Magical Grand Gathering Trip with Pics. Completed

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Awesome start!

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Yay! So glad you started your report before I leave. That is great that you were able to get an early start and drive straight through! The hotel looks great! Looking forward to more!

 

[kaysmommie]

Yay! So glad you started your report before I leave. That is great that you were able to get an early start and drive straight through! The hotel looks great! Looking forward to more!

I hope you are packed because your light is still on . I hope you and Samantha have a fabulous time at Disney .

 

[kaysmommie]

Yeah for driving straight thru!! I've got soooo long to go but i'm already trying to figure out how to get there earlier!!

Can't wait for more!!

Earlier is always better. this way we could relaxe the whole day Saturday.

Great start Nichole! Woo-Hoo for being soooo close to WDW! Don't worry about the lunchables, anything goes on vacation right! Poor Kaylee looks tired and sad in that pic. I am glad you started and can't wait for more!

We let them get away with eating junk on vacation. but even my kids get tired of those kid choice on the dining plan. Kaylee wanted steak and potatoes by the 4th day. Yes she does look sad and tired in that picture.

Great start girl!!!!!!!

I can't wait to read the rest!

Thanks, going to post a bit more now before I have to pick up kaylee from school.

Awesome start!

Hi Lessa and thanks for reading

 

[mkluvsmickey]

I hope you are packed because your light is still on . I hope you and Samantha have a fabulous time at Disney .

LOL - I am packed - just have to load the car but don't want to freak out the dogs with the suitcases just yet! So, I'm trying to make time pass quicker by DISing!

 

[kaysmommie]

Check in day.....

The next morning we checked out around 9 AM and decided to grab some Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Then we headed back to Disney property to check into what would be home for the next 8 nights..

We parked by the customs house to check in which is seperate from the rest of the resort. We waited only 1 minute to check in since it was only 10AM. A new CM checked us in and she was slow since she was still learning. But at least another CM was helped her though. Everything turned out great. Our room was ready!!! this has never happened in all our Disney trips, our room is never ready before 3PM . The CM told me we would be in Martinique 25 and on the second floor. We did pay for a preferred location but I did request Martinique since the rooms had been refurbed recently to a Nemo theme. We drove around to find our room and decided we would just bring up our own luggage rather than wait to have a bellman bring it later. This way we could unpack right away.

I thought the rooms were cute and it was clean too. Of course I still did clorox wiped everything and did the dreaded bedbug check . Didn't find anything . Our view was fine it was like a courtyard then far in the distance you could see the parking lot. But it was fine since there are no balconies anyway. This resort would really looks like a fw of the resorts in th caribbean I have been to, they did have balconies and ocean views though . But it looks really authentic to me.

Our view

After unpacking we got ready to check out the new pool area. It was really a fun pool with zero entry and several slides. It was pretty packed though and it was not even noon. Thomas immediately wanted to go over to the pirate ship. Tom took him over and I took Kaylee to get a Hairwrap since they a stand right by the pool area. She loves to get one every year.

Thomas had fun on the slides but when I went to get him I noticed his ankle had a big gash in it and was bleeding . Tom of course had no idea how he got hurt on the slide. So I had to get him bandaids and neosporin from the room. He said it didn't hurt much though it looked horrible. That pirate play area turned out to a free for all for bratty kids who's parents hardly watch them . It would just get so crowded in th afternoons and bigger kids would continue to go up the slides while little ones were trying to come down. I think some people just teach thier kids manners. So we spent as little time here as possible. Maybe they need to assign a lifeguard/babysitter to watch some of the unruly kids. The main pool was nicer anyway and Thomas enjoyed going down the bigger slides as long as daddy caught him at the end.

I will try to finish day 1 later today since I don't want to be late to get Kaylee from school.

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Yay - another update just before I'm headed out!

Your room at CBR looks great - I read your review on the resort board also - so glad you were happy there!

The new pool looks awesome!

Samantha likes to get a hairwrap right away too - in fact, she'll be getting one tonight!

Thanks for the update! "See" you next week!

 

[mom2mek]

Great updates Nichole! I think you did good keeping your CBR reservation! It looks very nice! Nice to hear you drove all the way through that night! It's sounding that it made for a great relaxing day the next day! Sorry Thomas got hurt on the slide! Daddies can be so oblivious sometimes, can't they?

Can't wait to read more....

Sara

 

[snowwhite325]

The new rooms at CBR look very nice! I can't wait to read more

 

[Disneychix]

It really does look nice at CBR. DId you find it too overwhelming? Maybe I'll put this one on the backburner until DS is a bit older.

Parents who don't watch their kids are all over the WDW pools! We had 10 year olds in the teeny kiddie pool at POFQ who wouldn't quit wrestling and throwing water everywhere. Come on! There's babies in there!

 

[Poohtigeey]

Yay, you've started your report! We stayed at Caribbean on our honeymoon. I'd like to try it again sometime. Doubletree looks nice too. Not Disney, but nice. Can't wait to read all about it, and hear what you thought of that weird girl Sara! Was she laughing hysterically holding a martini? That's what she looked like when I met her! (Love ya, Sara)

 

[kaysmommie]

Yay - another update just before I'm headed out!

Your room at CBR looks great - I read your review on the resort board also - so glad you were happy there!

The new pool looks awesome!

Samantha likes to get a hairwrap right away too - in fact, she'll be getting one tonight!

Thanks for the update! "See" you next week!

Hopefully you are on your way to a really fun long weekend at Disney .

Great updates Nichole! I think you did good keeping your CBR reservation! It looks very nice! Nice to hear you drove all the way through that night! It's sounding that it made for a great relaxing day the next day! Sorry Thomas got hurt on the slide! Daddies can be so oblivious sometimes, can't they?

Can't wait to read more....

Sara

Thanks Sara,
Our first full day was great! I think men are always oblivious but I guess I better get used to it . He didn't think it was weird that I recognized someone from Dis on our trip or that I had your cell number. I think by now he realizes how much I'm on here reading everyones trippies. Tom only asked who you were because I said 3 Dissers are going to be there the same time as us. I'm so rude, I didn't even introduce you. But since we just happened to be in the same ride line I didn't really have to time to think.

The new rooms at CBR look very nice! I can't wait to read more

Thanks for reading.

It really does look nice at CBR. DId you find it too overwhelming? Maybe I'll put this one on the backburner until DS is a bit older.

Parents who don't watch their kids are all over the WDW pools! We had 10 year olds in the teeny kiddie pool at POFQ who wouldn't quit wrestling and throwing water everywhere. Come on! There's babies in there!

I didn't think it was overwhelming at all. I'm just used to be on the monorail, so the buses got on my nerves afte a while. So we drove our own car sometimes. That is such a shame when rude people have no consideration for others , sorry you dealt with that too. Your DS is little yet so maybe in a couple years when he can hold his own on that Pirate ship or you have to be telling a few of the kids some pool rules . Love your new Avatar pic, your DS is so cute!

Yay, you've started your report! We stayed at Caribbean on our honeymoon. I'd like to try it again sometime. Doubletree looks nice too. Not Disney, but nice. Can't wait to read all about it, and hear what you thought of that weird girl Sara! Was she laughing hysterically holding a martini? That's what she looked like when I met her! (Love ya, Sara)

Hi Monica,
Caribbean was nice enough. I like tropical themes that is why I picked it over the other moderates. We did have lunch at CSR and I was glad I decided against it, though the food was excellent in the foodcourt there. Your too funny. I saw Sara on line for Buzz lightyear, so none of us had any Martini's since MK doesn't serve them.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Hey Nichole!

Great start. I'm still catching up on laundry. We got in late last night. I love Kaylees hairwrap. Morgan got one too! Wish we would have met up but sounds like you guys were sick when we would have been able to run into you.

 

[Kimberly815]

Great Start! That's awesome that your room was ready right away, and the new Nemo rooms look super cute.

 

[kaysmommie]

Hey Nichole!

Great start. I'm still catching up on laundry. We got in late last night. I love Kaylees hairwrap. Morgan got one too! Wish we would have met up but sounds like you guys were sick when we would have been able to run into you.

Hi Shawna,
Glad to hear you had a great time at Disney. Our plans got switched around alot after Thomas got better. It's too bad we didn't end up meeting. We didn't go to Typhoon Lagoon at all and went to HS on Friday. Also we had to change our WCC ressie to a lunch so we could go to MNSSHP friday night. Thursday was a wash out and I didn't want to keep Thomas there in the downpour with him just getting better from a fever. Saturday I started feeling run down with a sinus infection and Kaylee vomited on the ride home . We still had some good times though between everyone getting sick. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your trip!!

Great Start! That's awesome that your room was ready right away, and the new Nemo rooms look super cute.

Hi Kimberly
Thanks for reading!

 

[hlrababy]

Great update!!! I love the pirate ship, but I wouldn't be around the bratty no mannered kids!!

 

[kaysmommie]

Day 1 Continued...


We spent about 1 hour in the pool and grabbed lunch from the foodcourt and ate outside in the courtyard area near Old Port Royale. It was such a nice day out on Friday.

After lunch the kids wanted to go back to the pool. We made friends with a family who were also from the same area in NJ we are from. Tom and I enjoyed chatting with them since we had lots in common and kids almost the same ages. Kaylee made friends with their DD immediately. Seems like everyday she found lots of friends by the pool. Guess it's a girl thing .

I had offered Kaylee a Non-Alcoholic Pina Colada from the pool bar if she got out of the pool. She couldn't wait to try out one of hammocks while she enjoyed her drink.

Martinique section, where we stayed.

We decided to take out one of those Surrey bikes since we never have on any of our trips to Disney. Also thought it would be a fun way to see the resort. My kids couldn't reach the pedals yet so Kaylee sat with us and Thomas rode in the front since he is little. He loved ringing the bell to let people know we were coming . I took tons of pics on the ride around the resort, but I will just post a few.


This is where the boat and bike rentals are.

Jamaica section of the resort.. which is the prettiest IMO.

here is one of many of the quiet pools.

After the Surrey bike we went back to shower and change for dinner. We planned on CS tonight in DTD since we were having a big long sit down dinner tomorrow at AK. We took our first bus ride and waited maybe 15 minutes. Since I heard good things about Wolfgang Puck Express I thought we would try it. I didn't take pics of our food, sorry I was hungry . I had the rosemary chicken, Tom had Spaghetti & meatballs, Thomas had kids spaghetti since they don't offer Mac & Cheese for kids. Kaylee had chicken & fries again. Everyone liked their food. One of the cashiers inside had a nasty attitude but other than that it was good. I think this trip I only saw 2 CM's that were rude, and the rest were terrific and nice.


After dinner I tried to get a good picture by the Christmas shop of the kids but it just wasn't working out.

It was a very busy Friday night at DTD, it was hard to even walk through the crowds. So we just went in a few shops. Of course we went to World of Disney and left quickly because it was so busy. We bought a few things at Once Upon a toy. Thomas wanted a remote control McQueen car. Kaylee and I filled another box with Potato head parts that we don't have already. We still could hardly fit them in there though. The next thing on our list was Goofy's Candy Co to make our own treats. Just Kaylee and Thomas did this because the grown ups were stuffed.



Kaylee made the chocolate fudge cookie topped with Peanut Butter cups.

Thomas made a gingerbread mickey with chocolate, rainbow sprinkles and caramel drizzle.

We were all so tired after a fun first day. So we went back to CBR and to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be a a rope drop at AK and the Safari Grand gathering Dinner with friends. Of course the kids really wanted to go to MK for the first day. I thought about switching our plans around but figured I would just see in the morning if they were willing to go to AK first like we planned.

Up next: What park did we end up going to in the AM???
Safari Celebration Dinner in the rain.

 

[kaysmommie]

Great update!!! I love the pirate ship, but I wouldn't be around the bratty no mannered kids!!

Me either .

 

[Disneychix]

What a great day! Great job with the surrey bikes. There's no way I could pedal my family around the resort!

We didn't have any luck getting a Christmas picture either Maybe someday...

You're making me sooo hungry for one of those Goofy's treats. We might try to do that at our next family party. Seems really easy to copy and set up at home!

 

[Poohtigeey]

Yay Nichole! You're updating like crazy!! I have never been to Goofy's Candy Co. I might have to check it out in December. Looks yummy. More please!