Just back!! (2/15-2/20)

[TigrLvsPooh]

Here is our trip report!!! We had a great time… Disney is very different without our kids. We skipped a lot of things we usually would do with them and had a more “adult” vacation! We rode all the big rides, had nice dinners, and did our fair share of drinking. We missed our boys terribly, but we really enjoyed our time away. It was just like being a kid again.


Friday:
Arrived at the Clarion Universal Hotel around 7pm. The hotel was old but they had done some renovations. The lobby looked very nice with ceramic tile floor and large marble pillars, but our room was gross. They had tried to update things, but the bathroom was yucky and so was the carpet. In the hotel there was a restaurant (we didn’t eat there) and a small bakery where we did grab muffins one morning before getting on the shuttle. AAA lists this as a 3 diamond hotel, but I would call it a 2 diamond at best. After bringing our luggage to our room we changed clothes and headed to City Walk. We had dinner at Margaritaville, as well as SEVERAL drinks. After that we went to Pat O’Brien’s… I did not care for the dueling piano “singers”; they were off key and ruined every song they attempted to sing, so we left. After walking around a little more we decided to head back to the hotel and get a good nights sleep.

Saturday:
The shuttle was nice, but PACKED! It went straight to the park, and was only about a 5 minute ride. We arrived at IOA about 5 minutes before the park opened. There were a lot of people in line, but we were able to get in easily and ride Spiderman and Hulk with no wait. This is definitely a good idea because later the lines were over an hour for each. After that we had a quick breakfast and headed over to Dueling Dragons. DH rode ALONE because I chickened out. We walked around some more but decided to skip the water rides because it was cold and raining. We did Spiderman one more time and then we headed over to US. Once we got there we did Twister and MIB. My score was pitiful; dh beat me big time and rubbed it in!! We decided to have lunch so we walked all the way to City Walk only to discover that there was an hour wait everywhere!! So we walked all the way back to US and had a great lunch at Finnegan’s. I had the fish and chips and dh had the Shepard’s Pie. They had live music, which was nice, so we stayed for a while and kept out of the rain. I loved the Woodpecker cider (beer). After that we did Earthquake and King Kong before heading back to the hotel to change clothes. That night we went back to US for the Mardi gras parade, we had Jambalaya for dinner and it was really good, but HOT!! We got lots of beads and after the parade we stayed for part of the CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) concert and then went back to the hotel. Oh, and we stopped at Schwab’s on the way back to get some ice cream. YUM!!!!

Sunday:
Checked out of the Clarion and headed over to CBR. Dare I say I have a NEW favorite resort??? I really love CBR. Check-in was a breeze… we got a corner room in Martinique 24 with a pool view. The grounds around the resort are beautiful and our room was perfect. I am very picky, but I can’t think of anything negative to say about our room. It was large, clean, and well decorated. The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was spotless. I love the tile and all the color schemes. We were VERY close to the bus stop and a short walk to OPR. After that we headed to MK. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the Main Street Bakery and headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean (5 minute wait). Then on to Thunder Mountain to get a fast pass. We did Haunted Mansion and ate some McDonald’s fries to kill time. Thunder Mountain was great, as usual. We walked through Fantasyland but didn’t ride anything because it was very crowded. We decided to leave and go to MGM. The lines were also very long there, so we did The Great Movie Ride, watched the Stars in Cars parade and then headed to the Poly for dinner. Dinner at O’hanas, wonderful as usual!! I just love those chicken wings. J Oh, and the layered drink “Sand in your Pants” was delicious!! I highly recommend that one. We had a table by the window with a beautiful view of the castle. After dinner we went to Downtown Disney. Did some shopping and topped off the night with Ghiardelli’s!! Yummmm!!!

Monday:
Headed to Animal Kingdom bright and early! Road Dinosaur twice with no wait and then got a fast pass for the Safari. Ate those delicious cinnamon buns at Tusker House while we waited. The safari was great… probably the most animals I’ve ever seen in one trip. We skipped the water ride since it was a little cold and headed to Epcot. Once we got to Epcot we did Test Track (singles line) and then on to England for lunch. We all had fish and chips (YUMM!) and Bass Ale. After that we drank our way around the world! Wine in France, beer in Germany, etc. We staggered back to do The Land and Spaceship Earth! After that we did Test Track again and then went to Canada for dinner. Le Cellier was GREAT! The food was delicious (see dining report on restaurant board). After dinner we went back and did Test Track again and caught part of Illuminations. Then back to the room to crash.

Tuesday:
Our last day. We went to MGM in the morning. Hit the Rockin’ Roller Coaster (my favorite ride) and got fast passes for the Tower of Terror. Then did Who Wants to be a Millionaire, 100 Years of Walt Disney, and ate some McDonald’s fries for a snack. Did lots of shopping… bought every Buzz Lightyear thing we could find for our son!! Then went back to the hotel. DH took a nap and I walked around the resort… I took pictures, sat on the beach, had a Pina Colada, walked around Parrot Cay, checked out the pool, etc. I really like this resort. It doesn’t even seem like a moderate to me. I would definitely stay here again. The bus transportation is the best of all resorts I’ve stayed at… we never waited more than 5 minutes. We didn’t eat at the food court, but it seemed very nice and clean. Much nicer than the All Stars or POR (in my opinion). The beach area and pool are better than the Grand Floridian and the Cabana Banana Bar was great too. This is a great resort. If you are looking for a place that’s not too expensive, but still nice, then you’ll love it. I thought Martinique was the most romantic, and Jamaica seemed great for families because of the large play area and being the first bus stop back from MK and MGM. Trinidad North is also nice, but Barbados, Aruba, and Trinidad South seem pretty far away. The only negative thing I can think of are the birds. They didn’t really bother anyone, but they were a little annoying.

Next we headed to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Artist Point. I had the Salmon, as usual, and it was great. (See dining report on restaurant board). After dinner we went back to CBR to change clothes and go to E-night. I LOVED E-NIGHT!!!! It was so much fun and definitely a must for anyone who loves MK. There were a lot of people there, but no lines longer than 10 minutes. We did Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, the Haunted Mansion, and topped off the night with ice cream cookie sandwiches at the Main Street Bakery. There were lots of characters walking around, a lot more than usual, and the castle was so pretty. Splash Mountain was closed for maintenance, but it was a little too chilly to get wet anyway.

Wednesday:
Checked out and went home. We hated to leave, the weather was beautiful that day and the high was supposed to reach close to 80. But we were excited to see our boys.

That is pretty much it. If anyone has any questions about anything (Clarion, CBR, the parks, the restaurants, etc) I’ll be glad to help.

 

[onceuponadream]

I'm so glad you had a great time!! We are leaving in 15 days and your report has made it more real!! WOW--you rode Test Track 3 times in one day! Is it too fast/scary for a 5 year old? Thanks for your awesome report!

 

[DISMOMof3]

Glad to hear you ejoyed CBR so much. I have planned a short trip for May at CBR. Just me, my DS(2), and my mom. I was at AKL in Jan with my whole family, but wanted something a little less expensive this time. So you would suggest Jamica being as my DS will be with me?

 

[cottontail]

Hi, it is always nice to hear the truth about different hotels, glad you had a good time,

I have a question about the rides at universal, never been but we are thinking about going in april during our wdw trip, can you think off the top of your head about any rides that make you dizzy, at both parks, I get migraines from spinning things and visual dizzy things. Thanks,

Deb,

P.S. in epcot the ride with ellen and the dinasaurs, three of us children and I have to close our eyes during that movie with the huge ship and water, or we will be sick and ruin the day.

 

[Patio]

WOW, sounds like you had so much fun. I always like to eat at Margaritaville and IOA is a great park. It must have been neat to be alone with your dh like that. How does CBR compare to the resorts you've previously stayed at? I really enjoy CBR and stayed at AKL in Dec., but in my heart, I missed CBR. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[MadamG2U]

Thanks for the trip report. It sounds like you guys had a blast. My family and I are going in July and staying atCBR. I can't wait!

 

[Credit Man]

Great report! Thanks for posting.

 

[SeaSpray]

Erika:

I am SOOO glad you and DH had a great trip! I know you have little ones, and while you definitely missed them, it must've been great to get away with DH alone!

Secondly, I am glad you liked CBR!!!! I know you've stayed at deluxe resorts in the past, and I was hoping you would like this resort, too. We travel a lot and stay at mostly deluxe resorts, but I love CBR too, as all of you know I'm glad you got to see Martinique!

 

[susy]

I, too, was very glad that you had great things to say about CBR, since you've stayed at so many nice places! I was really worried about ASMo (we went in Jan) and I loved it. Now I can't wait to get to CBR in May. Our inlaws decided to join us, so I had to book another room for them and that is a lot of pressure because I picked the resort! I know they will like it, since they just usually stay offsite (somewhere cheap). How nice that you got to get away without the kids. I have tried twice to plan a quick trip for just DH and I , but it never works out. Maybe soon...

 

[Brenner965]

Great trip report. We enjoyed our stay at CBR two years ago and we hope to stay there again in the near future to enjoy all the nice touches that came with the recent extensive renovation project.

As far as the the birds, I'm afraid that this is universal problem at WDW. We stayed at the Polynesian in January and the number of gulls and various forms of blackbirds (crows, starlings, etc.) was incredible. When we stayed at BWV in the past, our balcony awning and chairs were plastered with guano. And what would a visit to Casey's on Main Street be without the accompanying birds hanging out on the iron fence next to the tables. I'm not sure what can be done about it, but it's always frustrating to watch fellow guests feeding their leftover french fries to these pesky creatures!

 

[cottontail]

Hey Susy:

It took hubby and I 25 years to finally get away for a weekend alone. It was nice, but part of the time I am worried what is happening at home. LOL

The car beach would be a wonderful place to go on your own. It is so pretty.

Deb.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

It's hard to compare resorts... they are all special in their own way. Honestly CBR was great, I was worried that after staying at the GF in Oct. that CBR would seem cheap and dirty, but it was wonderful. I didn't really miss anything, except maybe the monorail. Since we didn't take the boys on this trip the bus was great (no stroller!). We actually didn't spend a lot of time at the resort, since it was a short trip. We are planning to try WL next. I have always wanted to stay there. I like trying all the resorts... it makes each trip to Disney different. I think the Boardwalk is still my #1 choice, but CBR is a close second because we saved a lot of money by staying there. It's hard to justify spending $300 a night or more when the resorts are really not much better. (in my opinion) I wouldn't stay at the GF again unless I could get RPC.

Riding Test Track 3 times in one day didn't bother me one bit, I love it. I also rode Rockin' Roller Coaster 3 times and Tower of Terror 3 times. Oh, and Thunder Mountain 3 times. I don't get sick on rides. As far as rides that spin or give a "dizzy feeling" I would say anything that goes in a circle should be avoided. My Mom can't even do the carousel she gets so sick.

I think Jamaica is the best building for kids because of the larger beach and giant playground. Oh, and it's the first bus stop after MK and MGM. Trinidad North is also good because it's so close to the big pool (where most of the kids go). The other pools also had a few kids, but most of them were at the main pool. Martinique seemed good for couples or families, it's my favorite building of all.

Keep the questions coming!

 

[hoosll]

Congrats on the trip as a couple... we waited 10 years to leave the kids at home, big mistake to wait so long.

It is a totally different experience. The only disagreement we now have is whether to hit the hot tub before bed or not, hot tub usually wins!

I find that you can move faster through the parks and even do 3 parks in a day - hitting highlights - especially if you are not slowed down by character autographs with the kids.

Relaxing adult meals! Yeah - my husband did say that he wished there were a few places without any kids, but we stick to the high end places or eat at odd times and it's not too bad.

Yes, you miss the kids but you can shop for them!

 

[jlazz]

Thanks for sharing your trip report! It sounds like you had a great time! I know what you mean about enjoying some time without the kids. We are bringing the kids, but I'm totally excited that they will be old enough for the babysitting services like the Mickey Clubhouse! This means dh and I can get out for an adult dinner or two! woohoo!!!

I do have a couple of questions for you. We are planning to go this week next year, so I am wondering about the weather and the crowds. Any info you can give me on these two things would be much appreciated. I'll be traveling w/my dh and two dd's ages 4 and 6.

Thanks so much!!



Jackie

 

[cottontail]

Hi: Can someone tell me if there are any benchs outside the rooms anywhere to sit and have an early coffee, while the rest of the family is sleeping. Thanks

Deb.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

There are lots of places to have coffee while your family is sleeping. There are benches all over the resort, also lounge chairs on the beach or by the pool. Or if it's raining you can sit inside at the food court. Lots of options.

jlazz - The weather was pretty nice. It rained the first day, but it was sunny the rest of the time. One day the high was 68, the next day 70, the next day 74. I think upper 60's and low 70's are the normal average. At night it was cooler... 40's and 50's. We wore shorts during the day but jeans or pants at night. Also I always tie a sweatshirt or jacket around my waist during the day just in case. Sometimes indoor rides or shows can be cold.

 

[Boots]

Great trip report! Thanks for sharing!