Yep.. the trip report that took almost 12 years to write!

[justakrazymom]

Welcome! After locating my trip journal from our 2000/2001 Christmas/NYE trip I decide to write up and share the trip! I kept an amazingly detailed journal and have albums of pictures I will be scanning and hopefully writing this all out will help the next 580 ( until I leave on our next trip) go by faster!

So here we go:

Cast of characters..me.. at 25 years old...I had JUST met my now husband.

My mother ( of course)

and a wee little Noah ( who turns 18 in 3 days) at all of 6 year old!!

When: Dec 19-Jan 1 2000/2001

Where: Caribbean Beach Resort..


So who's in?

 

[justakrazymom]

Here we go! ( oh a little forewarning..pictures MAY NOT always be in chronological order..lets face it..it's been almost 12 years)

Within the 3 weeks leading up to the trip I got hurt coaching soccer ( popped out my hip) ,Noah got a sinus infection ( 3 days before trip) and then had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics ( day before trip!). Luckily the odds were forever in our favor and we still go on our way on Dec 18th 2000. I took Noah out of school early and we drove to Hartford CT, ate, checked in to our motel and crashed.


DAY 1~ Dec 19th 2000:

Up at 5:30 get all our items gathered ( or so we thought) and we head to the long term parking service the car would be at while we are gone. We load into the shuttle to the airport, get there..unload and assume we are set to go. WRONG. I had left my bag ON the shuttle with all plane tickets and my ID and everything..luckily within 15 minutes the shuttle came back and I had everything back! We checked into the flight and the waiting began. We ended up boarding 10 minutes late due to an issue with the flight before us. Noah charmed a few slight attendants ( of course) and we had a decent flight. There was a heck of a storm where we were flying through so we had been warned the flight might be long and bumpy. We landed-scratch that we slammed into the runway 45 minutes late. We hit an updraft (?) and the plan slammed then bounced then slammed again. I was white knuckling it..Noah says " Can we do that again?"..ahhh..I'm not a huge fan of flying so this was less than enjoyable!

I had hired Tiffany TownCar service ( this is back when you had to pay for MEARS to bring you to Disney) and we made a quick stop at a Publix for some basic food and water then off to CBR.

Check in goes very well.. of course NONE of my requests were met.. we are in a rather far building.. Aruba #55 room 5538. really couldn't get much further from the main building. Oh well.. it was what it was. Bell services drove us to our room, it was in great shape. We had heard so many bad things about CBR up to this point.. rooms shabby etc..it was not!

more of the room.. none of these were on check in day..but hey they are pictures right?? Look how darn cute Noah was..unreal..I mean he's still cute but he's a lot less um.. well.. cute..LOL. Oh and notice the stuffed animals.. Mousekeeping was amazing this trip ( they were at Dixie Landings the year before too)

After unloading our stuff we walked to Old Port Royale..checking everything out on the way:

We scoped out Old Port Royale for a few then we went to the bus stop and waited about 10 minutes in the rain and cold ( it was a rather cold Dec in Fl..) until a bus came for Magic Kingdom.

 

[justakrazymom]

Dec 19th 2000 part 2

We headed to MK and went to guest services and bought our AP's. It was quick and easy. Of course it was also POURING rain ( and cold). I had let Noah take a child's poncho from the room so he was soon in that. We put on our cheap ponchos and headed down mainstreet . I needed to walk through the castle ( remember when you could just always do that??). On the other side of the castle it's barely sprinkling.. ha ha.. Disney Magic! We had 90 minutes to kill before our PS at The Crystal Palace ( PS is priority Seating .back then it was what 90 days out and called that not 180 and ADR'S). First ride is of course It's a Small World. After that torture..I mean ride, we come out to sun! Yes..much better! Its def still chilly though..I am really glad we packed fleece vests and hoodies ( and would be about 1000 times more on this trip). We went on the River boat ( was closed the year before) and then off to Swiss Family treehouse ( which amazingly enough was super easy for me to climb back then..hum.. I guess being 12 years older and about 30 pounds heavier is why it was horrid this last trip??).

We make it to The Crystal Palace and have about 20 minutes after we check in before they seat us. Great meal..

We decide to head back to CBR ~ catching a few minutes of MSEP. Only a 5 minutes wait for a bus back to the resort. We get off at the Trading Post and buy a 2 liter of soda. We had refillable mugs but with the distance between us and Old Port Royale I didnt see us using them a ton.. I was right. We got back to the room, unpacked and crashed!

 

[megveg]

I'm in! I love how your report has all the changes from then until now My last trip was in 09 and nothing much changed between 08 and 09 (went the same week 2 yrs in a row) but my next trip is October 2013 and I'm nervous with all the changes coming what it's going to be like.

Ready for more, neighbor! (Im 30 mins outside Boston!)

 

[justakrazymom]

I'm in! I love how your report has all the changes from then until now My last trip was in 09 and nothing much changed between 08 and 09 (went the same week 2 yrs in a row) but my next trip is October 2013 and I'm nervous with all the changes coming what it's going to be like.

Ready for more, neighbor! (Im 30 mins outside Boston!)

glad to have a reader and of course a neighbor!!

 

[DanieD0909]

I'm here too!!! Can't wait for more!!!