Jazzabelle508
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2011
i'm in 
your t-rex dinner sounds like it was fun!
your t-rex dinner sounds like it was fun!
I Knew There Was A Reason Why I've Always Hated My Birthday - COMPLETE
- Thread starter MarieTheCat24
- Start date
disneylovin24
~Let It Go~
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2010
That rice krispie looks amazing...Im another one who will have to try it out next trip!
MarieTheCat24
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
Welcome! Thanks for joining!i'm in
Definitely.
Let's just say, if I were Stacey and I had to come up with a list of my own "Must Dos," making a Mickey Mouse Rice Crispy Treat would be #1.
MarieTheCat24
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
JULY 3RD PART ONE: CHECKING IN AT CORONADO SPRINGS
Well, this was it. After a looooong year, it was FINALLY time to get our full-blown Disney vacation on again. Yes, I know that we had done Downtown Disney the night before, so dont worry that I hit my head on a rock and suddently developed amnesia. But really, our night at DTD was more of a sticking our toes in the Disney pool kinda thing. By this point, I was more than ready to cannonball right in.
I woke up around 8:00 and ran around like a crazy person for an hour attempting to get ready. The whole getting ready process is much more difficult when youre humming Zip-a-dee-do-dah and you cant stop thinking about pirates, princesses, pooh bears, and pixie dust. Once I found an outfit that matched, de-birdnested my hair, and took the appropriate measures to make sure my breath didnt stink, we checked out and headed to Disney!
Because we didnt feel like dealing with all of the traffic from the DTD area hotels, we decided to loop around and enter The World off the highway. That meant I got to take a picture of this beautiful, beautiful thing:
Signs that say MAGIC KINGDOM are my favorite kind of signs.
I didnt get a great shot of the entrance arch, but Ill post it anyway because it is beautiful and majestic even when not driving directly under it and with a bunch of other cars in the shot.
Before long, we passed this wonderful sign (I apologize for the blurriness) and followed its instructions. Those purple Disney signs are basically my only guide in life.
We drove around some crazy loop thing and passed Blizzard Beach. Ignore the reflection of my hat and hot pink pillow in the photo.
Ive never been to Blizzard Beach before, but that skiing alligator looks like hes having quite the time. I should probably try it out.
At the next light after Blizzard Beach (or maybe 2 I cant remember) we saw this:
Woooo! Were here!
We pulled up to the guard shack and, of course, I took a picture of that as well.
We just had to show photo ID and then, voila, we were off to the parking lot.
We hopped out of the car (after I took 20 minutes to make sure I had everything I needed in my park bag) and headed into El Centro. I quite enjoyed constantly referring to El Centro. Saying it just felt so vacation-y.
Everything at CSR is so bright and cheery. Im a big fan of any teal/coral color combination, so it should come as no surprise that I fell in love with the porte-cochere (oooo big fancy word) immediately.
We headed inside and were instantly greeted with the greatest scent in the whole wide world: Disne y water. Ahhhh! Screw Laila I want a bottle of Disney water to spritz on myself every morning.
The holy Disney water smell was coming from this fabulous fountain.
Lets all just take a moment to bask in the glory of running Disney water. Its just beautiful.
I debated stripping down and jumping in the fountain to bathe in some Disney water, but ultimately decided getting kicked out of the hotel before we had even checked in wasnt worth it. But, speaking of check in
There was a bit of a line to check in, mainly because it was only 9:30-ish and there werent many CMs working. When we finally made it to the counter, we found out the real reason the whole process is INCREDIBLY slow. Weve never experienced such a slow check in. I know that they have to explain EVERYTHING in detail in case were first time guests or whatever, but MY GOD, it was a lot of information. I highly doubt first-time guests would remember any of that. There really needs to be a special line for those of us who dont need to hear the whole spiel each and every time we check in.
We also had a bit of an issue with our reservation. We had two rooms booked, but, instead of them being under ONE reservation, Disney had split them up. They were still connecting rooms, but they made Mom check into one room and Dad check into the other. It was weird. And made the whole process even longer. Boo.
They did have a birthday butt on for me though, so that was nice. Although, then I got the Oh, youre turning 21? Dont forget to drink around the world at Epcot! spiel (which, by the end of the trip, I had gotten about 8343232 times). I wanted to be, like, Do I look like I just crawled out from under a rock? I already know that! I've been reading the DIS for years, silly! but, in reality, I smiled and said That sounds like a great idea!
Our rooms werent ready yet, obviously, but our CM was able to tell us our location. We were in Ranchos 6A. Keep that in mind. Itll come up again about 100 updates from now.
With our Keys to the World and TWO giant folders of information in hand, we headed over to Café Rix (one of CSRs counter service locations) to get something to eat.
I almost died when I saw that. Gelato is a gift from the heavens.
I settled on a blueberry muffin and a bottle of apple juice. Mom got some sort of pastry as well and a diet coke. Dad wasnt hungry, so he headed outside to find us a table by the lake. Because we were already there, we decided to go ahead and buy our refillable mugs as well.
When we headed outside, I dumped everything on the table, and whipped out my camera to take a few pictures of the gorgeous lake.
Then, I allowed myself to devour the muffin. Heres a picture. Ignore the bite thats been taken out of it.
Heres a picture Dad took of us while we were eating:
As you can see, Im sitting like the crazy person I am. That is because those GIANT white birds were around (the ones Ive not so affectionately named Big Whities) and those things terrify me. I had a horrible experience with one about 9 years ago, so, basically, Ill do anything I can to avoid them.
Or, as an alternate explanation, just pretend Im owling or whatever the kids are calling it these days. Speaking of which, I have been owling for years. Its a really comfortable way to sit. I mean, I dont climb up in trees or whatever these kids do, but I do tend to sit that way a lot.
CONTINUED IN NEXT POST~
Well, this was it. After a looooong year, it was FINALLY time to get our full-blown Disney vacation on again. Yes, I know that we had done Downtown Disney the night before, so dont worry that I hit my head on a rock and suddently developed amnesia. But really, our night at DTD was more of a sticking our toes in the Disney pool kinda thing. By this point, I was more than ready to cannonball right in.
I woke up around 8:00 and ran around like a crazy person for an hour attempting to get ready. The whole getting ready process is much more difficult when youre humming Zip-a-dee-do-dah and you cant stop thinking about pirates, princesses, pooh bears, and pixie dust. Once I found an outfit that matched, de-birdnested my hair, and took the appropriate measures to make sure my breath didnt stink, we checked out and headed to Disney!
Because we didnt feel like dealing with all of the traffic from the DTD area hotels, we decided to loop around and enter The World off the highway. That meant I got to take a picture of this beautiful, beautiful thing:
Signs that say MAGIC KINGDOM are my favorite kind of signs.
I didnt get a great shot of the entrance arch, but Ill post it anyway because it is beautiful and majestic even when not driving directly under it and with a bunch of other cars in the shot.
Before long, we passed this wonderful sign (I apologize for the blurriness) and followed its instructions. Those purple Disney signs are basically my only guide in life.
We drove around some crazy loop thing and passed Blizzard Beach. Ignore the reflection of my hat and hot pink pillow in the photo.
Ive never been to Blizzard Beach before, but that skiing alligator looks like hes having quite the time. I should probably try it out.
At the next light after Blizzard Beach (or maybe 2 I cant remember) we saw this:
Woooo! Were here!
We pulled up to the guard shack and, of course, I took a picture of that as well.
We just had to show photo ID and then, voila, we were off to the parking lot.
We hopped out of the car (after I took 20 minutes to make sure I had everything I needed in my park bag) and headed into El Centro. I quite enjoyed constantly referring to El Centro. Saying it just felt so vacation-y.
Everything at CSR is so bright and cheery. Im a big fan of any teal/coral color combination, so it should come as no surprise that I fell in love with the porte-cochere (oooo big fancy word) immediately.
We headed inside and were instantly greeted with the greatest scent in the whole wide world: Disne y water. Ahhhh! Screw Laila I want a bottle of Disney water to spritz on myself every morning.
The holy Disney water smell was coming from this fabulous fountain.
Lets all just take a moment to bask in the glory of running Disney water. Its just beautiful.
I debated stripping down and jumping in the fountain to bathe in some Disney water, but ultimately decided getting kicked out of the hotel before we had even checked in wasnt worth it. But, speaking of check in
There was a bit of a line to check in, mainly because it was only 9:30-ish and there werent many CMs working. When we finally made it to the counter, we found out the real reason the whole process is INCREDIBLY slow. Weve never experienced such a slow check in. I know that they have to explain EVERYTHING in detail in case were first time guests or whatever, but MY GOD, it was a lot of information. I highly doubt first-time guests would remember any of that. There really needs to be a special line for those of us who dont need to hear the whole spiel each and every time we check in.
We also had a bit of an issue with our reservation. We had two rooms booked, but, instead of them being under ONE reservation, Disney had split them up. They were still connecting rooms, but they made Mom check into one room and Dad check into the other. It was weird. And made the whole process even longer. Boo.
They did have a birthday butt on for me though, so that was nice. Although, then I got the Oh, youre turning 21? Dont forget to drink around the world at Epcot! spiel (which, by the end of the trip, I had gotten about 8343232 times). I wanted to be, like, Do I look like I just crawled out from under a rock? I already know that! I've been reading the DIS for years, silly! but, in reality, I smiled and said That sounds like a great idea!
Our rooms werent ready yet, obviously, but our CM was able to tell us our location. We were in Ranchos 6A. Keep that in mind. Itll come up again about 100 updates from now.
With our Keys to the World and TWO giant folders of information in hand, we headed over to Café Rix (one of CSRs counter service locations) to get something to eat.
I almost died when I saw that. Gelato is a gift from the heavens.
I settled on a blueberry muffin and a bottle of apple juice. Mom got some sort of pastry as well and a diet coke. Dad wasnt hungry, so he headed outside to find us a table by the lake. Because we were already there, we decided to go ahead and buy our refillable mugs as well.
When we headed outside, I dumped everything on the table, and whipped out my camera to take a few pictures of the gorgeous lake.
Then, I allowed myself to devour the muffin. Heres a picture. Ignore the bite thats been taken out of it.
Heres a picture Dad took of us while we were eating:
As you can see, Im sitting like the crazy person I am. That is because those GIANT white birds were around (the ones Ive not so affectionately named Big Whities) and those things terrify me. I had a horrible experience with one about 9 years ago, so, basically, Ill do anything I can to avoid them.
Or, as an alternate explanation, just pretend Im owling or whatever the kids are calling it these days. Speaking of which, I have been owling for years. Its a really comfortable way to sit. I mean, I dont climb up in trees or whatever these kids do, but I do tend to sit that way a lot.
CONTINUED IN NEXT POST~
MarieTheCat24
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
While we were eating, Katie called to tell us that she and Wade landed safely and were about to board the Magical Express. Since we still had a bit of time to kill, we decided to go inside and check out the gift shop.
The merchandise was mix of standard Disney fare and stuff you can buy at the Mexico pavilion in World Showcase. It wasnt really anything special. But its really fun to say Panchitos. Panchitos. Pan-CHI-tos. Paaaan-CHIIIII-toooooos.
Eventually, Mom and I sat down by (on) the fountain to relax. I took this photo of Dad taking a photo.
You can also see the giant display of standard Disney merch. It was quite colorful.
Heres one of the pictures Dad took of Mom and I.
Again, Im sitting like a weirdo. This time I cant use the Big Whities as an excuse though. I was just flat-out sitting like a weirdo.
At this point, Katie texted Mom that they were almost to Disney, so we decided to move to a bench outside. Dad walked around and took some more pictures of El Centros exterior.
After about 10 minutes, a Magical Express bus pulled up, and Katie and Wade hopped right off. They were starving, so we headed back inside so they could get something from Café Rix. I think they wound up splitting a sandwich.
With their bellies full, we decided it was FINALLY time to head to the Magic Kingdom. But first, we had to move the car. Because Wade wanted to change shoes, he went with Dad to the car and they drove over to the Ranchos. Mom, Katie, and I hoofed it over there.
We were walking kinda fast, but I managed to take a few pictures
Im not gonna lie, it was a bit of a hike. I had (obviously) read many reviews when we booked that warned of long walks, but I just thought Really? How bad can it be? It wasnt as horrible as they said, but, at the same time, it wasnt quite what I expected either. I mean, I was quite sweaty by the time we made it to the Ranchos. In the cooler months, its probably not as bad, but in the summer? Eh
We later learned that crossing the bridge by the cabanas and walking past the main pool was a lot quicker. Thank god. If I had to do the Ranchos to El Centro walk via the Casitas again, I may have passed out.
Drenched in sweat, we met up with Dad and Wade and headed to the bus stop.
We had to wait a while for a Magic Kingdom bus to arrive. I wasnt timing it, but we were there for a bit. It felt so weird to be waiting for a Magic Kingdom bus. Up until this trip we were MK resort area snobs, so we were used to taking either the monorail or a boat.
When the bus finally pulled up, we all hopped on. Then, the bus stopped at the Cabanas and more people hopped on. Then, the bus stopped at El Centro and a gajillion people hopped on. It was packed. Seriously, seriously packed. But we were off to the Magic Kingdom and I wasnt gonna let the fact that some womans giant backpack kept hitting me in the head ruin that.
UP NEXT: Trains and Trains and Boats and Boats
The merchandise was mix of standard Disney fare and stuff you can buy at the Mexico pavilion in World Showcase. It wasnt really anything special. But its really fun to say Panchitos. Panchitos. Pan-CHI-tos. Paaaan-CHIIIII-toooooos.
Eventually, Mom and I sat down by (on) the fountain to relax. I took this photo of Dad taking a photo.
You can also see the giant display of standard Disney merch. It was quite colorful.
Heres one of the pictures Dad took of Mom and I.
Again, Im sitting like a weirdo. This time I cant use the Big Whities as an excuse though. I was just flat-out sitting like a weirdo.
At this point, Katie texted Mom that they were almost to Disney, so we decided to move to a bench outside. Dad walked around and took some more pictures of El Centros exterior.
After about 10 minutes, a Magical Express bus pulled up, and Katie and Wade hopped right off. They were starving, so we headed back inside so they could get something from Café Rix. I think they wound up splitting a sandwich.
With their bellies full, we decided it was FINALLY time to head to the Magic Kingdom. But first, we had to move the car. Because Wade wanted to change shoes, he went with Dad to the car and they drove over to the Ranchos. Mom, Katie, and I hoofed it over there.
We were walking kinda fast, but I managed to take a few pictures
Im not gonna lie, it was a bit of a hike. I had (obviously) read many reviews when we booked that warned of long walks, but I just thought Really? How bad can it be? It wasnt as horrible as they said, but, at the same time, it wasnt quite what I expected either. I mean, I was quite sweaty by the time we made it to the Ranchos. In the cooler months, its probably not as bad, but in the summer? Eh
We later learned that crossing the bridge by the cabanas and walking past the main pool was a lot quicker. Thank god. If I had to do the Ranchos to El Centro walk via the Casitas again, I may have passed out.
Drenched in sweat, we met up with Dad and Wade and headed to the bus stop.
We had to wait a while for a Magic Kingdom bus to arrive. I wasnt timing it, but we were there for a bit. It felt so weird to be waiting for a Magic Kingdom bus. Up until this trip we were MK resort area snobs, so we were used to taking either the monorail or a boat.
When the bus finally pulled up, we all hopped on. Then, the bus stopped at the Cabanas and more people hopped on. Then, the bus stopped at El Centro and a gajillion people hopped on. It was packed. Seriously, seriously packed. But we were off to the Magic Kingdom and I wasnt gonna let the fact that some womans giant backpack kept hitting me in the head ruin that.
UP NEXT: Trains and Trains and Boats and Boats
disneylovin24
~Let It Go~
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2010
That gelato looks amazing! Im loving all of the Coronado Springs pics
mom2munchkins
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2008
Coronado looks really nice. I'd like to stay there one day.
IheartDDuck
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
I know what you mean about the long hikes at Coronado. When we stayed there it felt like the bus stop was miles away.
Yay to finally "really" being at Disney. I agree, DTD doesn't really count.
Yay to finally "really" being at Disney. I agree, DTD doesn't really count.
Nermel9
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2009
Glad you're finally at Disney World!!! 
Coronado Springs looks so beautiful! After reading your update and seeing the pictures, I seriously contemplated changing my October reservation from WL to CSR!
LOL, I love how afraid of those giant white birds you are! I don't know how you are ever able to eat anything outside at WDW!
Coronado Springs looks so beautiful! After reading your update and seeing the pictures, I seriously contemplated changing my October reservation from WL to CSR!
LOL, I love how afraid of those giant white birds you are! I don't know how you are ever able to eat anything outside at WDW!
onelilspark
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2008
I think it takes a special kind of Disney nut to get excited over the smell of water and road signs.
That being said, this remains as one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken:
That being said, this remains as one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken:
JessicaFaye508
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2008
EEEEE Disney EEEE Coronado Springs! SO PRETTY! 
I have never been there... but we dropped people off on my Mother Daughter trip from the Magical Express so I saw the outside. BEAUTIFUL! 
Your camera takes lovely pictures by the way - love the palm tree one. That gelato looks fantastic... yum. I want it.
I can't wait for the next update
EEEE Coronado Springs! SO PRETTY! I have never been there... but we dropped people off on my Mother Daughter trip from the Magical Express so I saw the outside. BEAUTIFUL! Your camera takes lovely pictures by the way - love the palm tree one. That gelato looks fantastic... yum. I want it.I can't wait for the next update
heathers4um
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
A few quick points:
Loving the owling - youre not weird, youre unconventional and I love to sit weird ways too!
Laila...My absolute fave. DBF bought me the entire set last time we were there in Feb and I have put it on the birthday list to get again. There's no other scent quite like it - well, except perfune de agua de disney!
The gift shop looks so festive - cant help but grin when you see that donkey! Im a fan of teal/coral combos too - its just so fresh looking!
and finally, I really want to curl up into that hammock now. Cant wait to see pics of the rooms!
Loving the owling - youre not weird, youre unconventional and I love to sit weird ways too!
Laila...My absolute fave. DBF bought me the entire set last time we were there in Feb and I have put it on the birthday list to get again. There's no other scent quite like it - well, except perfune de agua de disney!
The gift shop looks so festive - cant help but grin when you see that donkey! Im a fan of teal/coral combos too - its just so fresh looking!
and finally, I really want to curl up into that hammock now. Cant wait to see pics of the rooms!
MarieTheCat24
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
Thanks!That gelato looks amazing! Im loving all of the Coronado Springs pics
And the gelato was definitely amazing. Aw, I'm sorry about your un-Disney day. But I'm glad I could add a touch of Disney magic to it.
It was wonderful. We were a tiny bit hesitant because, as I mentioned before, we're Deluxe snobs, but we found that CSR was just as nice as the Deluxes.
I love the theme as well. Everything is so colorful. Plus, the Ranchos section reminded me of BTMRR. They should play a "Hang on to your hats and glasses, folks, 'cause this here's the wildest RESORT in the wilderness" every time you exit the bus.
We were lucky because the bus stop wasn't that far from our room. The only bad part was walking to and from El Centro. Thankfully, we didn't have to make that trek too often.
CSR is beautiful. The rooms were quiet and relaxing, the main pool was HUGE, and the transportation was excellent. Seriously. It was the best bus service we've ever had. That said, I think I'd still rank WL (I've stayed there twice and loved it both times) ahead of CSR on my favorite resorts list (The Poly is #1). Would I hesitate to stay at CSR again? No. But there's just something about the Deluxes that makes your vacation feel extra...well, deluxe.Glad you're finally at Disney World!!!
Coronado Springs looks so beautiful! After reading your update and seeing the pictures, I seriously contemplated changing my October reservation from WL to CSR!
LOL, I love how afraid of those giant white birds you are! I don't know how you are ever able to eat anything outside at WDW!
I'm not.
Well, I try, but I typically spend the entire meal prepared to run away if one gets too close.
MarieTheCat24
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
You'll love CSR. It's a great resort.Oh my goodness....I LOVE all of the pictures of CSR!!!! I am getting really excited about staying there!
Wahoo for being on your way to Magic Kingdom!!!!
That's awesome. You should get that blown up and framed.I think it takes a special kind of Disney nut to get excited over the smell of water and road signs.
That being said, this remains as one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken:
It's a very pretty resort. I mean, I expected it to be pretty, but it was even more gorgeous in person. It was so bright and cheery...Perfect for a summer vacation.EEEEE Disney
I can't wait for the next update
Yep, that lake is HUGE too. You can typically rent boats and stuff there, but, for some reason, the marina was closed during our stay.
When I think of Disney, I think of the Disney water smell. It's heaven.Ahhhh, Disney water...it really is a bit of heaven, isn't it?! My family thinks I'm crazy whenever I bring it up, but so glad that there's so many of us out there that can relate to that magical smell!
Laila is amazing. Every year I say I'm going to buy a bottle, but I never actually do.A few quick points:
Loving the owling - youre not weird, youre unconventional and I love to sit weird ways too!
Laila...My absolute fave. DBF bought me the entire set last time we were there in Feb and I have put it on the birthday list to get again. There's no other scent quite like it - well, except perfune de agua de disney!
The gift shop looks so festive - cant help but grin when you see that donkey! Im a fan of teal/coral combos too - its just so fresh looking!
and finally, I really want to curl up into that hammock now. Cant wait to see pics of the rooms!
Perfume de Agua de Disney
They REALLY need to start selling that. 
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
YAY for getting your full-blown Disney Vacation on! 
Love those Magic Kingdom signs, they truly are the best and that entrance as well. It's grandeur withstands all. I mean, that's the part of the trip leading into excitement and sadness from beginning to end, so... it does have power over Disney World guests hahahaha Same with Disney water... though I think anything Disney related has undeniable powers hahahaha
CSR looks so nice! The views around the place are gorgeous. Sorry you had to wait so long to get checked-in. Why would they split up into two reservations? That's crazy. Good thing your parents did the check-in at the same time
Cafe Rix looks like it has some great desserts. I spotted some Creme Bruleegoodvibes) and that Gelato sounds really good. I really want to try some. Maybe that will be my reason to go to CSR on my next trip hmmm... The muffin looks good too, btw hahahah
Sorry you had to take that long walk to your room. At least, it was all for the final trip to the Magic Kingdom! Hopefully the bus ride wasn't too bad
Can't wait to read more!
Love those Magic Kingdom signs, they truly are the best and that entrance as well. It's grandeur withstands all. I mean, that's the part of the trip leading into excitement and sadness from beginning to end, so... it does have power over Disney World guests hahahaha Same with Disney water... though I think anything Disney related has undeniable powers hahahahaCSR looks so nice! The views around the place are gorgeous. Sorry you had to wait so long to get checked-in. Why would they split up into two reservations? That's crazy. Good thing your parents did the check-in at the same time
Cafe Rix looks like it has some great desserts. I spotted some Creme Brulee
goodvibes) and that Gelato sounds really good. I really want to try some. Maybe that will be my reason to go to CSR on my next trip hmmm... The muffin looks good too, btw hahahahSorry you had to take that long walk to your room. At least, it was all for the final trip to the Magic Kingdom!
Hopefully the bus ride wasn't too bad Can't wait to read more!
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