Why stay in winter when you could be at Caribbean Beach instead? March '17 UPDATED 4/17 MK!

[MsGlassSlipper]

Intro and Background
Hi there fellow Disers! I've been following these boards for years, occasionally commenting, and having just returned yesterday from a quick jaunt to "the World," decided to venture into writing my own trip report for the first time! I love reading trip reports and will take this opportunity to shamelessly tag one of my favorite Disers, @kastoney - go read her awesome reports in the Dining Reviews section, just be sure to have a snack handy!

So...as a disclaimer, since I've never written a trip report before, and didn't expect to this time either, I'm sure I don't have photos of everything I want to talk about - sorry about that! And please bear with me as I figure out formatting, photo sharing, and all that. But I hope to stave off a little Post-Disney Depression by reliving the magic and bringing it to you all!

But first, the essential info/introductions:
Who: myself and my husband. We are in our early 30s and he indulges my love of all things Disney, and secretly enjoys it too
What: A long weekend trip to Disney World to escape the winter doldrums!
When: March 3-7.
Where: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort - our first time at this particular hotel!

Why: Do we really need a reason?! Honestly, we are west coasters who now live in the Mid-Atlantic, and although we have lived here for years we are still not used to winter. And so on New Year's Eve, we were chatting about what quick warm weather getaway we could take to break up the winter, and rather than deciding to travel cross-country to visit family, we opted for a closer trip with a splash more pixie dust - especially once we found the 4 Park Magic Ticket and a great hotel deal on Expedia!

Day 1 coming soon!

 

[kastoney]

Wow, thanks for the shameless plug Can't wait to see all the food and drinks you all enjoyed. Especially interested to hear about CBR as our next trip we are staying there.

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Wow, thanks for the shameless plug Can't wait to see all the food and drinks you all enjoyed. Especially interested to hear about CBR as our next trip we are staying there.

Oh awesome! Hope I'll be able to help!

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Day 1: Arrival and Check-in
We flew into MCO around 2PM. While we were waiting to get off the plane, I turned on my phone to see that our room was ready - we were placed in Aruba 51 (room 5120 to be exact). More about the room later... It was a rocky landing, so at my husband's request, we sat in the terminal for a few minutes so that he could have a snack to settle his stomach. I of course was eager to hop on the Magical Express, but a queasy husband is an unhappy husband, so we waited a few minutes. When we made it down to the Magical Express check-in, we were the only ones in our line, but still had to wait a couple of minutes to be let on the bus. However, when we were directed onto the bus - WOW! We couldn't find 2 seats together! So we split up, and I chatted with a lovely woman who was there for her daughter's cheerleading competition (I didn't know we were traveling during cheer season, but I would be reminded from time to time throughout the trip). We geeked out on WDW stuff together; she was staying at Art of Animation for the first time and was super excited. It was a fun way to start off the trip - I almost asked if she frequented the Dis...


Anyway, the bus stopped first at AoA, then POP, and then finally Caribbean Beach. It really cleared out after AoA, so DH and I could finally sit together and take our obligatory DME photo... which he doesn't want me to post on the Dis. Womp womp. Scenery and food pictures only on this trip report I suppose. But basically, we look like this: and .

So, we finally reached our destination: Caribbean Beach Resort, or CBR, as I've learned here on the boards. Although we'd already gotten our room assignment, it had not been clear to me during the online check-in process if we still had to stop at the Customs House to set up a pin for our Magic Bands (for those who wonder the same thing, turns out the pins we set last year still worked, so we were all set). We opted to walk down to our room in Aruba rather than take the internal shuttle; after being on a plane and then a bus, we appreciated the fresh Florida air and a chance to stretch our legs. The walk wasn't bad - 10 minutes, probably less, to Aruba 51. I had used the Touring Plans fax room request service for the first time, and I really have no idea if the fax was read or accounted for. On the one hand, thanks to my research on the Disboards, I'd requested a series of rooms in Jamaica 45, which is right next to Aruba 51, so the location was great, as we were very close to the bridge that takes you across the lake to Old Port Royale (OPR). Also, the rooms I'd selected via Touring Plans faced the water (Barefoot Bay) at least to a certain extent, even though they are standard view rooms, and our room also had something of a lake view! On the other hand, I'd also requested 2nd floor, which we didn't get (not a huge deal) and away from a designated smoking section. And... you could almost kinda sorta avoid the smoking bench from where we were located. FWIW, we seemed to be in a wheelchair accessible room. I guess the only downside there was that we didn't have a separated sink area from the rest of the bathroom, but this was fine most of the time.

Overall, the room worked out pretty well for us. When coming back from the parks, the bus seemed to always stop at Jamaica first, and I think the Jamaica bus stop was closer to us than the Aruba one, so it was nice to get off the bus first. I don't have a picture of our actual room, so I'll treat you to a picture of our building taken from the other side of the bridge:

As Jiminy Cricket would say, "Pretty, huh?"

So after a quick rest in the room, we had FastPasses to get to! Up next... Hollywood Studios!

 

[evafett]

Following along! Thanks for sharing!

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Following along! Thanks for sharing!

Welcome!

 

[balty74]

Can't wait to hear about your trip! I was there the same time and writing my first trip report too

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Can't wait to hear about your trip! I was there the same time and writing my first trip report too

Awesome - and welcome! Were you at CBR specifically, or just WDW at the same time?

 

[balty74]

Awesome - and welcome! Were you at CBR specifically, or just WDW at the same time?

Not at CBR this time (although I have stayed there!) but just at WDW the same time we stayed at CR this time.

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Day 1: Hollywood Studios (aka, Part 1 of Frozen Coke Quest 2017)
Hi folks! So sorry to leave you hanging before we even got to a park!! We had guests in town which always throws off my routine, so my trip reporting fell by the wayside. Also, it's been freezing here...is it time to go back to WDW yet?? Let's go!

So, we hopped on the bus at Jamaica to DHS, as the Jamaica bus stop seemed to be closer to us than Aruba. The slowest part of our ride was stopping at the other bus stops at Caribbean Beach, but once we did, the ride to DHS was quite short. At this point, it was somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00. We had Toy Story Midway Mania fastpasses from 5:25 to 6:25, and we had already missed our Star Tours fastpasses, so I was getting antsy to get to the parks. My husband still wasn't feeling fantastic, but we both got that warm, fuzzy feeling as we walked onto Hollywood Boulevard. Mid-stroll, he pulls me in for a hug and a kiss, whispering "We're at Disney World!"

We still had a little bit of time before our TSMM fastpasses would expire, and they seemed to be getting ready to do one of the Star Wars stage shows, so we decided to go to the little stand in Pixar Place (I want to say "Hey Howdy Hey Takeaway" is its name) to grab some popcorn and a frozen Coke (DH's favorite) to share and watch the stage show. We get up to the stand and... they are OUT of frozen Coke! So he decided a frozen cherry slushee would do - not my favorite, but the popcorn hit the spot for me. We headed back to the stage in front of the Chinese Theatre to watch whichever stage show I realized was the one the Radio Harambe guys refer to as a fashion show. It had a lot of clips from the various movies, and with each clip, a different character would come out on stage. It was fine - not something I would seek out, but fun enough for Star Wars fans like us who chance upon it, and I would imagine, even more fun for the little Jawas in your family. I was most excited to see BB-8, so here's my lousy picture of him (I think this is the worst photo I'll subject you to):

After returning from a Galaxy Far, Far Away, we took a spin through TSMM. As per usual, my husband destroyed me, but I wasn't as bad as prior spins, so I'll take that as a partial victory!

We then checked our Lines app to see what was available, and the Star Tours wait looked pretty short, so we headed over there. We ended up going on a journey that we hadn't been before: Hoth (I think) and that underwater place on Naboo that Jar Jar Binks takes you through. While it was cool to see something different, I would have preferred my adventure to be sans Jar Jar. After that, we decided to just take it easy as my husband was definitely not feeling well enough to use our Tower of Terror fastpasses, and we were mostly at DHS to see the new Star Wars fireworks anyway. I took advantage of the time to enjoy the quietness and the details of the Muppet Courtyard:

And we also dreamed of vacations yet to come:

After that, we got some drinks (though tempted by the scent of fresh churros) and took a seat in front of the Chinese Theatre to await the Star Wars fireworks for about half an hour. I love how both this fireworks show, and the last Star Wars fireworks show begin with fireworks seemingly coming from nowhere. However, we both agreed that while we appreciated some of the projection effects, we both much preferred the fireworks show we had seen the year before, as that one was more about the emotion of the music, and the fireworks working with the music to tell a story; furthermore, it could be enjoyed from spaces further down Hollywood Boulevard and even just outside the park. I definitely recommend getting as close to the Chinese Theatre as you can to see this one, otherwise you'll miss a lot with this one.

Up next, off to Disney Springs to conclude Day 1 with a dining reservation!

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Day 1: Dinner at The BOATHOUSE
Okay, I'm back and ready to finish out Day 1 of this Trip Report! This will probably be a pretty short segment, and sadly, photograph-free.

After Star Wars fireworks, we headed out of the park to hop on the bus to Disney Springs. It was a significant line, and a bit of a wait. And it was a bit chilly, and we were hungry, but we just kept dreaming of dinner! Once we got to Disney Springs, we got a little lost trying to find the restaurant, which wasn't so fun since we were getting uncomfortably close to our reservation time (9:00 - pretty late for us) and we were hungry and we were cold. So when we came across that BOATHOUSE sign, it was so lovely to see! When we got inside it was crowded and loud, but they were able to seat us right away. To our slight dismay, we were seated at one of the high top bar tables, fairly close to the band and the big wall that was open to the outside. After a long day of travel, we were hoping for a slightly quieter table. We asked our waiter if anything else was available, and he was happy to ask for us. Unfortunately, at that point, the only other option was outside so... yeah, that wasn't going to work. So we decided to stay put and make the best of it, and it actually ended up being great! The band was fantastic, and it wasn't long before they closed off the wall to the outside, so it warmed up then. It was nice to do something out of the ordinary - like eating with live music - to kick off our vacation. (For those who are curious about "1st Day" recommendations, we decided that the best 1st Day we'd ever had was our first trip a few years ago; we got to our resort by lunch, our room was ready early (we were lucky, I know), we took a long nap after lunch, and then headed to Hoop Dee Doo and then Magic Kingdom for fireworks and a couple of rides. It was fun but low pressure, and there was still time for a nap.)

Now onto the main event: the food! My husband ordered the swordfish, and I opted for the petit filet mignon and the lobster bisque. After we ordered and some time had passed, we were both surprised that my soup hadn't arrived yet. Well, not soon thereafter, our main courses arrived. I asked the woman who brought our food (not our waiter) about the soup and saw her go ask the waiter and he looked confused. A couple minutes later, he came over to our table, completely apologetic that he hadn't put in the order for the lobster bisque and said it would be right out - and on him. And that to me is one thing I love about Disney - it's not that mistakes don't happen, but they are almost always rectified very well. And when that lobster bisque came out - wow!! I was in love. My filet was great, but the lobster bisque captured my heart. My husband, who is super picky, really enjoyed his swordfish as well. Another service related thing that I really, really appreciated, is that when the server brought me my steak, she had me cut into it in front of her, to make sure it was cooked to my liking - and it was. (Another signature restaurant I'll talk about later in the trip could use that tip...) Well seasoned, well cooked, no complaints.

We were too full for dessert, but I did feel envious of the table next to us who had ordered lobster rolls that were arriving just as we were paying our bill - they looked so good! I don't know if I just hadn't seen them on the menu, or if I had been deterred from the lobster roll from reviews I had read online (which were largely positive, but talked about how the lobster was tossed in mayonnaise), but I hadn't even considered that for my main course. And they didn't look like they had mayo in them, so if they did, it must have been very lightly tossed. As we were leaving, we promised our waiter that we'd be back - and next time, I'd have to try the lobster roll!

We headed back to the bus bay - if I recall correctly, the CBR bus stop was (almost?) the last bus bay, so it was a bit of a walk and then a short wait for the bus. When we got back to the resort, we stopped in Old Port Royale to pick up a water jug to keep in our room - a decision made easier by the bus stopping at OPR first.
Then it was time for these tired travelers to go to sleep to get ready for a day of fun at the Magic Kingdom the next day!

Until next time...

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Day 2: Magic Kingdom Part 1 (Gnocchi Waffles and Part 2 of the Quest for Frozen Coke)!
The next morning, I got up an hour or so before my husband, being an early riser and so excited because WE WERE AT DISNEY!! I couldn't wait to take a little stroll over the bridge to OPR, get a cup of tea, and enjoy it outside in the sun. I took some photos and video to share on social media (the best of which is above), then went back in the room to get DH up and ready for the day. We were so excited to have breakfast at OPR so we could get our first Mickey Waffles of the trip! I'll be honest, I'm not sure if this is just because they were the little Mickey Waffles, but these tasted a little different to me... The were crispy on the outside, but quite dense, almost gluey on the inside. We referred to them as the gnocchi of waffles. Anyway, they weren't terrible - just not as good as the big crispy ones I'd remembered from Contempo Cafe or the food court at Port Orleans Riverside.

Bellies full, it was time to go to Magic Kingdom! We took the bus from OPR, which came fairly quickly, and only made 2 more stops (I think) before departing, so we were happy campers. We got off the bus at 11:30 on the nose, which was perfect, as that's when our first fastpass of the day began. It was SUCH a beautiful day already - mid 70s, not a cloud in the sky, that I had to stop and take this slightly tilted photo of the Grand Floridian:

What we saw next were hoards of crowds and long lines to get into the Magic Kingdom. It was a Saturday, but Touring Plans had predicted not an insane crowd day, so we weren't quite sure what was going on. It looked a little more intense in the security screening department than we had seen last May. Fortunately, we found a fairly short line all the way to the left (where the security guard remarked on my husband's "My favorite Disney Princess is my Wife" shirt, calling him a smart man ) and got through pretty quickly. After checking the Lines app, we decided our best move would be to hit our first fastpass: Splash Mountain!

I was so excited for this, as we had missed out last year because I wasn't feeling well when we were supposed to go. Splash is one of my favorites, and it had been 3 and a half years since we'd been on. I really think it's one of Disney's most perfect rides: I love the music, the audio animatronics, and the drops (one advantage to waiting so long between riding this one is that I forgot just how many small-medium sized drops there were before the BIG one). I even like walking through the queue - something about it is just peaceful to me, and reminds me of my childhood, waiting in that fake wooded area, listening to the gentle music, searching for signs of the characters I would soon see on my ride. And I never enjoyed Splash Mountain so much as riding it with my husband - mostly because I can't help but crack up when he gets mad (fake mad?) when he gets all wet. It's just so funny to me.

So, midday was a lovely time for us to get a little wet - wetter than I'd remembered before - and then in the warm Florida sun, I decided to walk over to the little market at Liberty Square to quench my thirst. Last time we were here, my husband was able to get a frozen coke. Well guess, what? Struck out again. After that mild disappointment, before we knew it, our fastpass for Big Thunder was ready. This is another favorite of both of ours; it was definitely my favorite ride growing up, and I still really enjoy it.

We had some time before our next attraction, so we stopped to use the restrooms by Splash Mountain, and I will say, I really enjoyed just sitting in that courtyard near those restrooms. I was certainly sun deprived, and the courtyard was remarkably quiet. It was then that I had the first feeling that this might have been one of my all time favorite Magic Kingdom days. We weren't rushing, we had a loose plan, and we had no intention or need to do everything. We could just go at our own pace and enjoy. I feel relaxed just remembering it...

Next time: Muppets, Dwarves, and Mac (and cheese)!

 

[MsGlassSlipper]

Day 2: Magic Kingdom Part 2 (Friar's Nook Pro-Tip, and other fun things!)
Hello Dis friends! Sorry for the delay! We're back for Part 2 of our Magic Kingdom day! Where we last left off, my husband and I were just taking it easy, and I'm happy to say, that's how the rest of our day continued. At this point, we were starting to consider our lunch options. Looking at the Lines app, nothing we were very excited about riding was a short enough wait to accommodate an upcoming date with a frog, a pig, and uh, whatever Gonzo is, so we decided to take a stroll through Frontierland, Adventureland, and Liberty Square to see which quick service restaurants were open and what was on the menu. It seems like such a small thing, but it felt like such an incredible luxury to be able to just walk around, enjoy the ambiance, get some sun, and investigate the culinary options. It was the moment when I truly felt like a Disney "regular," that I didn't have to worry about hitting every last attraction - I'd seen them recently, and I know I'll be back sometime to enjoy them again.

So, it was now midday, and I really wanted to watch the new Muppets show in Liberty Square. So we sat down on the ledge of a planter and waited about 10 minutes for the show to begin. When the time got close, we wandered close to where the windows were, and first thing we notice is an adorable cast member dressed up in colonial attire. He was talking to some guests, some of whom seemed like they were friends or family of his - it sounded like it was maybe his first day in this role, and I have to say, as "JJ" (which I think was short for James Jefferson) he was fantastic! He played the Town Crier, and along with the Muppets, sang, joked, and signed (so to speak - if you've seen the show, you know what I mean) his way to teaching us all about "Great Moments in History...but just the American parts!"

I have to say, this Muppets show was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I am a fan of the Muppets in general, and this show uses them perfectly. It was funny, cute, and vaguely educational - we learned a very basic version of the story of the Declaration of Independence. The stars of the show, along with JJ, were Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, Gonzo, and this guy:

Ah, Sam Eagle. Everyone's favorite arch-conservative curmudgeon! Anyway, I cannot recommend more highly that you check out the Times Guide and take a little time during your day to watch one of these shows. My understanding is that there are 2 different shows: the Declaration of Independence and the story of Paul Revere. I would have gladly come back to see the Revere show, but it didn't end up working for our day. Just one more thing to look forward to next time!

After the Muppets, we were definitely ready for lunch. We decided to head towards Fantasyland since our fast pass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was coming up. But we had another motive... we were intrigued by the legend of the Pot Roast Mac & Cheese (henceforth known as PRM&C) at the Friar's Nook! Would it be amazing? Would it be disgusting? Would the line be too long?? (Btw, the line for Columbia Harbour House was OUT THE DOOR at this point! I was stunned!) My husband got in the relatively short line to order while I skipped off to the Tangled Toilets. In hindsight, I'm sure there were closer bathrooms that were just as nice. (I'm a fan of the ones next to Gaston's Tavern.) But I was hoping to take some pictures and look for the hidden Pascals near the restrooms. Unfortunately this was NOT in the cards. Fantasyland was horrendously crowded - like, a significant line for the carousel crowded. So crowded in fact that there was a cast member in the middle of the walkway with a sign telling guests to keep to the right. I looked on the Dis a couple days later to see if I could figure out if anything special was going on; I couldn't find anything, but some people who were in the parks said they'd only ever seen that sign used on Thanksgiving. Yikes.

But, I made it back to the Friar's Nook alive, where my husband and PRM&C awaited me... Oh my goodness. Next time you are in Magic Kingdom, RUN (or you know, scurry along safely) to Friar's Nook. This was SOOO worth it. I wish I had a picture of the deliciousness. Two things I learned, aside from the fact that this combination of foods is genius: 1) the PTM&C came in a much bigger bowl than I'd expected. I feel like when I'd read reviews of it online, the photos I saw were of just a little cup. Oh no, my friends. This was a legit bowl. And 2) *Pro-tip alert* you get more pot roast if you order it separately from the mac. How do I know this? Well, my husband remained skeptical that these two items belonged in one bowl together, so he asked if he could have his pot roast on the side. (Turns out, he liked it just fine all mixed together.) And indeed, I ended up stealing some of his pot roast to put in my mac once I started running low on meat. It was a glorious lunch. One I will dream of for years to come.

After we ate as much PRM&C as our bodies could handle, we ambled over to 7DMT to use our fast passes. I asked one of the cast members if we could wait for the last car, as it's my favorite. She told me I would need to ask the cast member up ahead of her, which of course, I forgot to do until it was too late. C'est la vie. It was a fun ride all the same. After we got off, we decided to head back to CBR for an afternoon rest.

Next time... a pirate pool and some Wishes