Trip Report Rain, rain go away! The Miller family wants to play! (COMPLETE)

This trip was planned after one of the most stressful years of our married life. A multitude of bumps in road of life had left us worn out and in need of some Disney magic. The worst of which was a cancer scare in the late Spring that, by the grace of God, turned out to be a false alarm. I received the all-clear and low and behold Disney released free dining shortly thereafter. Divine intervention, perhaps?!
We booked at Caribbean Beach Resort for Thursday, September 24-Thursday October 1 with free dining, 3 day park tickets and MNSSHP tickets for Sunday. We wanted to take this trip much slower than our previous ones to allow for more time to enjoy the resort, pools and Downtown. We decided to drive this time to save some money and after much consideration, opted to drive straight through from Ohio overnight. Was it a wise decision? Stay tuned to find out!
Here is the cast of characters:

Me, SweetEvangeline, lover of all things Pinocchio, my sweet DH, MouseFreak, lover of all things Disney-related, and our beautiful 13 year old special needs daughter, Grace, lover of…well, that changes frequently, but her most favorite part of any trip is the pool time! Here we go....

 

[SweetEvangeline]

I set the alarm on my phone as well as setting a wake up call just in case. It was fun to be awakened by Big Hero 6!! We were up and out the door early after having a quick cup of coffee and some granola in the room to hold us over. Cinnamon rolls at Gaston's tavern were in our future for a "real" breakfast! ;-) We wanted to make sure to catch the Welcome Show at Magic Kingdom. I can honestly say that we didn't wait for more than 10 or 15 minutes all week for a bus. The bus stop was a very short walk from our room and the busses came quickly. We were often times the last pick up, too, so the wait to reach our destination was never very long either. We sometimes feel a little guilty about getting to board first with Grace's wheelchair (which we always fold up and hold onto like a stroller) but it's such a blessing because she takes a little extra time to board due to her vision and we always get a seat for her which is important. I do often feel sorry for whomever is sitting next to her if it isn't one of us because she doesn't really understand the concept of personal space and will try to hold their hand or put her legs across their lap! LOL I usually warn them and make sure that I watch her closely and remind her to keep her hands to herself. The worst that will happen is she will try to give them a hug! She's just a lover!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

The Welcome Show never disappoints. However, I think I might need to see a doctor before we go the next time because I am pretty sure I am allergic to it. It makes my eyes water every time I watch it! ;-)
Before we knew it, we were walking into paradise and had our first glimpse of what we had waited forever to see:

Our first ride had to be Small World because it is the only thing Grace had asked for. She doesn't have a lot of spontaneous language, but she totally remembered Magic Kingdom and began asking for Small World and Teacups right away. There was no wait at all and we had a boat all to ourselves. The look on her face when we entered that boat was priceless and made the entire cost of the trip worthwhile! She soaked in every minute of that ride and we soaked in every minute of watching her enjoy it!

Next up was Gaston's Tavern to consume way too many indulgent calories. I had started Weight Watchers 6 weeks before we left and managed to lose 15 pounds but made a decision that counting points at Disney is a waste of time and endulged in whatever I wanted. The diet can continue next week.

How many points in one of these delicious, sinful delights? No one will ever know. (And if you know, please don't tell!)

DH had promised her Teacups so that is where we headed next. I don't do spinning well, so I opted out on this one. It is kind of fun to have something that only Daddy and Gracie do together anyway. I can't tell who is having more fun in this picture, can you?

We spent the rest of the morning enjoying The Little Mermaid, Splash Mountain, and Mickeys Philharmagic. Funny story about Splash Mountain. It isn't Grace's favorite...and that's an understatement. We originally said we were not going to subject her to it this year, but decided to give it one more try. We got ready to board and she tried to bolt and run away. Fortunately, we caught her and got her into the boat. She wasn't any too happy about it and spent the journey saying "Uh-Oh! All Done!" which kept us giggling. I ended up in the front of the boat and was totally drenched. So much for doing my hair that morning, right?! Oh Well! We asked Grace if she wanted to go again and she answered with a resounding , "NO!!" We decided not to torture her any further and headed to our next adventure!

 

[Figgy1]

Points don't count at Disney!

 

[Figment Forever]

I have the same allergy! Grace looks absolutley beautiful and so happy. I can totally relate to your Splash Mountain story - but how exciting that she went on! Can't wait to read more! Oh - and I agree with figmentfan423 - points don't count in Disney!

 

[JourneysEnd]

Yeah, I read the 27th somewhere else. Thanks!

You're correct. It's the 27th.

 

[Figgy1]

I have the same allergy! Grace looks absolutley beautiful and so happy. I can totally relate to your Splash Mountain story - but how exciting that she went on! Can't wait to read more! Oh - and I agree with figmentfan423 - points don't count in Disney!

That's a very common allergy here, no cure as far as I know.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Grace sounds like such a sweetheart! I think I might be allergic to the opening show too And I'm definitely allergic to leaving Magic Kingdom...highly allergic.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Aw! Grace looks like she was having a wonderful time! Too funny about no more rides on Splash!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

We were most excited to see that the ugly crane was not visible. They had obviously started to put the Christmas lights on the castle but apparently were doing most of the work at night. It was great to get pictures of the castle sans crane this year!

DH was lucky enough to snag a lunch ADR at Be Our Guest that we were very much looking forward to! It is by far our favorite counter service on property and this time did not disappoint. I tried the lemon meringue cupcake for the first time and it was amazing!!

We made stop after lunch to take in the sights and smells at Storybook Treats. Just incredible! Since we were so close, we decided to take a cool, relaxing train ride around the Kingdom before finding a spot for the parade.

We managed to snag our favorite spot to watch the parade on Main Street right outside of The Emporium. We like to get a spot right next to the trash can to park Grace's wheelchair so that no one squeezes in front of her at the last minute. Success!! We were able to feel some of the AC coming from the Emporium and we were in the shade so we settled in for the long wait. Grace spotted the balloon vendor and jumped out of her chair and headed his way. Daddy promptly followed with his wallet!

About 20 minutes before the parade, a woman and her daughter appeared and tried to sit on the narrow curb in front of the trash can. Right after she sat down, she turned to me and said "Can you save our spot? I want to take my phone to guest services to get it charged". I told her I wouldn't make any promises and so did the other families sitting on the other side of the trash can. About 15 minutes later, another family tried to take the same spot but the cast members told them they couldn't sit there as it was too close to the parade. Just as they were walking away, the pompous woman and her daughter returned and the little girl had a lollipop as big as her head. It reminded me of Nellie from Little House on the Prairie. She thanked us for watching out for her, and I told her that I really wasn't and that the other family was told to move. She looked shocked and said "I can't believe you weren't watching out for us!" Seriously??!! I sit here for an hour and I am supposed to save you a spot at the last minute. The funniest part was that a couple of minutes after they sat down, the cast member told her seh would have to move!! She was NOT happy and kept saying "Why didn't you tell us this before? Now we will NEVER find another spot!" Huffing and puffing she left to find someone else to annoy! People and their sense of entitlement just amaze me!

Now on to the good stuff...
My favorite lightning bug....Ray!

And my number one favorite...

I am so sad that he isn't doing meet and greets anymore. I am thankful that I did get to meet him a few years ago!
We left after the parade and jumped on the monorail to hop to Epcot for the evening.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Thanks everyone for following along! You are right about Grace. She is really the sweetest teenager ever!! She just has the most tender soul. As delayed as she is, we are very fortunate to not have the behaviors that most parents of special needs kids deal with. She is just an easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of kid! God really blessed us when he made this match in China! People tell us all the time how lucky she is, but we really feel like we are the lucky ones!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Thanks everyone for following along! You are right about Grace. She is really the sweetest teenager ever!! She just has the most tender soul. As delayed as she is, we are very fortunate to not have the behaviors that most parents of special needs kids deal with. She is just an easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of kid! God really blessed us when he made this match in China! People tell us all the time how lucky she is, but we really feel like we are the lucky ones!

So sweet!

 

[TheMouseFan]

I believe I have that same allergy as well!! I'm glad to hear you didn't have any problems with the bus system at CBR. We never have in the past, but everyone else seems to think it is the worst thing ever! I'm really enjoying following along with your adventures. It sounds like you had a great start to your trip! I'm with Grace, a trip to MK isn't complete without a ride on it's a small world! Can't wait to read more.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

I believe I have that same allergy as well!! I'm glad to hear you didn't have any problems with the bus system at CBR. We never have in the past, but everyone else seems to think it is the worst thing ever! I'm really enjoying following along with your adventures. It sounds like you had a great start to your trip! I'm with Grace, a trip to MK isn't complete without a ride on it's a small world! Can't wait to read more.

Her preference won 3 times!!! She's just a little spoiled! HAHAH

 

[SweetEvangeline]

We tried to make the most of our park hoppers this trip, so off to Epcot we go! We hopped on the Monorail and soon enough were staring at the glorious Spaceship Earth for the first time this trip. There's nothing quite like the sights and smells of that big ball, so we couldn't pass it without a ride. We also booked an extra FP for Living with the Land, another favorite. Grace loves all the boat rides, so she was a happy girl.
A leisurely stroll is a gift, so we took a stroll around the Food and Wine booths on our way to Via Napoli for dinner. I tried really hard to be good at this dinner by ordering a delicious chicken salad. The citrus vinigairette was amazing. DH loved it too so we ended up sharing his pizza and my salad. Perfect! I indulged a bit for dessert and had the most delicious cherry sundae I have ever eaten. Grace absolutley loved her Zeppole, too, but wasn't very willing to share!

We really wanted to watch Illuminations, so we continued our stroll around the countries, grabbed a delicious grand marnier slush in France and found a great spot right on the water to wait for the show. Oh my goodess!! This was our first experience with the grand marnier slush....yum!!! Definitely worth repeating multiple times next trip!

Unfortunately, DH was concerned about the weather and was continuously checking the local radar. Sadly, about 15 minutes before show time, we decided the rain was eminent and we should probably head out to beat the rain. This seems to be a pattern for us with Illuminations. Will we get to see it this trip, or not?! Stay tuned. So with blisters forming on my toes, we headed back for a good nights' sleep!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Saturday was going to be a low-key, relaxing by the swimming pool kind of day and that is exactly what we did. We ate a light breakfast in our room and headed to the main pool. It was cloudy, but warm and we were able to snag some lounge chairs close by. Grace was in her height of glory.

We swam until lunch time, and picked up a couple of counter services at Old Port Royale. Who knew that a surf and turf burger was even a thing? But it was delicious.

We had our most anticipated dinner reservation of the trip at 5:25 at California Grill so we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon riding the Monorail and resort hopping. We began at the Polynesian where DH convinced me that it was the perfect time to sit in the lobby and enjoy this...

No Disney trip is complete without one. We wandered the grounds for a while and soaked it all in.

The next stop was the Grand Floridian. Ahhhh the smell of that resort is like no other. We happened to arrive just as the band was starting to play. I could have easily just found a couch and stayed all night. So relaxing!

We even saw the infamous "doll lady" enjoying a visit with another guest. We didn't approach her to try to get her picture, but we've read stories about her, so it was fun to see her live and in person with her suitcase covered with stuffed animals!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Finally, it was time to head to The Contemporary to finally experience what so many have raved about. We were so excited! We had a little more time to kill, so we explored the gift shops and wandered around the lobby. This resort is beautiful, but it isn't on the top of my list of places to stay. Guess I am not a contemporary kind of gal!

Dinner, however, was the most amazing experience ever!! Absolutely incredible and probably the best meal we've ever had on property. We lucked into a table along the windows. How can you go wrong with this view?

As if the view wasn't enough, our waiter was fabulous, and oh my goodness...that steak!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And the drinks!! I cannot remember the name of this drink I had, but it was delicious. Dennis had some kind of a mint cucumber drink that we both really enjoyed as well. We aren't ones who order drinks with dinner very often, but we decided tonight was a great excuse for an exception.

We weren't sure what to order for Grace as she isn't much of a meat eater. Our waiter was a huge help and offered to make her a bowl of fresh mac and cheese. It was far and above the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted and she loved every bite! We enjoyed our leisurely dinner and made sure to save room for these amazing desserts:

We weren't sure how Grace would do with the creme brulee but she made short order of it and there wasn't a drop left in the elegant bowl when she was done! She made sure to help me with my cheesecake, too!

I could not have possibly consumed another bite, so we decided to resort hop a little more before returning to the observation deck to watch Wishes. The plan was to take the boat to Wildnerness Lodge but unfortunately, between the wait for the boat to arrive and the slow trip, we didn't have time so we ended up taking a not-so-relaxing boat ride around the lake and back to The Contemporary. It was obviously time for several toddlers to go to bed because there was a cacophony of screaming babies on the boat!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

We arrived back at The Contemporary in plenty of time to watch my favorite presentation of Wishes we have ever watched. Again, I must be allergic to the music because the eye-watering returned. Especially when I heard Jiminy say "sometimes wishes come true in the most unexpected ways" and I looked at my beautiful adopted daughter standing beside me with her Asian black hair blowing in the wind. For some reason it just really hit me how blessed we have been. Despite the trials we have faced over the last year, nothing really matters except our family!
Ahhh..there go those darn allergies again....must have carried them home in my suitcase!

It was an absolutely perfect night and I fell into a deep sleep with much gratitude in my heart!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

The dinners looked delicious!!!!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I just love your report!! It's making me all gooey inside.. similar to that cinnamon roll picture . Also the pic with Grace and @mousefreak in the pool is great. I've never seen an empty pool at Disney!!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

I just love your report!! It's making me all gooey inside.. similar to that cinnamon roll picture . Also the pic with Grace and @mousefreak in the pool is great. I've never seen an empty pool at Disney!!

That was the quiet pool in our resort and we had it mostly to ourselves all week. It was great!