She's Got Everything in That Bag! Aug 19-26

[TPoppins]

Our family visited Walt Disney World August 19 through 29, 2011 during the Free Dining promotion and we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. This is our fifth visit as a family to WDW. I have spent many hours researching for our trips on the disboards, and I thought it was time to write my own trip report.

Cast of charactersDH: 51 Elementary school teacher, likes roller coasters, running, saving money
Myself: 42 Special education para, likes planning Disney trips, scrapbooking, reading, cooking
DD: 13 Likes roller coasters, running, soccer, painting,
DS 11 Likes hockey, baseball, soccer, water parks
Extended family who joined us for four of the days:
DF: 64 Retired, likes relaxing and short amounts of theme parks;
DB: my brother 41 First time at Walt Disney World
DN1: my oldest niece who is 10, likes gymnastics
DN2: my youngest niece who just turned 8 the week we were at Disney. First time at Walt Disney World

We flew into Orlando on Delta on August 16. Although we planned to spend the first three days visiting my dad in Parrish, FL, it was cheaper to fly in and out of Orlando than Tampa. We rented a car from Enterprise at the airport. I decided to stop at Downtown to pick up my Disney Rewards card right away because I wanted to use it for some tips right away on our trip, and we wouldn’t be going back to Downtown Disney for a few days into our trip. I went to guest services and there was no line. I picked up the card with no problem and activated it by cell phone later that day. DH and the kids browsed in the World of Disney while they waited for me.

When I joined them, we took some pictures, and I bought some pin back locks for their lanyards.

We stopped at Ghiradelli for a free sample of chocolate and picked our favorite ice cream for later in our trip.
Then we set off for Parrish, FL. The kids immediately swam in the pool, and played with their three dogs.

While we were in Parrish, I stopped at Publix to pick up water bottles and breakfast food for the Disney trip. We also stopped at Dollar Tree to buy noodles and sand buckets for the ocean and Disney pools. We went to the beach on the 17th and the 18th. There is a beautiful beach not far from their place called Anna Maria Beach. The kids loved it! The sand was white and lovely. There was a little gift shop, restrooms, and a life guard. The kids liked looking for sea shells. The water was perfect.

 

[goofy's_gurl]

I can't wait to hear more.

 

[TPoppins]

On August 19 we packed up the bags and drove to Caribbean Beach Resort. We arrived around 12:45 and our room was ready! I had bell services deliver the large bags to our room. We took care of the smaller ones. I checked in ahead of time online and requested either Aruba or Jamaica. We received Aruba room 5255. I loved our views of the bay and our quiet pool.

It is only a short walk from our room across Caribbean Cay to Port Royale. It was nice to see that they added a playground to the little island.

After we dropped a few things off in the room, the kids put on their swimsuits and we walked over to Port Royale for lunch and a swim. DH had a turkey sandwich, chips, tropical smoothie, and a macadamia nut cookie.

DD had cheese pizza, salad, tropical smoothie, and a macadamia nut cookie. DS had pepperoni pizza, salad, tropical smoothie, and a macadamia nut cookie.

I ate the kid’s salad and one piece of pizza. I wanted to conserve the CS credit for later in the trip since we had to eat for 8 days, and we only had 7 nights of credits. The food was good. It was nice to have the option of the smoothie for the drink. We also purchased one refillable mug for DS. He really likes to drink soda, and loves to combine the different flavors of soda together.

After lunch the kids and I took a swim in the pool. They loved the pirate theme and the water slides. The lines for the slides were much longer in August than the last time we were here in Nov 2009. We ended up using our quiet pool much more during this visit.

 

[TPoppins]

My nieces gave me the nickname Mary Poppins during this trip because of all the things I carried in the backpack to the theme parks. It must be from the days I was a Girl Scout leader, that I try to be ready for anything. The back pack wasn’t very heavy because so many of the items were so small. I can’t tell you how times the items came in handy: sudden rain storm, headache, stomach problems, etc. Here's my backback packing list:

Disney fanny pack (Keys to the Kingdom card, cell phone, car keys, fastpasses, travelers checks, license, cash, debit card, insurance cards)
Mini spray mister fan
Put a hotel washcloth in a baggie to wash face
Hand towel from hotel to wipe sweat off face
Set of make-up to refresh
Travel notebook and pen for taking notes
Travel size deodorant
Mini Contact solution
Brush
Inhaler
GasX
Pepto
Advil
Rolaids
Eye glass wiping cloth for camera lens
Laminated maps and itinerary, clip to backpack
Breath mints
Disposable cups to split drinks
Wet wipes
Travel baby powder
Moleskin
Individual packs of almonds or granola clusters
Antibacterial gel hooked on backpack
Wisp toothbrushes
Sunglasses and case
Sunglass strap
IPODs and DS for waiting in lines
Autograph books and click top Sharpies
Guide to the Magic for Kids books (EPCOT only)
Tupperware (nesting variety) for leftover desserts
2 travel Umbrellas
4 Ponchos- disposable
Garbage bag to hold wet ponchos
Plastic baggies in a variety of sizes
Gatorade packets
Camera

 

[TPoppins]

We drove to EPCOT around 3:00 and used a variation of the EPCOT Sunset Touring Plan from the Touring Plans.com.

First we rode Spaceship Earth with no wait. My kids really like the interactive digital photo blurb at the end.

Next we walked over to Club Cool. This is DS favorite attraction with all the free soda you care to drink. He thinks the soda from China tastes like watermelon pop rocks. We had to take the obligatory Beverly photo.

Next we walked over to the Seas with Nemos. I enjoy this ride particularly when there is no wait.

We hopped over to Turtle Talk with Crush. The performance was a little flat that afternoon. I remember the jokes being a little funnier in 2009. The kids enjoyed it however.

The last time we visited EPCOT, we did not explore the Seas and we had no idea that they had a manatee exhibit. My DH loves manatees! We spent a considerable amount of time viewing the manatees. DH even talked to the CM about the manatees.

It was fun to search for the hidden Mickey’s in the aquarium.

 

[TPoppins]

In the past we have purchased the EPCOT Passports to have signed around the World Showcase. This year I decided to buy the Guide to Magic for Kids after hearing about the book on the disboards. My children loved these books. They wrote in them in the rental car, in the hotel rooms, at restaurants, and while waiting for the rope to drop. We had the CM sign these books in the World Showcase instead of the passports. Many of the CM asked where we got them. It was fun form them to put the attraction stickers on the pages, rate the rides, list favorite foods, etc.

We visited Mexico, had our books signed, and rode Gran Fiesta Tour. We briefly watched the mariachi band performing outside the pavilion.

 

[TPoppins]

Next we walked to the Norway pavilion. We browsed the Stave Church exhibit.

We had our books signed at the Kidcot station.

The Maelstom ride wait time was 25 minutes, so we got a FP to use later.
We browsed the shops as took a few photos.

 

[TPoppins]

I just love the architecture in the China pavilion.

In China we got our book signed at Kidcot.

We browsed the Tomb Warriors and wrote in the Guide to the Magic Books while we waited for the start of the 360 China movie.

We browsed the shops in China. DS had his eye on a large puppet, which he bought later in the week.

 

[TPoppins]

We hightailed it over to Italy to arrive for our 6:20 ADR at Tutto.

We were seated immediately. Our server was Maurizio. I could listen to his accent all day. The bread served was very tasty. We all ordered the lemonade and it was delicious. DH, DS, and DD ordered the Farfalle and they all loved it.

I ordered the Cannelloni and shared some with DS. I cropped the picture to half of the entrée, because I forgot to take the picture before sharing. I really enjoyed it, but it was very filling, and I couldn’t finish it.

DH ordered the Copetta Sottobosco for dessert.

DD ordered the Piatt Delizie (trio) dessert.

DS and I ordered the same two desserts to split. They bill came to $176.79 before DDP. We used 4 TB credits. The whole meal was outstanding!

Can't forget about Kidcot.

 

[TPoppins]

After dinner we went back to the Germany pavilion, since we had to skip it to get to our dinner ADR. We visited the Kidcot station and Karamell Kuche.

I wish I could try everything in the case, because I love caramel and chocolate. DH and DD got the caramel pecan bar.

DS got the caramel peanut butter cookie.

I got the caramel corn.

We used 4 snack credits. We ate a little right then and saved the rest for later using the plastic baggies and Tupperware in my Mary Poppins bag. The snacks were outstanding!

We walked back to Norway to ride Maelstrom with our FP.

The kids did not remember this ride since we haven’t done it since 2006.
The ride was nice and cool, since it was still humid and hot.

I love how World Showcase is lit at night. It is so beautiful. I took a few pictures as we walked out of EPCOT.

We didn’t stay for Illuminations, because we wanted to stop by FW and give my niece her early birthday present. We drove to FW in the rental car and parked. We took an internal bus to the last stop and walked to site 433. The buses were very slow and it took longer getting there and back than we expected. It was also tricky finding the campsite in the dark.

My DB , DN1, and DN2 flew in to Tampa that afternoon. My dad (DF) met them near the airport with his deluxe 42 foot deluxe camper, and surprised them that they were all going to Disney World! They thought they were just visiting grandpa and step grandmother in Parrish.

My DN1 had only been to WDW when she was 3 years old and did not remember a thing. My DN2 had never been. My DF also had never been to WDW, but he did go to Disney land with us when I was in fourth grade. My brother (DB) had been to WDW for a work event, but spent little time if any in the parks. He has been going through a tough time lately, so I was so happy he agreed to my dad’s suggestion.

I had had our trip planned for more than nine months and was able to receive the free dining promotion. DF thought it would be fun for the cousins to experience Disney together for part of our trip. He was right. The kids loved being together with the cousins. They did not do the dining plan since they had a kitchen and grill in the camper, so we only did two meals with them. DB was so happy to have me plan the park touring part, because it is overwhelming for a first time visitor. He was able to see the highlights with minimal waiting with a veteran. We were able to hit the highlights with them the first four days, and then try some rides we have never tried before on the last few days. I was not able to get my DB to meet me for rope drop with our family, but we were able to work around it a little. My DF is not a big crowd fan, and he likes to make short visits to the park, grill dinner for DB and DN1, and DN2, and tinker around with the camper. He rented a golf cart after the first day, because he was not happy with the internal buses at FW.
My DN2 turned 8 years old on August 25, and she was elated to wear the birthday button and receive a few special desserts at the TS restaurants during her visit. I had her open her birthday present early when we stopped by so she could use some of the items at the park the next day.

I got her a Guide to the Magic for kids book, autograph books for her and her sister, a Webkins kitten, Webkins clothes, Coke or Pepsi book, Tinker bell jewelry, Tinkerbell notepads and stationary, marshmallows for the FW campfire, glow toys, and assorted candy. We didn’t get back to CBR until after 11:00. Will we arrive in time for rope drop at Animal Kingdom the next day?

 

[meggiebeth]

Great TR so far! Looks like you had a great time in Epcot! The pool in CBR looks like great fun! We were in WDW the same time as you, too!

 

[IATink]

Loving your report so far! Your dad sure has a nice RV! Can't wait to read more.

 

[meggiebeth]

DS and I ordered the same two desserts to split. They bill came to $176.79 before DDP. We used 4 TB credits. The whole meal was outstanding

Great meal! We also ate at Tutto Italia. It was a great meal for us too. Our server was lovely too. He was from Sardinia, and since we had been there he spent ages talking about it with us. The food was great! So glad you had an outstanding meal there! I love the photo of your DS in your room on the bed!

Can't wait for the next update!

 

[TPoppins]

Great meal! We also ate at Tutto Italia. It was a great meal for us too. Our server was lovely too. He was from Sardinia, and since we had been there he spent ages talking about it with us. The food was great! So glad you had an outstanding meal there! I love the photo of your DS in your room on the bed!

Can't wait for the next update!

Thanks for your nice words! We ate at Tuttto Italia in Nov 2009 and I ordered the lasagna. I had order envy when my DH ordered the farfalle and my DD ordered the cannelloni. I like the new trio so I can try three different desserts. I have learned so much on the disboards.

My DS is quite a character and you might see a little of this in the picture on the bed with his puppet. He is half jock/half nerd. He loves Big Bang Theory and yesterday he was learning "Klingon" from the internet.

Loving your report so far! Your dad sure has a nice RV! Can't wait to read more.

I am so glad you guys like my report. I don't know what I am doing, but I realy wanted to try it.

I cannot believe that my dad bought that RV. He never talked about RV's before and he already has a gigantic boat. I think he likes the idea of having a quick and deluxe escape from Florida in case of a massive hurricane. He talked about driving to Minnesota next summer in it, but I will believe it when I see it! I can't imagine the gas price for that trip.

Great TR so far! Looks like you had a great time in Epcot! The pool in CBR looks like great fun! We were in WDW the same time as you, too!

It will be interesting to see if we were at the same parks any of the same days as you. Let me know. What did you think about the weather in Florida in August? I think it is doable if you take a break in the afternoon.

The kids love the water slides at CBR and the pirate theme. DD is addicted to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I like the recently renovated rooms. I like the value resort too, but the value room plus upgrade charge to regular DDP from quick service was almost as much as the moderate room price with free DDP. Thanks for commenting!

 

[meggiebeth]

Thanks for your nice words! We ate at Tutto Italia in Nov 2009 and I ordered the lasagna. I had order envy when my DH ordered the farfalle and my DD ordered the cannelloni. I like the new trio so I can try three different desserts. I have learned so much on the disboards.

My DS is quite a character and you might see a little of this in the picture on the bed with his puppet. He is half jock/half nerd. He loves Big Bang Theory and yesterday he was learning "Klingon" from the internet.

It will be interesting to see if we were at the same parks any of the same days as you. Let me know. What did you think about the weather in Florida in August? I think it is doable if you take a break in the afternoon.

The kids love the water slides at CBR and the pirate theme. DD is addicted to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I like the recently renovated rooms. I like the value resort too, but the value room plus upgrade charge to regular DDP from quick service was almost as much as the moderate room price with free DDP. Thanks for commenting!

Sounds like Tutto Italia is one of your favourites! The dessert trio is great. I love being able to get a little taste of everything too!
Your DS looks great fun. I'm fourteen and my brother (12) is quite similar to him! My brother however is completely a jock, though he is interested in some school aspects such as WW1 and WW2. It's such a good photo btw!

We were actually in WDW the 11th thru 25th. On the 19th we were at Discovery Cove, 20th we went to Downtown Disney and then SSR for a DVC presentation. On the 21st we went to DHS for the second time of our trip, and the 22nd we went to Magic Kingdom. 23rd- SeaWorld, and 24th Magic Kingdom. We loved MK. It was our favourite park by far. What's yours?

We thought the weather was bearable too. Being from England, (where we have had a totally freezing summer ) as long as it's hot, we're okay! There were times when we had to leave though because the heat was TOO much. We liked going for the morning, eating lunch there and then heading back to the hotel for a swim. And returning for the evening. Did you guys find it unpleasant? I guess it depends on where you're from. Do you live in a hot state or a cold state?

CBR looks great. We drove past it a couple times. We were considering staying there but then the 45% deal at SSR made it cheaper to stay there. I agree with you about upgrading a value resort for a moderate. Moderates are in a completely different league. We like Pirates of the Caribbean so if the deal isn't on next time at SSR, we'll probably stay here.

 

[TPoppins]

We were actually in WDW the 11th thru 25th. On the 19th we were at Discovery Cove, 20th we went to Downtown Disney and then SSR for a DVC presentation. On the 21st we went to DHS for the second time of our trip, and the 22nd we went to Magic Kingdom. 23rd- SeaWorld, and 24th Magic Kingdom. We loved MK. It was our favourite park by far. What's yours?

Do you live in a hot state or a cold state?

We were at MK on the same day as your family on 8/24.
This was our itinerary:
8/19 EPCOT
8/20 AK
8/21 MK
8/22 HS
8/23 Typhoon Lagoon/Disney Quest
8/24 MK
8/25 EPCOT
8/26 MK

Magic Kingdom in my favorite park, too.

We live in a very cold state: Minnesota.

 

[TPoppins]

We ate breakfast in the room, and drove by Port Royale for DS to fill up his mug. We drove to AK and arrived at 8:55 which was five minutes before it opened. I usually like to arrive 30 minutes ahead of rope drop, but this was as much as I could hope for given our late night the night before.

In three of our past trips we have not rented a car for Disney. The buses are o.k., but I really like the flexibility of a rental car. I saved hours of time using a rental car versus using the Disney buses. We have purchased the park hopper passes before, but not this trip. We usually take a midday swim and rest in the afternoon, so the car saves a lot of time for this break. I found that I liked returning to the same park later in the day, because I was able to get fastpasses in the morning and use them in the evening after our break. In past trips when I hopped to another park, frequently the FP were gone before we returned from our break. I prefer to skip the price of hoppers and shift the expense to a rental car instead. We also purchased the Water Parks and More option this year. My tween children LOVE Disney waterparks and DisneyQuest. It really makes the trip special, and I would not consider visiting in August without it.

Many people have been hesitant to visit WDW in August, but we have had great luck visiting in late August. We like the lower crowds, free dining, do not have to take kids out of school or take time off work, lower hotel rack rate in value season, and lower airline fares. In Minnesota winter typically lasts more than six months. We want to travel to Florida when we know it will be good swimming weather. We have traveled to Florida in December and it rained the entire time. We visited in November and the water park was freezing. The CM were in parkas and we were running around in wet swimsuits when the temperature was in the 60’s. Brrr. I always get travel insurance in August in case of hurricanes, but it has never been an issue. We almost always take a break in the afternoon, so we have a break from the heat. It rains many afternoons for a brief time, but we seemed to miss every shower resting in our room. The one day that I stayed at EPCOT the whole day and the family went for a break, my feet really paid for it at the end of the day, and I didn’t stay for Illuminations, like I had planned. I have a happier family when they take a break as well.

I forgot to tell you that we were celebrating our 18th anniversary this August, so we received Happy Anniversary buttons when we checked in.
Back to the trip report. DH ran to get FP for EE. A CM saw DH anniversary button and gave him four extra FP for EE! This was helpful, since my DB and the girls did not make it to AK until late morning. DH met us at KS. There was a slight miscommunication as to the meeting place (outside queue or inside queue). After a slight delay we walked on to the KS. DH was able to see two of his favorite cheetahs on the safari! The day was beautiful and we were able to get a few pretty pictures. In Nov 2009 it rained the whole day we were at AK and all our pictures were dull, dim and muddy.

We got FP for Kali to use for later. Next we walked through the Pangani Forest Trail.

Then we walked to Dinoland to ride Dinosaur.

My kids loved it! DS wanted to go on it again, but I told him we should wait until the cousins arrive. I talked the kids into going on Tricertops.

We had never gone before, there was no line, and I wanted to try rides that I had never done before on this trip. DS was irritated before the ride, because he thought it was a baby ride, but after he was o.k. because it was a cool view of Dinoland.

 

[TPoppins]

DB and girls joined us around 11:15. They got FP for Kali as well. I knew the lines get long at CS around noon, so I suggested we have an early lunch. I have never tried Flame Tree BBQ before, so that is where we dined.

I had the BBQ ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, chocolate mousse, and saved the bottled water for later. The ribs were tender and delicious. The beans had a good flavor. We all enjoyed the mousse and shared with the cousins. DH ate the half chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, chocolate mousse, and Sprite.

DD ate the pork sandwich, baked beans, coleslaw, chocolate mousse, and lemonade. DS ate the half chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, chocolate mousse, and Sprite.

I like the fact that the drinks were the large size. They all enjoyed their meals. We used 4 CS credits but the bill would have been $52.89 without the DDP. We sat in the Flame Tree outside table area. Even though it was hot out, it was comfortable in the shade.

After lunch we went on EE. The four extra FP came in handy, so we could give them to DB the cousins. The standby line was quite long at that point.

DH went to get FP for KS so DB and nieces could go on KS. DH does not like water rides so he skipped Kali. The rest of us went on Kali River Rapids. I switched into flip flops so my tennis shoes would not get wet. I wore my swimsuit top under my shirt, and took off my shirt and put in a plastic bag during the ride. DS got blasted with water. The rest of us only got moderately wet. It was nice to cool off on a very hot day. Then we walked over to Its Tough to Be a Bug.

The kids love the part where the bugs “crawl” under your seat. It was very nice to cool off in the theater.

I walked over to get FP for all of us to go on Dinosaur together. The rest of them went on KS again. I did not need to see KS again. Then we went on Dinosaur together. The cousins loved it!


It was hot so we decided to get a cool treat. DD got a pineapple bar. I got a frozen lemonade.

DS got roasted almonds. The nieces got ice cream. It started to sprinkle during our snacks, and the clouds looked very dark. I had a feeling it was about to dump on us. I talked DB into taking some of my spare ponchos and he was very glad he did. (Mary Poppins bag) He and the girls wanted to go see the 3:00 Nemo show. I would have liked to see the bird show, but not in the rain. We decided to head back to the resort for a rest and to change before our 6:05 ADR at Narcossee’s. Moments after we split up, it started pouring. We waited about 15 minutes under the cover to the Restaurantaurus, before walking back to our car wearing ponchos. By the time we arrived at CBR, the rain had stopped and DH and the kids swam in the quiet pool. I took a rest, showered and got ready for dinner. The rest got ready for dinner and we drove to the Grand Floridian.

 

[TPoppins]

I love the Grand Floridian Resort. It is so elegant. We admired the theming and lobby , and we browsed the shops for a while and walked over to Narcossee’s.

I love the view of the castle from Narcossee’s. Our server was Debby and she was excellent. She offered complimentary champagne for our anniversary but we politely declined since we don’t drink. They had prepared personalized menus for our anniversary as well.

DH, DS, and I ordered the Virgin pina colada, whole lobster, baked mac and cheese, broccolini, and almond cheesecake.

DD ordered the Virgin pina colada, surf and turf, potatoes, wax beans and almond cheesecake.

We all took the cheesecake to go since we were all stuffed and we had the fridge in our room. We enjoyed a day or two later and it was still awesome. Debby was great to pack napkins, Mickey straws, and cutlery in our to go bags. We used 8TB credits and our bill before DDP was $310.73. We greatly enjoyed our meal. The lobster was tender, and delicious. The mac and cheese was very rich and we could not finish it. I like that the virgin smoothies were included in the DDP. Disney free dining is the only time we enjoy whole lobster, since we do not usually eat in such expensive restaurants on our educator budget.

On our way home we stopped at the Hess convenience store for milk and orange juice for breakfast the rest of the trip. When we got back to CBR, DH and the kids took a swim in the quiet pool and I wrote in my travel journal on the hammock over the sand next to the bay. We could hear nighttime fireworks from DHS or EPCOT. It was wonderful to retire early this evening.

Next Update: Hollywood Studios