't sure about going to. My Mom and Dad practically lived there, driving their motor home down and staying for months at a time. Now since my Dad's passing two years ago she wanted no part of WDW, to many memories. When I called and made my reservations I explained to them my dilemma. She told me you can add them on days before your reservation, however if you add someone on and you want to take them off they charge you for it. Not sure how many days before your reservation. So we waited and about five days before we would go she said yes and then added her on.

Thanks for the info. As of right now, we are all on the ressie with 2 rooms and if mom isn't going then most likely the entire thing will be cx . I will keep you posted. I think I ended up with some pretty good ADRs considering I did them without thinking in about 5 mins after she told me she was still considering it. What do you think about these:
Tutto Italia, Marakesh, Coral Reef, Boma, Akershus, Chef Mickeys, Ohana's.
I was trying to choose places with good food and atmosphere. My Mom loves fabulous restaurants and can be hard to please. We'll see.

 

[mom3sonstt]

Ok, I am freaking out a little here! I thought this would be a good place to express my cautious excitement and frustration. Here is the story. Let me first say that I realize this is a good problem to have and do not mean to "complain". So, during our trip you have been reading about I booked a bounceback offer thinking maybe I could try for the 3rd time to get my Mom to come to WDW with us. See, she doesn't really like the outside, hates heat and is not a fan of amusement parks. Why do I want her to go? Well, because as we know WDW is more than the rides and she is very close to my children and I know she would get a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the kids interact with characters etc and my kids would love having her there. I am all too aware that none of us are getting any younger after losing my Dad 5 years ago. So, I booked AKL, a resort I have always wanted to stay at and I thought what better time to do it than now with the bounceback offer, right? Also, I thought that if my Mom did end up spending any time in the room, what would be better than a room where she could see animals?? So, it was booked and we came home knowing that it would be a hard sell. Sure enough, she wasn't really going for it after a couple conversations. She did ask how long we have to cx without penalty, which is September 15th. I figured she was just asking because she wanted to make sure I got the deposit back. So, I did not make any ADRs or do any other planning and actually was planning on making the cx phone call this week. So tonight the kids were talking about Disney as usual and Nana says something about if we go in November....hold up? So she is considering going? And she says she is! Now, this is just considering. I explain that even if she is still just thinking about it we should be making ADRS and planning. So, to the computer I went and honestly, I have no idea what I ended up with. At least we have an ADR for every day. The other part of the plan for having Mom go was the fact that the xmas decorations would be up and the meals so we had to book meals which were more about the food than the characters. As you have seen previous to this post, I am all about the characters. So, anyway.....I guess there is a chance I am going this November 8-14! Again, just a chance. So, should I start checking out AKL and making plans?? I would love to book the Christmas Party, but it is non-refundable. Well, if you have read this thanks for reading and if you have any info about AKL or WDW in November I would love to hear it!

I wouldn't worry about booking the Christmas party yet. We were there last year that same week and were able to get tickets to the Christmas party either the day before or the day of. And we will be there again this year the same time. Don;t have a calendar in front of me but we check in on the Sunday of that week and out on the Friday. So our trip overlaps a lot if not totally

 

[mom3sonstt]

I noticed a lot of your ADRs are at Epcot. Were you aware that week is the last week of the Food and Wine Festival? Nt that it makes a difference for your ADRs, but there will be other temporary options available also that week.

 

[Kelrykengab]

I wouldn't worry about booking the Christmas party yet. We were there last year that same week and were able to get tickets to the Christmas party either the day before or the day of. And we will be there again this year the same time. Don;t have a calendar in front of me but we check in on the Sunday of that week and out on the Friday. So our trip overlaps a lot if not totally

First, welcome!! Thanks so much for the info. I really appreciate it. I am used to planning like crazy and not leaving much to chance so I am trying to relax with this one and look at it as a bonus vacation if it happens. I think our dates are the Monday-Sunday as of now.

I noticed a lot of your ADRs are at Epcot. Were you aware that week is the last week of the Food and Wine Festival? Nt that it makes a difference for your ADRs, but there will be other temporary options available also that week.

I was not aware of that. I was trying to pick things that my Mom would enjoy and she can be hard to please. She and My Dad (when he was with us) are amazing cooks. I would love to hear about the other choices we could do or where I could find this info if you get a chance. Thanks!!

 

[mom3sonstt]

Well, I wish I could tell you more about it, last year, our check in day was the last day of the fesitval. So by the time we were checked in and went over there, it was dark and crowded, we were hungry and didn't want to take the time to look hubby wanted a burger so we straight to the America pavilion. But here is a link to info on last years http://allears.net/tp/ep/foodwine.htm There are no sit down places - it's a lot of booths scattered throughout World Showcase that offer smaller samplings of different foods from around the world. So instead of spending $20 to try something new only to find out you don't care for it, you spend $2 or $3 and then move on to something else. My husband is planning on going to the Golf Tourny while we are down there, so I am planning on snacking my way around the world that day!

 

[Kelrykengab]

Well, I wish I could tell you more about it, last year, our check in day was the last day of the fesitval. So by the time we were checked in and went over there, it was dark and crowded, we were hungry and didn't want to take the time to look hubby wanted a burger so we straight to the America pavilion. But here is a link to info on last years http://allears.net/tp/ep/foodwine.htm There are no sit down places - it's a lot of booths scattered throughout World Showcase that offer smaller samplings of different foods from around the world. So instead of spending $20 to try something new only to find out you don't care for it, you spend $2 or $3 and then move on to something else. My husband is planning on going to the Golf Tourny while we are down there, so I am planning on snacking my way around the world that day!

That sounds good to me! Thanks!

 

[Kelrykengab]

Well, so last we left off we were at the pool deciding if we should spend the rest of the day and night there or if we should actually make our way to our 6:00pm ADR and onto the parks. We decided to head back and get dressed to head to Epcot. We arrived at Epcot early so that gave me a chance to ride Soaring with the kids while the men enjoyed a beer with the baby (not that the baby was actually enjoying beer ). After Soaring the men headed to Mission Space and Test Track while the girls and I headed to Nemo again. DD5 loves this ride and the aquarium and baby seemed to dig it too when she had gone a couple days before. So, as usual or at least by what we have seen there was no wait and we walked right on. We took our time finding Nemo in the tanks and watching Seahorses and Electric Eels. DD5 couldn't believe that she was seeing a real- live shark swim by and I think baby could have watched the fish swim by her all day. However, we made it back out to the stroller area, where I actually had my first annoying moment of the trip. I went with the 2 girls to get my stroller, got it and instead of being in everyone's way strapping my baby in I did what we always do and made my way to the stroller exit to find a spot out of the way to get her settled. Well, there was a family consisting of a Mom about my age, her hubby, 1 child and 2 grandparents. This family decided to get the one stroller all together and then stand at the entrance/exit to the stroller area to organize their things, basically blocking the entire area. Being a Mom myself, I waited patiently while holding my baby, a stroller and holding my DD5's hand, but after a good couple minutes my eyes started to roll. This was pretty good for me b/c years ago this situation would have turned out differently. By this time there is a couple trying to get into the area who couldn't. The grandfather of the group finally notices me and says quietly to his group that he thinks they might be in the way. The grandmother looks at me and says "Oh, you want to get out, go ahead". The only way I was getting out of there was to run right thru them or the other couple getting in so I asked "And how would you like me to do this?". Then they realize that maybe they are not the only family in Epcot this night and move. The grandfather tried to say he was sorry and normally I am laid back and would've responded with some sort of comforting statement but I just left. I have little patience for people who think the world revolves around them and their needs. Ok, I apologize for my rant. I will now continue with the rest of my evening.
So, we had plans to meet infront of The Seas and the men were not back so we found a place to sit in the shade near the water while waiting. We looked at the map and watched the ducks and I was still trying to decide if we were going to make it to our ADR at Coral Reef. I knew we would be there in time, but I wasn't sure if I was willing to pay OOP for this meal b/c we had already used up all of our Table Service Credits . We did have our last gift card, but still was unsure and thought we might be better off doing something more casual this evening. So the men make it back and DS seemed a little hot and cranky and that helped make my decision. We were going to miss our ADR at Coral Reef for the second vaction in a row. We were a little dissapointed, but at the same time we thought a casual dinner outside was better and cheaper at this point.
So, we got a CS meal and then headed over to Spaceship Earth, which we skipped in 2008. I love rides that we can all ride together. Well, this ride had a short wait and it ended up that the 3 kids loved it. My two oldest loved the part at the end where your picture ends up on the screen! The baby was too short for her pic to show up .
We hung around inside Earth for a little while and we all enjoyed putting together the sarcastic human body with the 3D glasses. We managed to get the poor guy together.

Then we decided to just walk around with no plan. My DD5 was thrilled to run into the Butterfly House just 3 minutes before it closed. So we took a quick walk around but didn't miss some pix opportunities with the flower Fairies.

We only ended up being with the actual butterflies for a half a minute because DD5 had to see all the topiary Fairies.

Eventually we decided we had done enough park for the day so we headed for the exit. We needed a picture in front of the "ball" before we left. I loved the flashing Mickey ears!

So, we are on the bus and I am holding the baby and I feel my leg getting wet. I think maybe that diaper has been on a little too long . So, I whisper to my DH that we have to get off at the first stop to change the diaper before we have a worse situation. So, we get off, change the diaper and decide to take the nice long walk back to Trinidad North. It ended up being a nice, relaxing walk thru the Caribbean countries. The baby made some duck friends along the way. I think she enjoyed them as much as Mickey!

It was actually quite sweet as they ended up following us home half-way.
Then we ran into a perfect tree frog which my DS was psyched about being that his favorite animal is the frog!

Finally, it was time for the girls to retire. The boys headed to the arcade before they went off to dreamland.
Next up: Day 8 Our last park day of this trip!

 

[Queenofallthings]

It always amazes how people can be so self -centered....like nothing exists in the world but them and what they have to do!! I don't know why, but it irritates me even more when I'm at WDW!

Your pictures are beautiful. I love the fairy topiaries they are gorgeous! I think I would have done exactly what you did with skipping Coral Reef! It used to be one of our very favorite restaurants, but last summer we actually went twice, once with my sis and her family and then once with just Jasmine and I and both times it wasn't enjoyable. I don't know if they switched chefs or what, but even the service wasn't what it used to be

Can't wait to hear all about your last day!! Hope you're having a wonderful holiday weekend!!

 

[Goofy442]

I think the age limit was 4-12, but I could be wrong. I guess this cruise runs out of a few places and lucky for us CBR was one of them. We had to be sure to specify the correct place when I made the ressie. They really loved it and actually, it seemed to be one of the highlights of the trip for them. Well, I may be asking you lots of questions about AKL. I really didn't think this trip was happening and it still might not be b/c we are only going to do it if my Mom is going. So, I have no plans and have done very little research, which is not the way I usually do things!

Thanks for the info. As of right now, we are all on the ressie with 2 rooms and if mom isn't going then most likely the entire thing will be cx . I will keep you posted. I think I ended up with some pretty good ADRs considering I did them without thinking in about 5 mins after she told me she was still considering it. What do you think about these:
Tutto Italia, Marakesh, Coral Reef, Boma, Akershus, Chef Mickeys, Ohana's.
I was trying to choose places with good food and atmosphere. My Mom loves fabulous restaurants and can be hard to please. We'll see.

Coral Reef, Boma, Chef Mickey's and Ohana's are great we loved there food. The others we have not gone to, we try to do one new restaurant every time we go down.