Seriously...You're Going Again?! Yep!! The Final Wrap-Up!!! 12.26.13

[shan23877]

The bright, cheerful landscaping and buildings were my favorite part of CBR. I don't think we'll get to stay there again though because my DH fell completely in love with POR this trip. And, he says that POFQ is his second favorite. I'm surprised that they put those pirate rooms so far from the main areas since you have to pay a premium for them. That's disappointing. We were in Aruba 51 and I thought it was a great location. It's a huge resort though. I was shocked that internal buses were necessary!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Foodallergymom]

Following. What is it about fellow Mississippians not realizing that it's impossible to go too often?

 

[kastoney]

As a DC girl great decision to head to the world. While I love my city we had snow TWICE in March. Can't wait to tag along on your non-DC adventures.

 

[GrammyJudy]

Your children are beautiful! I am enjoying your report and your photos. We are planning on Pofq but thought about Cbr but the size is scary. We stayed there years ago and We are older now and traveling 3 generations. I see you are going again for Thanksgiving...where are you staying? We arrive the day after Thanksgiving.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Ahhh pictures of the CBR! Just what I needed on a gloomy day in a law office. You took some great pictures!

Ya'll must have been in one of the very furthest pirate room buildings to have a 15 minute walk. My longest walk from over there was about 7 minutes. Had they had the pirate rooms back when we first stayed at the CBR, we probably would have stayed in one. Now that Hunter's older, there's no need to pay that extra money for one.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

How great that your room was ready. I so wish I was in driving distance to WDW.

Haha, love the comparative pics at Denny's. Could not have been more opposite. Girl's win!!

Thank you for the photo tour of CBR. I've never been and it does look lovely.

 

[TinksThree]

The bright, cheerful landscaping and buildings were my favorite part of CBR. I don't think we'll get to stay there again though because my DH fell completely in love with POR this trip. And, he says that POFQ is his second favorite. I'm surprised that they put those pirate rooms so far from the main areas since you have to pay a premium for them. That's disappointing. We were in Aruba 51 and I thought it was a great location. It's a huge resort though. I was shocked that internal buses were necessary!

Can't wait to hear more!

Keith loves PO Riverside! We liked POFQ but I think POR just holds a special place since it was one of the first we stayed in. I have thought several times that I may never see a place again due to Keith's opinion but usually it is restaurants!

Following. What is it about fellow Mississippians not realizing that it's impossible to go too often?

Welcome!! I know! Mississippi isn't that far!!

As a DC girl great decision to head to the world. While I love my city we had snow TWICE in March. Can't wait to tag along on your non-DC adventures.

I think there was snow the week before and we were so thankful we had changed our plans! Although I love DC and was disappointed in not being able to go since it has been a few years. Welcome to the TR!

Your children are beautiful! I am enjoying your report and your photos. We are planning on Pofq but thought about Cbr but the size is scary. We stayed there years ago and We are older now and traveling 3 generations. I see you are going again for Thanksgiving...where are you staying? We arrive the day after Thanksgiving.

Thank you!! Right now we are at PO Riverside but I am contemplating staying there or switching to Boardwalk since the military discounts came out Monday. But I am having to decide on my own and sometimes I can't make up my mind! I am struggling between mind and heart! Our dates are up in the air since Chris will be graduating around that time from basic...but right now we will be there through Sunday, December 1!!

Ahhh pictures of the CBR! Just what I needed on a gloomy day in a law office. You took some great pictures!

Ya'll must have been in one of the very furthest pirate room buildings to have a 15 minute walk. My longest walk from over there was about 7 minutes. Had they had the pirate rooms back when we first stayed at the CBR, we probably would have stayed in one. Now that Hunter's older, there's no need to pay that extra money for one.

We were pretty gloomy here today too. Glad the pictures of CBR perked up your day some!! I think we were at almost the furthest point possible!! We had to plan time just to walk places. I would only pay extra if i had a little one. Since it was a free upgrade, it was worth staying there once but it was a little cutesy!

How great that your room was ready. I so wish I was in driving distance to WDW.

Haha, love the comparative pics at Denny's. Could not have been more opposite. Girl's win!!

Thank you for the photo tour of CBR. I've never been and it does look lovely.

I felt so lucky having that room ready...and so thankful!!! I am in a Disney chat group and last year someone from Novia Scotia drove to Orlando...straight through!! They gave a play by play of each stop. It was fun to follow but I was exhausted thinking about that drive!!

CBR is really a beautiful resort. One day I hope to go back and get closer to really enjoy it! oh...and Girls Rock!!!

 

[Britard]

Joining in for the festivities! Having stayed at CBR- I agree, if you don't end up in a preferred, the walks around the resort become daunting! The pirate room is super cute!

 

[TinksThree]

This will be a brief update and short on pictures...but I will have more coming later! I aim to keep this TR moving! On this adventure I chose to leave the camera at the room and enjoy my family. I used my phone for the few pictures I did take and unfortunately across the whole trip...my food porn is not as it usually is. Food pics will be few and far between but I still have plenty of pictures for ya'll!!

Wrapping up this day, we head to the bus stop and wait maybe 5 minutes before a bus arrives. We had no issues with the buses this trip. The longest wait was around 15 minutes, which is okay to me!

While waiting for the bus, Madison and I take another selfie:




We were heading to Downtown Disney and our first ADR: Fulton's!

I was excited about this reservation and was looking forward to a meal in a new restaurant!

We arrive at Downtown Disney and begin our trek to Fulton's. Along the way, I did get a couple of pictures:





Then we arrive at Fulton's and check-in!



We sit outside to wait for our names to be called:



Well, let me tell you what I thought about this restaurant!! I loved the inside feel! And the staff were very friendly. And the meal itself???

Well.....while we were waiting Keith begins thinking about the cost. We were paying out of pocket and thus every meal took "how much" into consideration. This is very frustrating and especially since every trip I carefully build a budget and I figure costs for the meals into the budget. I know what my family will and will not eat so it is easy to get the cost pretty close. Keith still can't "get" this so he second guesses everything! After this trip it has been decided we will go DDP always just to take this aspect out of the vacation and actually enjoy our meals!

So as you have probably guessed, we went in and told them we weren't staying. This even after I told Keith that it is 7 pm and we may be waiting a very long time to eat anywhere. Regardless off we go in search of supper!

We walk all over Orlando, or so it seemed!! We make our way to Rainforest Cafe which had kitchen issues and the wait was 4 hours!!

That IS NOT happening!!!



So we move on and we stopped at Cap'n Jacks...a no go. I trudge along behind Keith while he is in search of someplace that we can eat before midnight! (Let me insert here that there was no bickering, fighting, pouting or other type of bad mood!) I am getting hungry and after trying several places we head back to T-Rex (one we had stopped at before). The wait time was 1 1/2 hours...can I say "I TOLD YOU SO!!!"? My husband just will not listen to me!! We could have already eaten by this time!!!

So while the guys wait, Madison and I do what gals do best: we SHOP!!! Off to World of Disney we go but it was so crowded so we left after looking just a bit. Soon we are back at T-Rex waiting with the guys!



Finally our expedition is called and we head into the land of dinosaurs, meteor showers, ice caves and FOOD! Most importantly FOOD!!!!!!!!!



We ordered the Supersaurus Sampler - For an appetite as big as T-REX! Spinach and pepper jack queso with tortilla chips, Brachiosaurus Bruschetta, T-Rexadillas and Onion Rings, enough for four $18.99

This was great as always! I could make a meal off of this!!

I ordered the Colosso Nachos - Seasoned beef, pico de gallo, black beans, green onions, cheddar cheese, queso sauce and sour cream $15.99

Okay when they called it "Colosso" they did that for a reason! This dish was HUGE!!! It could have easily fed my entire family! Needless to say,my plate looked as though I barely touched it. But it was very good!!

The rest of the crew was easy: Bronto Burger - A 100% beef burger piled high with a fried onion ring, pickles, lettuce, tomato and your choice of cheese. $13.99

Overall this was once again a great meal and even if I didn't get my dinner at Fulton's we were full and ready to rest up for the next day!!

We finally make it back to the resort around 11 pm and crash! This has been one long day...but a really good day!

Again, sorry for the lack of pictures! But our next day is a destination that pleads for tons of pictures!!! For now I leave you with my sweet kiddos!!

 

[TinksThree]

Joining in for the festivities! Having stayed at CBR- I agree, if you don't end up in a preferred, the walks around the resort become daunting! The pirate room is super cute!

Welcome!!! I usually don't do preferred but then we are usually at Port Orleans and it isn't necessary. It is necessary at CBR but definitely worth it! The pirate rooms were very cute! it was a fun change of pace!

 

[mermaid764]

Your pictures of CBR are gorgeous It always looks like such a nice resort, but the size of it has always deterred us from staying there, maybe someday though.

From the title of your downtown Disney update, it sounded like the trip was gonna be off to a bad start, yikes four hours at the rfc that's crazy! But thankfully everything worked out and it sounds like T-Rex was overall a really good experience.

Looking forward to more

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I am in a Disney chat group and last year someone from Novia Scotia drove to Orlando...straight through!! They gave a play by play of each stop. It was fun to follow but I was exhausted thinking about that drive!!

Haha, yes, I've been on that drive a few times when I was a kid. It is indeed looooooooooooooong. Except for the one time my father got a headache just before we set out so instead went to the airport and bought airline tickets.


Haha, I have to be honest. I totally did not guess that you weren't staying. And wow, those are some serious wait times just to eat. Yikes! I'd be looking for a hot dog stand at that point.

 

[mickeystoontown]

At least there was no bickering going on while Keith was trying to figure out where ya'll were going to eat. Not so sure that would have been the case with our family. LOL! The dining plan may not always work out in our favor moneywise (usually it does), but convenience and peace of mind wise, it's fantastic.

Oh what I wouldn't give for the appetizer sampler from T-Rex right now. That's what I always end up ordering for my entrée. Yum!

 

[saintstickets]

Great update! Keep 'em coming Tinks!!

After this trip it has been decided we will go DDP always just to take this aspect out of the vacation and actually enjoy our meals!

You might want to consider getting TIW instead of DDP. If one spends at least $500 on TS meals in a year, then the TIW will pay for itself. We tried DDP and it was just too many desserts for us. We always felt like we had to eat everything we could in order to justify buying the DDP. The DDP worked okay for us when the kids were younger because we knew they would eat on the days they were not with us but now that they are grown and DW and I go alone more often, TIW is the way to go for us. In addition, TIW gives you the 20% discount on ALL items you order including appetizers and adult beverages. We like it that we are able to get appetizers and a beverage for lunch to tide us over until our big TS meal that night. To get a TIW discount card, you have to be a FL resident, have an AP or be a DVC member. Just another excuse to convince Keith to buy into DVC!

 

[TinksThree]

Your pictures of CBR are gorgeous It always looks like such a nice resort, but the size of it has always deterred us from staying there, maybe someday though.

From the title of your downtown Disney update, it sounded like the trip was gonna be off to a bad start, yikes four hours at the rfc that's crazy! But thankfully everything worked out and it sounds like T-Rex was overall a really good experience.

Looking forward to more

Thank you! It really is a pretty resort even though it is pretty big! I thought I would tease a little with that title!!

Haha, yes, I've been on that drive a few times when I was a kid. It is indeed looooooooooooooong. Except for the one time my father got a headache just before we set out so instead went to the airport and bought airline tickets.


Haha, I have to be honest. I totally did not guess that you weren't staying. And wow, those are some serious wait times just to eat. Yikes! I'd be looking for a hot dog stand at that point.

I can't imagine doing adrive that long! But I love road trips so at least could be fun!!

Wow! I got you? The wait times were soooo long and we probably would have searched out something quicker if it weren't for our trip being shorter this time. We really like the sit down meals and it all worked out...so it was all good!!

At least there was no bickering going on while Keith was trying to figure out where ya'll were going to eat. Not so sure that would have been the case with our family. LOL! The dining plan may not always work out in our favor moneywise (usually it does), but convenience and peace of mind wise, it's fantastic.

Oh what I wouldn't give for the appetizer sampler from T-Rex right now. That's what I always end up ordering for my entrée. Yum!

Well, you know, if it weren't the beginning of the trip we may have been bickering more! Our trips always seem to have some bickering going on!

I definitely think the DDP is worth it just to not have to worry with the rest!! That sampler is super good!!

Great update! Keep 'em coming Tinks!!



You might want to consider getting TIW instead of DDP. If one spends at least $500 on TS meals in a year, then the TIW will pay for itself. We tried DDP and it was just too many desserts for us. We always felt like we had to eat everything we could in order to justify buying the DDP. The DDP worked okay for us when the kids were younger because we knew they would eat on the days they were not with us but now that they are grown and DW and I go alone more often, TIW is the way to go for us. In addition, TIW gives you the 20% discount on ALL items you order including appetizers and adult beverages. We like it that we are able to get appetizers and a beverage for lunch to tide us over until our big TS meal that night. To get a TIW discount card, you have to be a FL resident, have an AP or be a DVC member. Just another excuse to convince Keith to buy into DVC!

I will have to keep the TiW in mind! There is a good chance of APs this coming year! Thanks for the info!!!

 

[shan23877]

I'm so sorry you didn't get to dine at Fultons. Why won't men listen??

We like DDP for the same reason. We do always end up saving money, but we love not thinking about the cost of each meal while we're on vacation. It's very freeing for us since we don't usually treat ourselves to nice dinners. (also helps when you're paying a king's ransom for character meals.) Can't wait to hear more!

 

[TinksThree]

I'm so sorry you didn't get to dine at Fultons. Why won't men listen??

We like DDP for the same reason. We do always end up saving money, but we love not thinking about the cost of each meal while we're on vacation. It's very freeing for us since we don't usually treat ourselves to nice dinners. (also helps when you're paying a king's ransom for character meals.) Can't wait to hear more!

I know! They just will not listen sometimes!! I really hope to make it to Fulton's one day!

100% agree on DDP!!

 

[TinksThree]

MARCH 13, 2013

We woke up on Wednesday morning ready to go! The first park on our agenda?

EPCOT!!!! Which just happens to be one of my favorite parks plus the Flower and Garden Festival was happening!

We arrive at Rope Drop and after activating the military tickets (which was painless and quick!), we made our way to a ride we had been missing out on! The last several trips we have missed Test Track because either it was down or it was closed for the refurb. I was excited to see if the updates were an improvement or a dud!

When we arrived at Test Track, the wait was about 15 minutes so we jump into the stand-by line.







One thing that is very obvious is what company is behind this ride:



As far as the cue goes, I liked the more futuristic look but I did miss the whole test dummy stuff.

Soon we are being led into the room where you can design your own car. This was one part I really was looking forward to...I wanted to see how it worked!

We get our card and the kids start working on our car's design:





As luck would have it, our machine was one of three that froze so our car was a body and that was about it!

With that failure, we make our way down the hallway and to the loading area.



We are ready for SPEED!!!





Then we were off!!!







Overall I really liked the updates. It may not always be better but it is fairly equal to me plus it is newer and fresher. Now if it would just work!!

Here is our redneck picture:



Then we entered the Chevrolet showroom...and Madison found a new car for herself!







So our first "must do" was done...what next? A Fast Pass from Soarin'!! We sent Chris off to accomplish snagging the FP. Keith, Madison and I meandered through Radiator Springs!







Then we pick up the pace as we head towards The Land. But first:





Continued in the following post...

 

[TinksThree]

We meet back up with Chris (with 1pm FPs in hand) at The Land and decide to jump onto a walk-on boat!



A few pictures of the ride:











Mickey!!




And another soon-to-be fully grown Mickey!





We always enjoy riding Living with the Land and if you haven't done so before I highly recommend the Behind the Seeds tour! It is a great deal plus it is fun seeing and learning what all happens in this area!!

Next up: More Flower and Garden Festival fun!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Well phooey on your design your car screen not working! Our's worked fine but it's a good thing that Hunter knew what he was doing because I had no clue. Madison did a mighty fine job on finding a new car.

I'm with you on Living With The Land and The Behind the Seeds tour. Love them both!