Tink's first journey to the mainland!

[kokotg]

A giant lollipop and Tinkerbell mouse ears--what more could a kid ask from a first day at Disney? Interested to hear your take on Cape May...it's one of the places I keep almost making an ADR for, but I've never actually eaten there.

 

[Shaniyah]

A giant lollipop and Tinkerbell mouse ears--what more could a kid ask from a first day at Disney? Interested to hear your take on Cape May...it's one of the places I keep almost making an ADR for, but I've never actually eaten there.

Yes Tink was in heaven! Wouldn't you know, she never even finished the darn lollipop! It sat in the bag, then it went straight in the garbage.

 

[Shaniyah]

After we completed our mission of finding the Mickey ears, both Tink and I were hot and I was finally feeling a little tired. Thankfully the store we were in (maybe one of the readers will chime in and tell me what store it was) wasn’t far from the buses. So we hopped on the bus and headed back to the resort. I am soooo happy I am staying on property, I can get used to this whole not having to drive thing! The ride to Coronado Springs from DTD was only about 15 minutes, not bad. When returning to the resort, the CS busses go around the resort first then stop at El Centro last. To my surprise Bus Stop #2 was really close to my room (this trip keeps getting better and better). Tink and I get off the bus go up to the room to rest. Immediately, Tink falls asleep, not long after I doze off too. I woke at about 6 and Tink was already up and watching TV. I can’t believe she woke up and did not wake me up too! Anywhoo, around 6:30pm we hear someone trying to open the door, its Grumpy, he was early! “Daaaaadddddyyyyyy” Tink shot off the bed to greet her dad. I start getting washed up for dinner, Grumpy decides he wants to take a nap. I thought to myself, “ ARE YOU SERIOUS????? It’s 6:45 we have a reservation in less than an hour, you JUST got here and you want to take a nap????? “ I think he saw my thoughts, through my facial expression and decided to forego the nap!

After freshening up we drove to the beach club…

This resort is beautiful. I forgot to take pictures of the lobby, Disney did a great job with the theme(of course they did) I felt like I was transported someplace else. We checked in at 7:20 for a 7:35 ressie. The hostess told us we would have a 30 minute wait even with a ressie. I wasn’t too happy about that. While waiting Tink and Grumpy went to watch cartoons and I decided to chat it up with a DVC rep named Katie. I ended up scheduling an open house for the next morning. Katie asked me what’s more important to me time or money? I said money… She replied great you will get a $50 gift card after you complete the tour. SWEEEETTTTTTTTT!!! If I would have chosen time I would have gotten fast passes. Im so glad I picked money. After I finished with Katie it was about 7:50 and our buzzer still had not gone off. Tink was getting irritable, and honestly so was I. I sent Grumpy to the hostess stand to check on the hold up. He is a lot better at things like that than I am. Grumpy motioned for us to come over they miraculously found a table. I told you he is better at those things.

I have to apologize to you now, being that I was famished, I forgot to take pictures, but I did do a better job the rest of the trip. They sat us in the corner near the kitchen, I was not very happy about that but being that I was starving, I wasn’t willing to wait for another table. If you have never been to Cape May it is an “All you care to eat” New England style clam bake. There is seafood and American foods. Here is the menu courtesy of Allears.net

Snow Crab Legs, Steamed Clams, Prince Edward Island Sound Mussels, Baked Seasonal Fish, Tortellini with Lobster Sauce, Seafood Pot Pie, and Fried Cod (Sunday and Friday), Batter-Fried Calamari (Tuesday and Thursday),Fried Shrimp (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday),Barbeque Pork Ribs, Basil Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Cabbage with Rainbow Chard and Bacon, Steamed Red Potatoes, Marinated Roast Chicken, Steamed Corn on the Cob, Vegetable Pasta, Specialty Pizza and Marinated Beef Tips with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, Fresh Fruit Salad, Cape May House Salad, Caesar Salad, Broccoli Slaw, Cape May Potato Salad, Marinated Olives, Chilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp, Citrus Couscous Salad, Chicken Arugula Pasta Salad with Mushroom Vinaigrette, Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad, Quinoa Shrimp Salad with Hearts of Palm, Panzanella Salad, and Green Mussels with Spicy Seaweed Salad, Cape May's Signature Oreo Bon Bons, Seasonal Cheesecake, Key Lime Tart, Seasonal Cakes, Assorted Cookies, Cupcakes, Fudge Brownies, and Peanut Butter Bars, the price is 42.59 for adults and 20.23 for children.

Our waitresses name was Alice, she was just OK! She forgot about our requests and she did not check on us very often. Alice did bring out a birthday cake for Tink. Here are a few pictures from that.

I liked that Cape May has paper on the tables instead of table cloths so the children can color. Notice Tink's Picasso under the cake!

Our waitress did not deserve the 18% tip but bringing out the birthday cupcake tugged at my heart strings and I gave it to her anyway! All in all the food was good, I could take it or leave it. The service was blah… I would go there again but ONLY if I am on the dining plan, I don’t think the food is worth the money. Out of six thumbs up we ranked it 2.5 thumbs!

Up next... Did we ever make it to EMH at Magic Kingdom? Am I the newest DVC member?

 

[ronnmel]

Oh how I would love to become a DVC member if I won the lottery!

 

[Shaniyah]

Oh how I would love to become a DVC member if I won the lottery!

If this was facebook I would like your comment!

 

[Shaniyah]

Random: I found the name of the store where I bought Tink's Mickey Ears. It's called Wonderful World of Memories. It cost a whopping $19.12. BTW: has anyone seen the 2012 Disney Dining Plan?? I think I'm a little excited about the refillable mug being added back to the DDP!

 

[ronnmel]

Random: I found the name of the store where I bought Tink's Mickey Ears. It's called Wonderful World of Memories. It cost a whopping $19.12. BTW: has anyone seen the 2012 Disney Dining Plan?? I think I'm a little excited about the refillable mug being added back to the DDP!

I barely got any use out of my refillable mug, so to me it's not as much a big plus. I can understand how other people can be happy. I'm just not a big drinker of things other than water when I'm hot.

However I am quite disappointed by the reduction from 2 snacks to 1 snack on the quick-service dining plan. Though I guess we did use a lot of those snacks on bottle of water, which could easily be replaced by free cups of ice water.

 

[Shaniyah]

I barely got any use out of my refillable mug, so to me it's not as much a big plus. I can understand how other people can be happy. I'm just not a big drinker of things other than water when I'm hot.

However I am quite disappointed by the reduction from 2 snacks to 1 snack on the quick-service dining plan. Though I guess we did use a lot of those snacks on bottle of water, which could easily be replaced by free cups of ice water.

You are right about the refillable mug! I did not buy my refillable cup until the second to last day of my trip, BUT I got a lot of use out of it!.

 

[Shaniyah]

I am laughing at myself because I really should be putting in grades right now. And I was actually doing that but this TR just kept distracting me! So I stopped grading papers to write this next section!

We left off leaving Cape May. The plan was to go back to the room take a nap, then go enjoy the EMH at Magic Kingdom. Well we made it to the room, took our nap, but woke up the next morning. No one heard the alarm go off!! I woke up before everyone around 6:00 am, without an alarm. Who needs an alarm clock when you have an internal teacher clock!! I decided to throw on some clothes and take a jog around the lake. I returned to the room around 7:00, showered and when I got out of the shower Grumpy was on his computer working. I thought...Don’t they know you are on vacation?? Geez but I kept the peace!
Tinkerbelle woke up to this….

Here she is reading her note…

And opening her treats…

The look on her face was priceless. That is what Disney is all about! Last night the DVC CM Katie helped Grumpy find a rental place to return the car. It even had shuttle to bring him back. He left to return the car and Tink and I headed to the Pepper Market for some breakfast. On the way we had an impromptu photo shoot with these guys. Tink said these guys are her friends!

Finally we arrived at the Pepper Market. Being that we were on the DDP I knew I’d be on my own for one meal per day. So I figured it would be breakfast. Being the thrifty person I am, I decided to buy two kids breakfasts. One waffle meal, and one with eggs, bacon, and homefries, then I split it. Here are some before and after pictures.

The food was okay! Nothing spectacular. I didn't care for the scrambled eggs they were a little runny. But Tink loved them, she ate hers and mine too!The total for breakfast was $10.18…:whohoo: (that includes the drink) This received a 3 out of a possible 4 thumbs up. (I had to take off a point for the eggs.

Tink is ALWAYS cold, so of course she wanted to eat out side. Luckily we found a nice spot with an umbrella! While we were eating, Tink says “Mom can I take a picture of the scenery?” Scenery, what 5 year old says scenery? Well this is the picture she took.

LOL!We also had a vistor!

Something really cool happened while we were sitting outside. Two CM’s came by with a bucket of bread, they were about to feed the fish in the lake. They allowed the kids to do it with them. Tink had so much fun, she talked about “feeding the fish” for the rest of the trip. Here are a couple of pictures of that…

[

Up next am I the newest member of the DVC?[/IMG]]

 

[ronnmel]

That's some pretty shots of CSR. The one Tink took is good too. :

So, are you a new DVC member?

 

[Shaniyah]

That's some pretty shots of CSR. The one Tink took is good too. :

So, are you a new DVC member?

I thought Tink's picture was good as well. But I think everything she does is special!!! LOL!! I promise I will spill the beans about being a DVC member in the next post! Ronnmel, although I know you aren't the only person reading my TR, I feel like I am only talking to you! Where is everyone?

 

[ronnmel]

I thought Tink's picture was good as well. But I think everything she does is special!!! LOL!! I promise I will spill the beans about being a DVC member in the next post! Ronnmel, although I know you aren't the only person reading my TR, I feel like I am only talking to you! Where is everyone?

It was like that for me as well at the beginning of my PTR, but then I got more readers. I did do a little bit of self-promo though.

Come on lurkers, don't be so shy.

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm joining! Your DD is so adorable. The picture of her excited "I'm at Disney" face was just priceless!

Can't wait to hear what you thought about DVC, the tour, and whether or not you're a member.

 

[Shaniyah]

I'm joining! Your DD is so adorable. The picture of her excited "I'm at Disney" face was just priceless!

Can't wait to hear what you thought about DVC, the tour, and whether or not you're a member.

Thank you for joining in!! Now I have 2 people to talk to! LOL!!

 

[Shaniyah]

To DVC or not to DVC that is the question.

I warn you this post is going to be very word heavy because I forgot to take pictures. After breakfast we went into El Centro to find the shuttle to take me to the DVC. I went into the registration area and headed to the DVC counter. As I walked up I heard the CM asking a couple, the all important question… “What’s more important, time or money?” In my head I was saying pick money, pick money, pick money… the couple chose time. The CM told us where to go and Tink and I headed out side to wait for the shuttle.

Just as we headed outside of El Centro Grumpy was getting off of the rental car shuttle. I thought great he can tour the DVC with me. Or at the VERY least take Tink to Hollywood Studios while I toured the DVC. He says “Oh, I was going to go to the room, and take a nap.” So I stated (not so nicely) that we are on a family vacay, and if he wanted to sleep then he could have done that at home for free! Grumpy replied with wah wah wah wah wah ala Charlie Browns’ teacher (he said something but that is all it sounded like to me!) I mean really, who comes to Disney and sleeps??? I wanted to scream, but whatever, I will not let him ruin my good time!

I guess Grumpy felt slightly bad because he waited with us until the shuttle came. Finally the shuttle came and took Tink and I over to Saratoga Springs Resort. We checked in and luckily there was a COOL daycare for kids, I swear Disney thinks of everything! I have no idea why I did not take pictures.. maybe the CM’s at check in asked me not to! Anywhoo, on with my story… I walked into the lobby and there were light refreshments, cookies, water, teas, coffee, and lemonade. I had a cup of water. Finally the sales CM came and spoke with me about my interests, and what I wanted. I was being nice by listening to her go through the script, but I was ready to get down to the nitty gritty… how much is it going to cost? After the script she took me on a tour of the replica rooms, by the way my favorite was Animal Kingdom Lodge. I thought I would like it from viewing some TR’s but now I am in LOVE with the AKL. Next the CM took me into her office, and started the script again. This time I had to nicely cut her short… and I told her to show me the money. Here is what she told me, since I have a small family (Tink and I) and I am interested in AKL my DVC membership would only be.. wait for it…. wait for it… $12,000. With a down payment of 3K, while I would LOVE to, it would be so fiscally irresponsible of me. I picked up Tink from the daycare, and the CM escorted us to the Ice cream room. Yes I said it an ice cream room, you get a free ice cream sundae at the end of your tour. I believe the sundaes are to either to celebrate being a new DVC member, or to help soothe the pain of not being able to afford it. In my case I was soothing the pain.
While I would love to be a DVC member, I can’t, but at least I got a $50 gift card, and a free ice cream sundae. Plus the whole thing only took about an hour and a half. Not a bad deal! All in all it was a great experience, and once I win the mega millions or powerball (which ever happens first). I am all in!

Next up Shhh, no talking in the movie theater!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm what I like to call a "coattail" DVC member. My parents have it and are kind enough to allow me to use it freely.

I know what you mean. I would love to buy in for myself, but it's just not wise for me at this time. My parents didn't get the opportunity to buy in until 10 years after the first time that they took the tour. I still love going on the tour though.

We can all dream about someday.

 

[ronnmel]

Awww, it's too bad you couldn't afford DVC. We too would love to buy in, but just like you we have to wait until we win the lottery.

Good thing there was a great daycare for Tink, since Grumpy didn't take her.

 

[Shaniyah]

I have been with out the internet for TWO WEEKS... (Long story) I have been going crazy! But I am up and running now so expect a new post tonight!!!!