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....

 

[DisSplash]

Love your report! It looks like you all had the best time!!! Your daughter is clearly enjoying herself and all of the photo ops! As for IASM, that is still a favorite of my kids (now 9 and 12) - they used to call it the "Happy Puppet ride" . I love that Grace was such a trooper with Splash Mountain too. Who knows? Maybe she'll change her mind and go on it again next trip!

It looks like Breakfast at Ohana's is something I need to try some time!I I am a huge fan of dinner there, so what's not to like about breakfast?

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

With full, happy bellies, we headed back to the resort for some pool time before the Halloween Party. I honestly cannot remember what we did for lunch on this day, but I am assuming whatever it was came from Old Port Royale. I know we stopped on the way back to the room and indulged in our first Mickey Premium bar and ice cream sandwich. Yumm!!!

The skies were looking pretty ominous, and the forecast called for rain most of the evening but we weren't going to let a little rain stop us. The heat and humidity was stifling, but we were bound and determined to make the most of those party tickets! Will we make it??

 

[TheMouseFan]

So glad you liked 'Ohana breakfast. It is a favorite of ours. Your pics are making me very hungry right now!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 3:15. The sun was beating down and the humidity was such that you instantly felt wet the minute you stepped outside, but we were excited about the party and happily waited in line with 25,000 of our closest friends until they released the party bands and let us in the gate. As we entered, the parade was just coming to the train station, so we got to catch the end of it again. Bonus! We made it down Main St and stopped for a couple of photos. Thank God we did, because the weather did not cooperate at all the rest of the evening and I looked like a drowned rat version of Sulley! LOL

Kitty!



Everything started off just fine, and we managed to get another ride on the happiest boat to ever set sail.

I can't remember what else we managed to work in but I know that Pirates, and Mine Train were in there somewhere. We planned to have dinner at Pinocchio's and were lucky enough to snag a table along the glass watching the Small World boats. Grace loved that. And I loved it because Pinocchio is my absolute favorite character. I sure wish he still did meet and greets! Dinner was decent and we headed back out to the crowd.

By the time the party was supposed to officially start at 7, the skies had turned dark and the rain began. We managed to slip into Pooh's Adventure during the monsoon, but it was still raining really hard when we came out. We ended up jammed into the Pooh gift shop with every other park guest, I think trying to wait it out. NOT pleasant! We finally decided to make a run for it and donned our ponchos and put an umbrella over Grace's wheelchair and took off. Fortunately, the heavy rain stopped but the pesky drizzle kept up for most of the night leading to even more humidity and wet clothes. Yuck! They started the trick or treating late due to the rain which led to mass confusion and long lines. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get to any of the special meet and greets and only made it to 3 or 4 of the candy stations. :-( The park was PACKED! I thought these special ticketed events were supposed to mean lighter crowds, but it certainly wasn't the case that night. We did take our first ever adventure with Stitch and honestly, we weren't impressed! Not to mention the lady next to us in the preshow que that was chomping and popping her gum incessantly that almosts set me over the edge!
We did manage to see the Boo to You parade twice which was AWESOME as usual. The second time we ended up standing with three college aged cast members and had a really fun conversation with them while we waited. They were all so much fun!
We made it through the full 8 hours but I had huge blisters on my toes that were not getting any better with wet feet!
I don't think we will be participating in the Halloween party any time again soon. It just isn't worth the crowds and frustration. The Hallowishes fireworks almost made it worth the price of admission, though, so at least there was one saving grace.

There's my buddy again!! At least he waved at me this time!!

Ahhh...the smell of Goofy's train. I can almost smell it now!

At least the loot was good. Not good for my diet, but tasty!

The wait for the bus wasn't too terrible and we showered and fell into bed. Thankfully, Monday is another slow-going day to catch up!

 

[sheriffwoody]

I agree about the party crowds! It's fun to do once to see the awesome shows and parade, but I couldn't handle it again any time soon. I wish they capped the attendance at a lower number so it was actually enjoyable.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

I agree about the party crowds! It's fun to do once to see the awesome shows and parade, but I couldn't handle it again any time soon. I wish they capped the attendance at a lower number so it was actually enjoyable.

We also heard that they allowed some people to come in who had been rained out of their party previously. Not sure if that is true, but it still shouldn't have been that crowded for a limited hard-ticket event, IMHO. We did, however hear cast members turning people away from attractions at 7:00 so I guess they do watch for the paper bracelets.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

We went to MNSSHP on 9/20. We didn't have any issues with crowds but only because we totally missed the parade! we rode rides instead of trick or treating and character meets. My daughter is too young for that stuff anyway. We did catch Hallowishes and the fireworks. They were awesome!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Love your report! It looks like you all had the best time!!! Your daughter is clearly enjoying herself and all of the photo ops! As for IASM, that is still a favorite of my kids (now 9 and 12) - they used to call it the "Happy Puppet ride" . I love that Grace was such a trooper with Splash Mountain too. Who knows? Maybe she'll change her mind and go on it again next trip!

It looks like Breakfast at Ohana's is something I need to try some time!I I am a huge fan of dinner there, so what's not to like about breakfast?

Looking forward to reading more!

I don't see her ever changing her mind about Splash Mountain. She even runs away when we watch videos of it on You Tube at home!! LOL I think it is important, though, to stretch her comfort levels and build her sense of trust in us that we will protect her.

 

[Figment Forever]

I love your costumes! It's so sad about the rain - but I'm glad it didn't seem to get in the way of your fun!

 

[mousefreak]

Hubby and I were in the world Sept 25th thru 30th. We stayed at CBR and were in Barbados as well. We ate at CG for our first time on the 25th and totally loved the experience. We even had the same desserts! We also had tickets for the Sunday MNSSHP, and carried our ponchos everywhere we went because nothing was stopping us.

But, what is really at the forefront of my mind....did you eat dinner at Tony's in MK on the 29th? If so, then I was the blond lady trying to slyly stare at your family while we were waiting for our table to be called. I kept telling hubby, "I think that is a family I recognize from the disney trip reports I read." Of course, he is the logical one and kept telling me to say "hi." As I did not wish to appear a disney stalker, I told him "I will just keep an eye out on the report boards (where I am truly a lurker) and say "hi" from there." So, if that was indeed your family-----HI!!!!

I wish you would have said Hi. Would have been nice to have met you.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

I love your costumes! It's so sad about the rain - but I'm glad it didn't seem to get in the way of your fun!

Thanks!! They were pretty easy to put together and cheap! Most importantly they weren't too hot!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Your party night was sold out and if they allowed in other guests who had been rained out, it would be a packed experience! I am betting the additional guests were from Friday night's party (25th)...my son and I attended that one and the night was a wash-out in so many ways ...first parade was canceled and we were soaked after watching Hallowishes and decided not to hang around. We spent your party night at Food and Wine, and got trapped in the gift store in Germany while the monsoon raged on for an hour or so.

Really enjoying your TR!

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Monday was scheduled to be another relaxing day at the pool and that is exactly what we did. We ate some breakfast in the room, and then headed to the quiet pool very close to our room. There were only two other families there and it was indeed quiet. Grace almost had the entire pool to herself. She loved every minute of it! Eventually another family with 3 young kids joined us and we got a chuckle out of the parents threatening the kids to stay quiet when they really wanted to run around and chase each other and play games in the pool. They weren't bothering us in the slightest, but we did appreciate the parents trying to follow the rules. I should have complimented them on the behavior of their kids.

Around lunch time, I walked to Old Port Royale and picked up a couple of counter services and brought them back to the pool. We had a delicious lunch under the umbrella and soon enough returned to the water.

We swam until early afternoon before returning to the room to clean up for our dinner at Downtown Rainforest Cafe. We decided to resort hop to Port Orleans Riverside and take the boat to downtown. Oh my goodness...it totally solidified our decision to make this our next resort vacation. That place is incredible and the boat ride was so relaxing!

We did a little shopping before dinner and walked over to the West side and actually got to watch an amphibicar (??) launch. It was so cool. We stopped in the Joffrey's tea shop and got a cold beverage. It wasn't as good as Starbucks, but it was cold and wet! LOL

Dinner was good, but oh my goodness...the portions! Way too much food. We indulged in the chocolate volcano for dessert, but hardly made a dent in it.

We did some more shopping after dinner, making sure to purchase the Mickey suckers that had been requested by my adorable 4 year old nephew at Goofy's candy company. Aunt LeAnn will not disappoint her favorite 4 year old!!

Since this was the last day that we were going to have time for the pool, we decided to let Grace try a night swim for the first time. She loved it...and so did Daddy! Mommy opted to sit and watch and enjoy the full moon knowing she wasn't in the office for the full moon craziness!!

It was another magical day!

 

[officialtom]

Monday was scheduled to be another relaxing day at the pool and that is exactly what we did. We ate some breakfast in the room, and then headed to the quiet pool very close to our room. There were only two other families there and it was indeed quiet. Grace almost had the entire pool to herself. She loved every minute of it! Eventually another family with 3 young kids joined us and we got a chuckle out of the parents threatening the kids to stay quiet when they really wanted to run around and chase each other and play games in the pool. They weren't bothering us in the slightest, but we did appreciate the parents trying to follow the rules. I should have complimented them on the behavior of their kids.

Around lunch time, I walked to Old Port Royale and picked up a couple of counter services and brought them back to the pool. We had a delicious lunch under the umbrella and soon enough returned to the water.

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We swam until early afternoon before returning to the room to clean up for our dinner at Downtown Rainforest Cafe. We decided to resort hop to Port Orleans Riverside and take the boat to downtown. Oh my goodness...it totally solidified our decision to make this our next resort vacation. That place is incredible and the boat ride was so relaxing!

We did a little shopping before dinner and walked over to the West side and actually got to watch an amphibicar (??) launch. It was so cool. We stopped in the Joffrey's tea shop and got a cold beverage. It wasn't as good as Starbucks, but it was cold and wet! LOL

Dinner was good, but oh my goodness...the portions! Way too much food. We indulged in the chocolate volcano for dessert, but hardly made a dent in it.
View attachment 114416

We did some more shopping after dinner, making sure to purchase the Mickey suckers that had been requested by my adorable 4 year old nephew at Goofy's candy company. Aunt LeAnn will not disappoint her favorite 4 year old!!

Since this was the last day that we were going to have time for the pool, we decided to let Grace try a night swim for the first time. She loved it...and so did Daddy! Mommy opted to sit and watch and enjoy the full moon knowing she wasn't in the office for the full moon craziness!!

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It was another magical day!

You will absolutely love POR if you stay there next time! It's our "home" resort and we've grown quite attached it. Charming, clean, sophisticated...and also family-friendly without being overrun by screaming kids! We also absolutely love the water taxi service.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

You will absolutely love POR if you stay there next time! It's our "home" resort and we've grown quite attached it. Charming, clean, sophisticated...and also family-friendly without being overrun by screaming kids! We also absolutely love the water taxi service.

That is the feeling we got right away, too. Totally different feel from Caribbean Beach. CBR was nice, but Riverside just felt more elegant.

 

[SweetEvangeline]

Tuesday was a packed-solid day of park hopping. We began the day bright and early at Epcot. We had a 10:45AM FastPass for Soarin' so we decided to grab some breakfast in The Land and ride Living with the Land while we waited. It was raining again, so we were happy to be inside nice and dry. Grace is absolutely terrified of Soarin' so we used the rider pass for this one. She has a lot of depth perception issues so I think the feeling of flying is just too much for her to handle. We pushed it with Splash Mountain, but based on her reaction the last time, (and the bruises on my arms that followed from her hanging on so tight) we decided not to even try this year. The rider swap is a genius plan on Disney's part and it worked seamlessly!
We dodged the raindrops and made it to Nemo and for the first time ever took some time upstairs watching the turtles and dolpins. I have no idea how we have missed this on every other trip. We all loved it!

We had a 12:00 Fastpass the Disney Pals meet and Greet, but it was only 11:45. We decided to give it a try, and although we didn't get the green light when we scanned our bands, the cast member looked and decided it was close enough and let us through! I can honestly say that this was my absolute favorite part of the entire trip! Grace got sooooo excited when she saw those characters...like never before!! She literally ran to each one and giggled her little head off! If these pictures don't make you smile, there is something wrong with you! HAHAH

Kisses for Mickey!! She couldn't contain herself!

I wish you could hear her giggles!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Oh those pictures are just adorable!! I sure was smiling!

That was also really nice of the CM to let you in!!

 

[Cetta]

that is one happy girl!

 

[Brwneyedgirl72]

Grace is adorable, such a blessing! I love that you "stopped to smell the roses" enjoying your time rather than being in the parks for 12 hours a day. Too many people forget to enjoy themselves and relax because they have to ride every ride. I can't wait to see how the rest of your trip turned out.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

YAY character time!! So glad it meant something special to her and the characters took their time with her! Glad the rider swap worked for you. I hope Grace understands that even on Splash Mountain, her parents wouldn't let her on it if they didn't think it was 1000% safe. That's what my mom told me years ago and it got me brave enough to try Spash, etc. Can't wait to read the rest of your report! You can NEVER have to much chocolate! A la Rainforest! But even my df and I wouldn't be able to finish that!