Trip Report Our 20th Anniversary Trip to the Caribbean...December 2018 COMPLETED

Caribbean Beach Resort, that is!!

Well, we've been back awhile, and the Disney Blues have hit me really hard this time for several reasons to be discussed later, so I have put off starting this report, but I am finally ready. I had arthroscopic surgery on my shoulder this past Friday and took this whole week off, so hopefully I can finish before I go back to work!

If you didn't catch my semi-live report, my husband (Brian) and I (Amy) were at WDW from December 16-20 celebrating our 20th anniversary.

Sunday, December 16, 2018
We had an early (6:00am) flight from Columbus, OH which is about an hour from our house, so we had a very early wake up call! My mom had come over the night before since she was staying with the kids while we were gone, so we quickly got ourselves ready and were out the door with minimal fuss.
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I had my nails done up to match my new MagicBand!
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We had an uneventful trip to Columbus and got checked in and through security very quickly. One of the gate agents had lived in Florida for years, and spent a good bit of time talking to us about WDW which made the time go faster. We got to see the sun come up while we were in the air.
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It was very foggy in Orlando, and we thought we were still making our descent through the clouds, when all of a sudden we were on the ground! It was quite a shock, but luckily it was very smooth since Brian is not a good flier!

We were quickly in the main terminal and admiring this:
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Had to stop to get a picture of:
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Also had to stop in the Universal store to see if they had anything Harry Potter for Lily.
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TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have debated long and hard about whether to write out my true final thoughts about this trip because they are going to come out sounding whiny and entitled. I have decided that they are my true feelings and if anyone is going to understand, it will be you guys! Please try not to be too judgmental when reading them!!

I have been to WDW enough times to know that it is not perfect, but there was just something missing this time. The extra little bits of "magic" just weren't there.

Let's start with CBR: I love CBR, and have since we honeymooned there, but I really don't think I am going to like having Riviera right beside it. I feel like it is going to take away the intimate, tropical feel I always got at CBR. I will definitely wait to pass final judgement until everything is complete. The CM that helped us with check in was okay, but I'm used to exceptional! I did appreciate that he found us a room that was available right away, but did let us know that the room we were actually assigned to was a corner room in Jamaica which is what we had originally requested, and let us decide which room we wanted. He did note that we were celebrating our anniversary, but didn't ask how many years or offer to write it on our buttons. In fact, he just kind of threw the buttons at us over the counter. There was nothing really wrong with our interaction, it just wasn't what I'm used to experiencing. I really wanted a Christmas mug, so when I didn't see any of them out, I politely asked if there were any elsewhere. The Cm said,"nope". I asked if she knew when more might come in. She said, "nope". I then asked if she knew of any other resorts that had them, She again said, "nope", and turned her back on me. Now, I understand that she was giving me honest answers, I just feel like she could have done it more politely! A simple "I'm sorry, we don't have any and we don't know when we'll get more until they actually arrive" would have been a good enough answer for me! I am part of a Facebook Caribbean Beach group where people had been reporting that people staying in Jamaica and Aruba were getting Skyliner pins because that is where they are still working on the big, ugly poles for the gondola system. One afternoon, as we were walking through OPR, I stopped and asked a CM about the pins. She immediately got really snotty with me and said, "we don't have those here, and even if we did, they would be for the managers to give out for "magical moments". Once again, a simple, "I'm sorry, we don't have those right now" would have sufficed. It was just the presentation both times that bothered me! Here is the first thing that will sound entitled: Lots of people on the Facebook group were posting pictures of balloons and cards, or chocolate, or even bags full of goodies that they had received in their rooms for birthdays, anniversaries, and some weren't celebrating anything. We got a cute card from Minnie and Mickey for our honeymoon, and I was just hoping for something little like that for our anniversary. It didn't ruin my trip or anything, but just a little disappointing!

On to meals: We had several first time experiences this trip: Trail's End, Sanaa, and California Grill. Trail's End was good and we will be back at some point. 'Ohana was fantastic (thankfully, since so many of you have been reporting less than stellar experiences!!). Sanaa is one we most likely will not be returning to unless it is just for the bread service. Kona was a very disappointing experience even though we enjoyed our Tonga Toast. Despite the delicious food, California Grill just wasn't the experience I wanted it to be! And I am soooo disappointed that we missed out on Storybook Dining at Artist Point!! Except for our last meal at CBR, we enjoyed all of the quick service meals we ate. I do think some of the prices are getting a bit outrageous, though! It wasn't so bad being just the two of us this time, but when we have all 5 of us and the 3 kids are all "adults", it adds up fast! Next thing that is going to sound entitled: Everyone always reports about the welcome back XXX family cards they have on their tables, or the confetti that is waiting on their California Grill table, or something similar. With the exception of 'Ohana, and my "birthday cake" at CG, we didn't even get any acknowledgement from our servers that it was our anniversary. In fact, we had more guests wish us a happy anniversary than we did cast members this trip. It has never been that way on our past trips. We ate more than enough, so it wasn't the extra desserts I was looking for, a simple congratulations would have worked.

Christmas decorations: LOVED THEM, especially the Christmas Tree Trail!

MVMCP: We really enjoyed ourselves, but I don't know that we will pay to go again. I am glad that we did the dessert party, as it made the fireworks much more enjoyable! That is one thing that I will continue to be willing to pay extra for!!


In my opening post, I stated that the Disney blues had hit me especially hard this time. Let me explain! I truly have no idea when we may be back. For one thing, the kids are getting so busy with all of their extracurricular activities that it is hard to plan vacations anymore. And they would really rather go to Universal anyhow! Not that I blame them at their ages, but it's a hard pill for me to swallow! Logan may have an opportunity to travel to Spain with a group from his high school, and if he does, Brian and I are considering going with him, which would seriously eat into the vacation budget!! This summer, the kids want to spend a few days at Cedar Point, then we are going to take them to Niagara Falls, so no Disney (or Universal!) this year!! All of you lucky gals who get to take mother/daughter trips are so very fortunate. My mom has already said she has no desire to go to the parks again, and my daughter is a Harry Potter freak right now, so no Disney trips with her in the foreseeable future! And those of you who have spouses who enjoy Disney with you should count your lucky stars! Brian and I were fussing at each other about something after getting home, and he flat out said to me,"I don't like Disney!" He's never said that before and it kind of took me by surprise. I knew it wasn't his favorite place to go, but I didn't know he felt that strongly about it. So, unless I can eek out a solo trip at some point, my chances of a Disney trip in the near future are pretty bleak!

I didn't mean for this final post to be such a downer! Sorry!! We really did have a lovely time and I was happy to get to spend some alone time with Brian for our anniversary! It doesn't happen very often with it being so close to Christmas! Thank you all for following along, and I can't wait to continue reading about everyone else's trips and living vicariously through you all!!
 

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
I have debated long and hard about whether to write out my true final thoughts about this trip because they are going to come out sounding whiny and entitled. I have decided that they are my true feelings and if anyone is going to understand, it will be you guys! Please try not to be too judgmental when reading them!!

I have been to WDW enough times to know that it is not perfect, but there was just something missing this time. The extra little bits of "magic" just weren't there.

Let's start with CBR: I love CBR, and have since we honeymooned there, but I really don't think I am going to like having Riviera right beside it. I feel like it is going to take away the intimate, tropical feel I always got at CBR. I will definitely wait to pass final judgement until everything is complete. The CM that helped us with check in was okay, but I'm used to exceptional! I did appreciate that he found us a room that was available right away, but did let us know that the room we were actually assigned to was a corner room in Jamaica which is what we had originally requested, and let us decide which room we wanted. He did note that we were celebrating our anniversary, but didn't ask how many years or offer to write it on our buttons. In fact, he just kind of threw the buttons at us over the counter. There was nothing really wrong with our interaction, it just wasn't what I'm used to experiencing. I really wanted a Christmas mug, so when I didn't see any of them out, I politely asked if there were any elsewhere. The Cm said,"nope". I asked if she knew when more might come in. She said, "nope". I then asked if she knew of any other resorts that had them, She again said, "nope", and turned her back on me. Now, I understand that she was giving me honest answers, I just feel like she could have done it more politely! A simple "I'm sorry, we don't have any and we don't know when we'll get more until they actually arrive" would have been a good enough answer for me! I am part of a Facebook Caribbean Beach group where people had been reporting that people staying in Jamaica and Aruba were getting Skyliner pins because that is where they are still working on the big, ugly poles for the gondola system. One afternoon, as we were walking through OPR, I stopped and asked a CM about the pins. She immediately got really snotty with me and said, "we don't have those here, and even if we did, they would be for the managers to give out for "magical moments". Once again, a simple, "I'm sorry, we don't have those right now" would have sufficed. It was just the presentation both times that bothered me! Here is the first thing that will sound entitled: Lots of people on the Facebook group were posting pictures of balloons and cards, or chocolate, or even bags full of goodies that they had received in their rooms for birthdays, anniversaries, and some weren't celebrating anything. We got a cute card from Minnie and Mickey for our honeymoon, and I was just hoping for something little like that for our anniversary. It didn't ruin my trip or anything, but just a little disappointing!

On to meals: We had several first time experiences this trip: Trail's End, Sanaa, and California Grill. Trail's End was good and we will be back at some point. 'Ohana was fantastic (thankfully, since so many of you have been reporting less than stellar experiences!!). Sanaa is one we most likely will not be returning to unless it is just for the bread service. Kona was a very disappointing experience even though we enjoyed our Tonga Toast. Despite the delicious food, California Grill just wasn't the experience I wanted it to be! And I am soooo disappointed that we missed out on Storybook Dining at Artist Point!! Except for our last meal at CBR, we enjoyed all of the quick service meals we ate. I do think some of the prices are getting a bit outrageous, though! It wasn't so bad being just the two of us this time, but when we have all 5 of us and the 3 kids are all "adults", it adds up fast! Next thing that is going to sound entitled: Everyone always reports about the welcome back XXX family cards they have on their tables, or the confetti that is waiting on their California Grill table, or something similar. With the exception of 'Ohana, and my "birthday cake" at CG, we didn't even get any acknowledgement from our servers that it was our anniversary. In fact, we had more guests wish us a happy anniversary than we did cast members this trip. It has never been that way on our past trips. We ate more than enough, so it wasn't the extra desserts I was looking for, a simple congratulations would have worked.

Christmas decorations: LOVED THEM, especially the Christmas Tree Trail!

MVMCP: We really enjoyed ourselves, but I don't know that we will pay to go again. I am glad that we did the dessert party, as it made the fireworks much more enjoyable! That is one thing that I will continue to be willing to pay extra for!!


In my opening post, I stated that the Disney blues had hit me especially hard this time. Let me explain! I truly have no idea when we may be back. For one thing, the kids are getting so busy with all of their extracurricular activities that it is hard to plan vacations anymore. And they would really rather go to Universal anyhow! Not that I blame them at their ages, but it's a hard pill for me to swallow! Logan may have an opportunity to travel to Spain with a group from his high school, and if he does, Brian and I are considering going with him, which would seriously eat into the vacation budget!! This summer, the kids want to spend a few days at Cedar Point, then we are going to take them to Niagara Falls, so no Disney (or Universal!) this year!! All of you lucky gals who get to take mother/daughter trips are so very fortunate. My mom has already said she has no desire to go to the parks again, and my daughter is a Harry Potter freak right now, so no Disney trips with her in the foreseeable future! And those of you who have spouses who enjoy Disney with you should count your lucky stars! Brian and I were fussing at each other about something after getting home, and he flat out said to me,"I don't like Disney!" He's never said that before and it kind of took me by surprise. I knew it wasn't his favorite place to go, but I didn't know he felt that strongly about it. So, unless I can eek out a solo trip at some point, my chances of a Disney trip in the near future are pretty bleak!

I didn't mean for this final post to be such a downer! Sorry!! We really did have a lovely time and I was happy to get to spend some alone time with Brian for our anniversary! It doesn't happen very often with it being so close to Christmas! Thank you all for following along, and I can't wait to continue reading about everyone else's trips and living vicariously through you all!!

Maybe you can find a girlfriend that likes Disney and do a girls trip?
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Maybe you can find a girlfriend that likes Disney and do a girls trip?
Good thought, but most of my friends laugh at my Disney obsession and don't understand why I want to keep going back! Maybe I just need to find new friends!! I figure if I can wait awhile, Logan will go on trips with me once he's not so busy with school!
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
I have debated long and hard about whether to write out my true final thoughts about this trip because they are going to come out sounding whiny and entitled. I have decided that they are my true feelings and if anyone is going to understand, it will be you guys! Please try not to be too judgmental when reading them!!

I was waiting for this post. There has been an underlying theme of disappointment in this TR that even Ray Charles could have seen. I think the the rose colored glasses most of us wear to WDW might need a new prescription because the change is blinding. I originally thought what I saw was because of the frequency in which we were going but the more I read of others experiences the more I have to accept its not just me it is WDW. Going to DLR didn't help either. Seeing how well things can be done then seeing how they are not being done in Orlando is disheartening. While I am not as far gone as your DH is, since I've been going since I was a little , the DW and I have decided to alter our future plans in regards to WDW, but you know this. I don't believe your feelings outlined above are unwarranted or terribly entitled but rather a reflection of the level of service you've come accustom to that WDW no longer values. The pixies will, of course, will argue that they see no change and you can't argue with that mentality but the reality is undeniable. If you ask me, take a year off, bank away some funds and you and Brian hit up DLR. It sucks seeing something you love change and its honestly hard reading about someone who loves it as much as you do see it too. All in all first world problems here and its exciting that your kiddos are so active and you still may get a Spain trip out of all this and that's pretty awesome too!
 
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Darstarr

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Good thought, but most of my friends laugh at my Disney obsession and don't understand why I want to keep going back! Maybe I just need to find new friends!! I figure if I can wait awhile, Logan will go on trips with me once he's not so busy with school!
I will be your friend!😎
But seriously, try a solo trip! I book so many of them and one of the kids always end up coming with me. The one in one time is priceless!
Thanks for taking the time to write your TR. And happy belated anniversary!!!🎈🎐
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I was waiting for this post. There has been an underlying theme of disappointment in this TR that even Ray Charles could have seen. I think the the rose colored glasses most of us wear to WDW might need a new prescription because the change is blinding. I originally thought what I saw was because of the frequency in which we were going but the more I read of others experiences to more I have to accept its not just me it is WDW. Going to DLR didn't help either. Seeing how well things can be done then seeing how they are not being done in Orlando is disheartening. While I am not as far gone as your DH is, since I've been going since I was a little ****, the DW and I have decided to alter our future plans in regards to WDW, but you know this. I don't believe your feelings outlined above are unwarranted or terribly entitled but rather a reflection of the level of service you've come accustom to that WDW no longer values. The pixies will, of course, will argue that they see no change and you can't argue with that mentality but the reality is undeniable. If you ask me, take a year off, bank away some funds and you and Brian hit up DLR. It sucks seeing something you love change and its honestly hard reading about someone who loves it as much as you do see it too. All in all first world problems here and its exciting that your kiddos are so active and you still may get a Spain trip out of all this and that's pretty awesome too!
Thanks! I knew that there were some of you who feel the same as I do and would understand. I love that the kids are involved I so many activities, but it makes it hard for long vacations. Our plan is to have multiple shorter trips to closer and less expensive locations for awhile. I promised Logan a big trip when he graduates in 2021 and I have thrown out there the idea of a Southern California trip that just might include a few days at DLR. I also mentioned an Alaskan cruise or even a Caribbean cruise (and you know it would be on DCL!!), so we'll see what he decides!! Thanks for following along!
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I will be your friend!😎
But seriously, try a solo trip! I book so many of them and one of the kids always end up coming with me. The one in one time is priceless!
Thanks for taking the time to write your TR. And happy belated anniversary!!!🎈🎐
Thanks for the anniversary wishes, and for following along! I really would love a solo trip, but the problem is finding a time when I wouldn't miss a million and one sporting events or dance recitals or band concerts, etc!! It will happen one of these days! And I'm always up for making new friends!!
 

LisaBelle

Well-Known Member
Enjoyed your report! Sorry that you had some disappointments along the way. It's sad when your experience doesn't live up to past trips or current expectations, even more so when you don't know when you will make it back to be able to recapture the magic. It's rough when the kid's activities take over. We were lucky and were still able to make July our month for longer vacations.
Definitely a bummer that Brian doesn't really want to do Disney anymore. At least he was honest. As others have mentioned, maybe it will pave the way for some new experiences for you. Maybe you'll find a gap between the kid's activities and "have" to go on a "work trip". Hopefully you'll be able to experience DLR as a family and a mother son trip would be a ton of fun while you wait for Lily to become less obsessed with Harry Potter!
Fingers crossed for some Disney magic in your not too distant future.
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Enjoyed your report! Sorry that you had some disappointments along the way. It's sad when your experience doesn't live up to past trips or current expectations, even more so when you don't know when you will make it back to be able to recapture the magic. It's rough when the kid's activities take over. We were lucky and were still able to make July our month for longer vacations.
Definitely a bummer that Brian doesn't really want to do Disney anymore. At least he was honest. As others have mentioned, maybe it will pave the way for some new experiences for you. Maybe you'll find a gap between the kid's activities and "have" to go on a "work trip". Hopefully you'll be able to experience DLR as a family and a mother son trip would be a ton of fun while you wait for Lily to become less obsessed with Harry Potter!
Fingers crossed for some Disney magic in your not too distant future.
Thanks for following along, and thanks for your well wishes! I'm sure everything will work out and I'll end up with some sort of Disney trip before too awfully long! I will definitely be on the lookout for an opportunity for a "work" trip!!
 

amjt660

Premium Member
Your feelings are not entitled at all
You are a Disney fan that wants WDW to maintain expectations and standards
And simply put they are not
I am with you and understand

My family still wants to go to Disney but as @lostpro9het stated we are looking to the west coast

Star Wars opens sooner and the park has not lost the magic

Please consider that as the alternative

Max
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Your feelings are not entitled at all
You are a Disney fan that wants WDW to maintain expectations and standards
And simply put they are not
I am with you and understand

My family still wants to go to Disney but as @lostpro9het stated we are looking to the west coast

Star Wars opens sooner and the park has not lost the magic

Please consider that as the alternative

Max
Thanks for following along and understanding! California is definitely on my radar!!
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
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First order of business was to see if they had any Christmas mugs. Success!! They had plenty, so we quickly purchased them and filled them up for our walking tour! I loved the lights in here!
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We loved everything we saw at this resort!! Most definitely will consider staying here in the future!!

We LOVED staying at POFQ back in 2014. It's always on our list of places to stay at again, but we always end up staying at either a value resort, or at one we haven't stayed at yet!
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We LOVED staying at POFQ back in 2014. It's always on our list of places to stay at again, but we always end up staying at either a value resort, or at one we haven't stayed at yet!
Thanks for reading along! I have a huge list of places I want to stay, but it seems that we always end up at Pop or CBR. We really need to branch out!! And Port Orleans (FQ or Riverside) are now at the top of our list!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Everything you were disappointed with are things that sets Disney apart. It seems you were seriously let down this time. Sorry to hear that. I've always said that although Disney can be expensive (especially with an entire family), I've never felt like I was "ripped off". With prices continuing to increase at a fast clip, and with service like you received, that imaginary line may have crossed if I were in your shoes.

I can certainly relate to the kids' busy schedule! Great report regardless and thanks for sharing!
 

Spash007

Well-Known Member
I couldn't agree more with the your assessment of CBR, and I'm glad you were able to find words that I've been unable to. I never stayed there previously, but kept feeling like something was missing with the staff when we were there in December. Mind you, there were some really good CMs like a lifeguard at the pool, but the main cast members were ran into (such as the desk and valet) left something to be desired. They weren't outright rude, but they were subpar for Disney.

I've also been in one of the CBR Facebook groups, and have seen those same posts. We though were in the same boat as you and got nada. I don't expect something, but when it's coupled with the lack of service, it just rubs you the wrong way.
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Everything you were disappointed with are things that sets Disney apart. It seems you were seriously let down this time. Sorry to hear that. I've always said that although Disney can be expensive (especially with an entire family), I've never felt like I was "ripped off". With prices continuing to increase at a fast clip, and with service like you received, that imaginary line may have crossed if I were in your shoes.

I can certainly relate to the kids' busy schedule! Great report regardless and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading! The line was definitely crossed this time, especially since all three of my kids are now "adults". I don't mind taking them and paying a lot, as long as we are treated well. I'm hoping to make our next trip be to California.
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I couldn't agree more with the your assessment of CBR, and I'm glad you were able to find words that I've been unable to. I never stayed there previously, but kept feeling like something was missing with the staff when we were there in December. Mind you, there were some really good CMs like a lifeguard at the pool, but the main cast members were ran into (such as the desk and valet) left something to be desired. They weren't outright rude, but they were subpar for Disney.

I've also been in one of the CBR Facebook groups, and have seen those same posts. We though were in the same boat as you and got nada. I don't expect something, but when it's coupled with the lack of service, it just rubs you the wrong way.
Thanks for reading! I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt that way about the "new" CBR. I'm willing to give it another chance at some point, it just won't be for awhile!
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Just finished! I'm so sorry your trip seemed less than magical this time :( Our last trip we kind of felt the same way. Feels like the magic is slowly slipping away at times....

But anytime you want a travel buddy, you can join me, my sister and my Mom! We love Disney and the more the merrier!!!
 

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