Trip Report Caribbean Beach Spring Break Trip - Lounging Around



Hey y'all! I have all my pictures uploaded to Flickr, so I guess I'm ready to go with this report. I didn't take notes, so just be prepared for a lot of "I think we did ____ next....wait no, I'm 16% sure we did ____....or wait. I don't know"

You ready?

WHO: Me (alone for the first day) & my husband, R.
WHY: We have APs and I had to be in Tampa for work so DUH
WHERE: Caribbean Beach
WHEN: April 9, 12-16
 


Hey y'all! I have all my pictures uploaded to Flickr, so I guess I'm ready to go with this report. I didn't take notes, so just be prepared for a lot of "I think we did ____ next....wait no, I'm 16% sure we did ____....or wait. I don't know"

You ready?

WHO: Me (alone for the first day) & my husband, R.
WHY: We have APs and I had to be in Tampa for work so DUH
WHERE: Caribbean Beach
WHEN: April 9, 12-16
Im ready! preparing for my own trip in 20 days, lets see some pics! Was the resort under construction yet?
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1 - solo day

This day came about because I read a rumor that there may be Pandora previews for AP holders on the 8th and 9th. Now it was from a site that is notorious for having things wrong, so I didn't put much stock in it. BUT this idea got me thinking, why not plan on going by Disney before I have to head to work in Tampa?

I was originally going to fly into Tampa, rent the car there, then on Wednesday drive to Orlando and return the car at the Disney Car Care Center. So I did some research and it would shave a couple hundred bucks off my flight/rental car total to fly into MCO and do pickup and drop off there. I could just take Magical Express back to Disney from MCO, and if I timed it right, I'd get to ride there with my husband! Perfect plan!

So on Sunday, off to Orlando I went. I had so much trouble deciding what to do with my solo day. Of course my plans changed 100 times, even as the day went on.

Flight and rental car pickup went smoothly. Bypassing the counter with Alamo was a breeze...so awesome.

I drove straight to Epcot!




The topiaries are so beautiful!!!

Well my main goal was to get my favorite sweet snack, but I decided I needed something resembling lunch since at this point it was after 3pm and I had eaten exactly nothing all day. So I stopped at Jardin de Fiestas and ordered:

Chile Relleno de Picadillo: Battered Poblano Pepper filled with Ground Beef covered with Tomato Sauce and Garnished with Queso Fresco and Toasted Almonds – $6.00


I thought this was AMAZING! Maybe it was because I was so hungry? I don't care, it was fantastic. I got one bite of tough pepper skin, but the rest was perfect. It had a little bit of a sweet flavor from something.



Admired this guy as I passed through Norway



Finally arrived at my destination :inlove:. I got my caramel popcorn and continued on around World Showcase while I munched. I read a lot about the violet lemonade before heading down, so I sought it out to wash down my popcorn.




I arrived at Pineapple Promenade and ordered:
Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (Non-alcoholic) – $3.50



Ok. Something you should know about me. I DO NOT like hype. It gets on my nerves. It's a character flaw, and I realize that. I make myself try things that are popular, and sometimes I'm rewarded for it. A big example is with Harry Potter. I refused to care until about 3 years ago, and now I am constantly reading through the series. Anyway this is one of those cases! This stuff was BONKERS good. I knew I'd be getting more of this later in the week. So glad it wasn't alcoholic so it wasn't $10!

Up Next: Park hopping. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going....
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Im ready! preparing for my own trip in 20 days, lets see some pics! Was the resort under construction yet?
Thanks for joining in! There was something going on there that I could hear during the day, but it may have been off the resort. I couldn't see any construction from where we were. I'll have more from CB after my solo day!
 

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
Day 1 - solo day

This day came about because I read a rumor that there may be Pandora previews for AP holders on the 8th and 9th. Now it was from a site that is notorious for having things wrong, so I didn't put much stock in it. BUT this idea got me thinking, why not plan on going by Disney before I have to head to work in Tampa?

I was originally going to fly into Tampa, rent the car there, then on Wednesday drive to Orlando and return the car at the Disney Car Care Center. So I did some research and it would shave a couple hundred bucks off my flight/rental car total to fly into MCO and do pickup and drop off there. I could just take Magical Express back to Disney from MCO, and if I timed it right, I'd get to ride there with my husband! Perfect plan!

So on Sunday, off to Orlando I went. I had so much trouble deciding what to do with my solo day. Of course my plans changed 100 times, even as the day went on.

Flight and rental car pickup went smoothly. Bypassing the counter with Alamo was a breeze...so awesome.

I drove straight to Epcot!




The topiaries are so beautiful!!!

Well my main goal was to get my favorite sweet snack, but I decided I needed something resembling lunch since at this point it was after 3pm and I had eaten exactly nothing all day. So I stopped at Jardin de Fiestas and ordered:

Chile Relleno de Picadillo: Battered Poblano Pepper filled with Ground Beef covered with Tomato Sauce and Garnished with Queso Fresco and Toasted Almonds – $6.00


I thought this was AMAZING! Maybe it was because I was so hungry? I don't care, it was fantastic. I got one bite of tough pepper skin, but the rest was perfect. It had a little bit of a sweet flavor from something.



Admired this guy as I passed through Norway



Finally arrived at my destination :inlove:. I got my caramel popcorn and continued on around World Showcase while I munched. I read a lot about the violet lemonade before heading down, so I sought it out to wash down my popcorn.




I arrived at Pineapple Promenade and ordered:
Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (Non-alcoholic) – $3.50



Ok. Something you should know about me. I DO NOT like hype. It gets on my nerves. It's a character flaw, and I realize that. I make myself try things that are popular, and sometimes I'm rewarded for it. A big example is with Harry Potter. I refused to care until about 3 years ago, and now I am constantly reading through the series. Anyway this is one of those cases! This stuff was BONKERS good. I knew I'd be getting more of this later in the week. So glad it wasn't alcoholic so it wasn't $10!

Up Next: Park hopping. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going....

That violet lemonade is super yummy! :hungry: Can't wait to read more!:)
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
That violet lemonade is super yummy! :hungry: Can't wait to read more!:)
Thanks for joining in! I agree...I need some right now.

following! the pictures came out soooo nice !
Thank you!!

Yay! Your pictures as always are amazingggg:inlove:
That violet lemonade! I can't wait to try
Ahh thanks! I hope you get to try it. I'm determined to figure out a recipe, or at least find a similar slush at Sonic. ha

Yay!!! :D I want to try the violet lemonade so bad! And anything from Karamell-Kuche is fine by me. :inlove:
I'll let you know if I find a suitable substitute that you can make at home! Also yes ALLLLLL the love for the caramel popcorn (and everything else I've ever tried there). YUM.

Following! Great pictures. And I really hope they have that violet lemonade when I'm there next year :)
Thank you! I hope so too! Surely they wouldn't nix something so popular.

Hi Sheriff Woody
I am along for the ride

The pictures are eggcellent!!

(sorry , wrong thread)

Max
Thanks for joining! Don't worry, the same kind of eggcitement will come up in my report too!

OMGGG! You guys are sooo adorbs!:inlove:

That lemonade looks amazing!! How many did u end up having?? LOL

I'm curious about the construction since as you know, I'll be there this summer...can't wait for the rest of your report!
Thanks for joining in! I only ended up with two, but that's only because there was so much else to try. I should have had more!

I don't think the real construction at CB has started yet. Nothing that I could see, only some that I could hear behind a treeline.
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1 continued - Park hopping

I left Epcot and hopped on the monorail. I chatted with a lot more people on the monorail than normal. Maybe being by myself made me more open to talking to people? I don't know!

Got on the second monorail to MK, and when I got there I was basking in the bliss of not having to go through security. It was AMAZING. So unless they change something, if you hop from Epcot to MK, you do not have to go through security again! I wish they could make that work for all park hopping, but it only makes sense logistically for this hop.




I wanted so badly to come back and watch Wishes from the train station, but since the flag pole was down, it was covered up at least 2 hours before Wishes started. Oh well. I had better things to do!

You can tell from that picture of Main Street that it was pretty crowded. I'd put it at an 8, maybe 9?




Watched part of the Friendship Faire from afar.

I could have sworn that my Haunted Mansion fastpass was first, but according to my pictures, I am wrong. Ha. This was less than 3 weeks ago, and I've already forgotten all the details! UGH!

I do remember that it was only about 40 minutes until my dinner reservation at Be Our Guest, so I lingered in that area for a while. I thought I wasn't going to do this reservation, but I ended up getting it just a few days before I left! R never showed interest in it, so I figured I'd try it myself. He wants to go now :rolleyes:






I was creeping on some randos riding 7 Dwarves. It was just a way to pass the time. I also walked around in the Beauty and the Beast themed store a little. It was jammed in there though, so I didn't stick around.




I noticed there was a photographer outside Be Our Guest, so I took advantage. He was very nice and even gave me this cute magic shot!


I look so tired :joyfull:

I checked in about 20 minutes early and the lady said they were running behind but would text me when my table was ready. The setup there is a little wonky, but I understand they're trying to keep people from going into the castle when they don't have a reservation. It's just a little confusing the first time.




Up next: Be Our Guest
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1 continued: Be Our Guest (finally!)

I don't even think it was 10 minutes before I got my text. So much for running behind! Glad I didn't venture too far. I proceeded to the area behind the gate where I was to wait for someone to come seat me.




I was super impressed with the castle! It's beautiful. I've seen pictures of course, but those don't do it justice. The cast member who came out to get me was really friendly and we talked about my work trip and squeezing in an extra day at Disney. He said that was good decision ;). He also wanted to take a picture of me with Lumiere to send to my husband.



Again with the tired face :eek:. It's the lack of makeup...I always do that when I travel because I don't care enough to get up earlier :hilarious:

As you can see from the grainy photo, it's quite dark in there. It's a neat atmosphere! Also, I was seated in the ballroom, but on the opposite side from the windows. I could barely see the snow.



I started with the French onion soup because I've read so much about it. It was delicious!! So cheesy. The onions were a little big and their soggy texture was offputting, but it wasn't bad enough to make me dislike the dish.

My server was an absolute doll. She was upbeat and kind of cheesy with the Beauty and the Beast references, but I loved it.


I ordered the Ratatouille, and it was delicious. It was super filling, but I powered through and finished most of it. I had been eating mostly vegetarian (only meat I ate was from a local farmer) for a while before this trip, so I wanted to ease into the meat dishes. I had a little at the F&G fest, and I figured I'd have some the next day. I luckily never felt ill after reintroducing it!


Our host walked by about halfway through dinner.



Of course I HAD to order dessert. When my server came over with the desserts, I looked them over and decided I couldn't pass up the grey stuff. She did the bit about trying the grey stuff and I had to respond "it's delicious!" I wasn't lying! The crust part was tasteless, but the custard (?) and the icing were amazing.

When I was done I glanced around the other rooms, which I think I would have preferred to the very loud ballroom.




I couldn't resist waiting in line to meet the host. I had to thank him for dinner!





He's so handsome :joyfull:. While I was in line some little girls sang Be Our Guest to him and it was really cute. I didn't have anything fun prepared, so I just awkwardly said hi and took my picture. ha. It was less awkward than I imagined though, so that was good! I am glad they actually have lights set up in there! It's nicer than the on-camera flash look. Now they just need to add some light modifiers so the shadows aren't so harsh.:geek:

After my dinner, I had a few more things on my agenda!

Up next: These are a few of my favorite things
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Traveling anywhere near Orlando makes a Disney visit a no brainer for me too! Lovely pictures as always.

I'll be at Caribbean Beach in two and a half weeks so I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

That Violet Lemonade looks amazing - can't wait to try it!

Following along :).
Thanks for following! I need to find more excuses to go to Florida for work...

Your pictures look amazing! :inlove: With the express transportation buses, you don't have to go through security again. I think this service should be free for people with a park hopper, but Disney is the land of the upcharge..
Thank you!! I really need to try the express bus thing sometime. Maybe when we go in October. We didn't have much park hopping planned for this trip, so I didn't bother. I do want to try it though! It sounds like an amazing service.
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1 continued: let's ride!

My first fastpass was (apparently) Haunted Mansion. It's my favorite, so of course I had to squeeze it in on my solo day!


I think this was around 6. The bottleneck after the stretching room was alive and well :rolleyes:. I HATE that area. I wish they'd put people through the stretching room slower to avoid it. I'd rather wait in the regular line outside longer than sardine pack myself in with 100 sweaty strangers trying to squeeze through that tiny space.

When I made it to my doom buggy, I made sure to sit on the left side of it so I didn't end up in a @TrolleyFollower91 situation :hilarious:

After Haunted Mansion it was almost time for my Big Thunder FP! I had some time to kill though so I took some pictures and hung out near the ride. The only place I could find to linger was in the smoking section, but it wasn't too bad.




The worst part was the group of teenage boys talking WAY too loudly and cursing. I know they're just immature, but that doesn't mean I can't get annoyed :arghh:

When my FP time finally rolled around, I got in line. It passed by pretty quickly, and soon I was on my fav wild ride!




Took that one on my phone. Isn't is the best view?! :inlove::inlove::inlove:

After that I had a lot of time to kill before Wishes. It was only about 7:30 I think, and Wishes was at 10. I walked back toward Main Street to access the train station situation and get a coffee.



Saw my favorite Duck on the way


Mmmmm yes please


The castle at dusk is AMAZING. It's beautiful always, but especially at dusk.



There were several people set up already to take pictures of Wishes, and I didn't want to just wait around for 2 hours, so I had a decision to make. Should I find some other stuff to do and wait for Wishes, or just go ahead and leave? I decided to just leave. I know that's crazy, but I'd been up since 6:30am and had an hour and a half drive ahead of me.

So I said "See ya real soon" to MK and got on the monorail back to Epcot. I chatted with another family on the way back, and pretty soon I was back at my rental car (which I miraculously found).

I stayed with one of my best friends who lives in St. Petersburg, so I went strait there and made it by about 10. She lives in a little bungalow down there and we just sat on the porch and talked for a couple of hours before going to bed. As much as I love Wishes, I was glad I got to her house earlier and had some time to catch up.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning were all spent between Tampa (work) and St. Petersburg (where I was staying). I was photographing a group of students from the school where I work. Our school sends out teams of students each spring break and summer on mission trips of sorts. This group was working with a church plant in Tampa. They did some manual labor at the church, surveyed students at the University of Tampa and worked at a cafe downtown that serves the urban poor. It was a REALLY great trip, and the kind of work that I find most rewarding. In these kind of situations, I'm able to shoot a little but also put the camera down and help some. I love it!

On Tuesday I made it back to St. Pete in time for a quick beach trip to watch the sunset.




It was a PERFECT evening.

Had to say goodbye the next morning :(


Getting older stinks, y'all. All my friends have moved away. But at least I have cool places to visit!

Ok, now back to Disney!

Up Next: Back to the world with my favorite dude.
 

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
Day 1 continued: let's ride!

My first fastpass was (apparently) Haunted Mansion. It's my favorite, so of course I had to squeeze it in on my solo day!


I think this was around 6. The bottleneck after the stretching room was alive and well :rolleyes:. I HATE that area. I wish they'd put people through the stretching room slower to avoid it. I'd rather wait in the regular line outside longer than sardine pack myself in with 100 sweaty strangers trying to squeeze through that tiny space.

When I made it to my doom buggy, I made sure to sit on the left side of it so I didn't end up in a @TrolleyFollower91 situation :hilarious:

After Haunted Mansion it was almost time for my Big Thunder FP! I had some time to kill though so I took some pictures and hung out near the ride. The only place I could find to linger was in the smoking section, but it wasn't too bad.




The worst part was the group of teenage boys talking WAY too loudly and cursing. I know they're just immature, but that doesn't mean I can't get annoyed :arghh:

When my FP time finally rolled around, I got in line. It passed by pretty quickly, and soon I was on my fav wild ride!




Took that one on my phone. Isn't is the best view?! :inlove::inlove::inlove:

After that I had a lot of time to kill before Wishes. It was only about 7:30 I think, and Wishes was at 10. I walked back toward Main Street to access the train station situation and get a coffee.



Saw my favorite Duck on the way


Mmmmm yes please


The castle at dusk is AMAZING. It's beautiful always, but especially at dusk.



There were several people set up already to take pictures of Wishes, and I didn't want to just wait around for 2 hours, so I had a decision to make. Should I find some other stuff to do and wait for Wishes, or just go ahead and leave? I decided to just leave. I know that's crazy, but I'd been up since 6:30am and had an hour and a half drive ahead of me.

So I said "See ya real soon" to MK and got on the monorail back to Epcot. I chatted with another family on the way back, and pretty soon I was back at my rental car (which I miraculously found).

I stayed with one of my best friends who lives in St. Petersburg, so I went strait there and made it by about 10. She lives in a little bungalow down there and we just sat on the porch and talked for a couple of hours before going to bed. As much as I love Wishes, I was glad I got to her house earlier and had some time to catch up.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning were all spent between Tampa (work) and St. Petersburg (where I was staying). I was photographing a group of students from the school where I work. Our school sends out teams of students each spring break and summer on mission trips of sorts. This group was working with a church plant in Tampa. They did some manual labor at the church, surveyed students at the University of Tampa and worked at a cafe downtown that serves the urban poor. It was a REALLY great trip, and the kind of work that I find most rewarding. In these kind of situations, I'm able to shoot a little but also put the camera down and help some. I love it!

On Tuesday I made it back to St. Pete in time for a quick beach trip to watch the sunset.




It was a PERFECT evening.

Had to say goodbye the next morning :(


Getting older stinks, y'all. All my friends have moved away. But at least I have cool places to visit!

Ok, now back to Disney!

Up Next: Back to the world with my favorite dude.
That friend moved to a really cool place! The sunset pic is just beautiful.:)
 

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