P.O.T.C. On Stranger Rides! The Missing Chapter,,Final Thoughts,, Preview Thoughts.

[nebo]

Okey dokey,,, I've some final thoughts on the past and upcoming trips I'd like to share.

First, Ponzi, I do remember good old Tim, who went by the nickname of Kibbles. and,

OKitty, I'll help you get started in Coronado Love.

But first a couple things that got forgotten in the last report,,,, at least I think they did,,so if I didn't forget them
and I forgot that I didn't forget, well excuse me then.
What was I going to say, I forgot?

Oh,,, before we left C'ville for the Trip of 1000 Tests, I
remembered once back on a trip in '07, actually it was the Honey I shrunkk the Checkbook trip,,, these people we met up with gave everyone a battery operated glow necklace, that we all wore at the Studios one night.

And for me, it really helped find my group in the dark.
I thought something like that could come in handy again, but I couldn't find them anywhere until I ran into a display in a Dollar Tree store, but these don't run on batteries,,
I guess you shake them up and a chemical interaction
takes place. I bought about six or eight of them, thought they would come in handy at Epcot and the Studios again, help me find Smidgy.

Know what?

I still don't know.

First,,, they were left in the car at CBR.
And again at BLT,,,, for awhile.

A couple days later I remembered them and went out to get them but the package to two of them had opened up in the car, I found the light tubes and stuck them back in the package, but the next day we went to use them I found out there is supposed to be "connectors" in the box,, these turn it into a necklace when you bend it around.

Without the connectors, you've got yourself a useless, floppy stick.

Ok, now, try and keep up.

The NEXT day, I went back out to the car to either look for the "fallen out" connectors, or just grab two more of them in sealed packages,,, I chose the easy way out at the time and just grabbed two more.

In the room, I opened two more up, and yep,,, these have connectors.

Ok, but next thing I know, one of the other ones I brought up is starting to glow a bit in a couple of spots, I started playing with it,,, and the other one and eventually they died, I through them out.

Meanwhille,,,,sigh,,,, Smidgy didn't kn9ow that I went and got new glow tubes, she saw the package sitting there and new it was useless without the connectors,,,,, and tomorrow is the day the maid comes for DVC, she the throws out the NEW package of tubes that had connectors inside!

Oh yes,,,, LAUGH?
ha
ha

"Honey, you see the glow tubes?"
"Yeah, I threw them out, you said they were no good without the connectors and the maid was coming today."

Yep,, one of those things that can happen, nobody right, nobody wrong.

TWO LEFT, I bring them in when we transfer to Animal Kingdom.

I open up the packages,,, ok, tubes and connectors, then I place the packages WAY, way up on top of the dresser/ entertainmentcenter/ bureau/ cabinet, what ever you want to call it, way up on top and way in the back.
Out of the way, be safe, nothing can happen to you now.

The night we went to the Studios, Monday night,,,, I had already forgotten about them Sunday night there,
I reached up and grabbed the packages,,, trembling,,, this is the last night they will have any use, unless I want to wear them in the car on the way home,,,, "Smidgy,,, Oh, THERE your are!",

my hand carefully grabbed the ends of both packages simultaneously,,, and I brought them down,,,,,,

forgetting I had already opened the packages, and they don't reseal.

The connectors that are at the very ends of the long packagges fell out of the carton,,,,

and rolled off the top of the cabinet only to fall into the abyss behind, once again, completing the full circle where we came in at.

I was so disgusted I went out on the balcony and just started beating love bugs to death with my "sticks" .

They glowed nicely.

It wasn't until around Atlanta a couple days later on the way home that I remembered there was still two connectors somewhere on the back seat floor in the car!

Oy vey!

Another side note I forgot to mention:
After all the wonderfull help from the Triple A guy,
but after I broke the lug nuts loose for him and then had to crank down the spare tire
that he wasn't strong enough to do, the cut on my hand opened up again.

He had already thought I was the smartest person on the planet for using a quarter as a screwdriver, but his eyes about popped out of his head when he thought I had cut myself and never made a sound.

Yeah, can't believe I tipped him ten bucks!

Now, on to the present.

It's like this,,,

we tinkered.

Big surprise there, huh?

Let's start with the August trip.

We still don't know if we're flying or driving, my son and his family are definately flying, but it would be nice to have a car down there, maybe him and Kim could go off on their own while Jackson stays with us one night,,, whatever,, or maybe even a run to the liquer store for them, who knows how it might come in handy.

But as I've said in the past,,,,
No way am I driving down now for just a 7 night stay,,, uh uh,,, 9 nights MINIMUM for a driving trip, or it must include Uni or something else.

Then Smidgy ran into our friends at the restaurant who rent us points,,,,,and THEY wanted to know our Disney plans this year.

Ok,,, let's jump ahead to bottom line:

We added 3 nights to the front part of the trip, this is summer season and not cheap,,, even the DVC is more than I'm used to paying so we tried to go as cheaply as possible, which is Jambo House, value room.

Uh uh,,, not available.
Second choice,,, Boardwalk Villas, standard room.
Uh uh, N.A.

Next cheapest in line for the same price as Boardwalk is OKW,,,, which I"m not really crazy about, but for another 8 bucks a night, we can stay right back at where we left off,
AKL Villas, Jambo House, standard room,, and that was open.

I thought it might be a cool idea to go right back to where we were, only this time not have all the mental baggage that dominated us the last time.

WOuldn' t fit be cool if we got the exact same room with that incredible view?

So,,, 3 nights AKL, Jambo, standard, studio, because one night is a weekend and it's summer season, the 3 nights come to a total of 400 on the nose, total price. Ok, average 133 per night,,,, man,,, can't beat that!

This gives us 3 nights before Todd and Kimi and Jackson even get there, and we can now get over to POP first thing in the morning now to haggle for the best room.

DId you know they now have different prices for not only preferred, but preferred Pool view,,, and Standard Pool view?

THat room we had next to the Compurter pool last December when we froze to death now costs more money as ist's now an upgrade room,, even if it is 2 miles away from the food court.

And the last tinkering we did was to move our Poly Luau from the April/May trip to August 2, befor the fambly gets there.
It makes much more sense this way since we'll be on the quick service plan anywya in May.


Now, I'm going to bombard you with CS pics now, I ikknow Orange Cats is going and ThumperMan and wife are really considering it soon, so these pics are from 3 different trips there, hope you enjoy the slide show.

Let's start with the Rancho section, this section we have not stayed in , there are no lake views here, but it's cool in it'[s own right,,, IF you get the right building,,, we have requested 7B.

This is the quiet pool by the Ranchos,,, I don't know why, but it's one of my favorite small pools on Disney Property, I'd love to have a room overlooking it.

The Cabanas section to me is underthemed,,, but it's the most convenient section on the property.

And most of the rest I'm going to post here are from the Casitas section,,, even if you don't stay in here, make sure you fix a nice big drink and take a walk through it at night.

I had said recently we got one of our very best overall room views with a free upgrade at Coronado, this is looking one way from our room:

and this is from inside the room looking out the window:

Hmm, Photobucket is not being my friend tonight, anyway,,

I just love walking around there at night:

The casitas pool at night:

I guess that's enough for now,,and yes,, I am getting excited about being back there, and I dind't include one picture of the Main Pyramid Pool,, heck, eveybody's seen that one anyway.

so, we shall see you all later, please take care, and may the Mouse be with you. nebo

 

[MickeyMaccy]

It has taken a while...but I am now caught up to page 147 (still more to go) and very glad to hear you made it back home, but must congratulate you on an exciting homeward trip, albeit scary (and I was only reading). Now I have to keep on reading as I am too engrossed, hopefully I'll get to bed before my alarm goes.

With mention of the Autobahn, I love driving on them as you feel your getting somewhere at a reasonable speed (usually 140-150 ish mph), nobody told me how much the fines were in France, Belgium and Holland otherwise I would have been considerably slower. When in the USA my foot wants to rest on the floor, as the roads are so wide, straight and boring (apologies if I offend)...thank goodnes for license savers such as cruise and radar detectors.

Of all the straight roads to have a blow out.....a bent one oops I forgot "Nebo was driving......" and alongside a truck....

Let's put this in perspective....

Most people maybe have a blowout on straight road, possibly in traffic, or on the odd occasion a bend...

Nebo has a blowout on a bend, beside a truck, with a vehicle right behind....
All I can say is well done (I couldn't find a driving smiley), a/for handling the car so well and b/ for sharing it with us so clearly.


Nebo was driving........
Nebo was walking.......
Nebo was drinkin........
Nebo was playing.......
Nebo was (insert any action pursuant to injury, damage or cost)....

Time for a new dictionary word methinks - "neboism" - an act leading to injury, damage or cost to self. Thankfully only minor.

As to parasailling........have you tried canoeing or rowing....may be advisable....only kidding, it looks fun.

 

[MickeyMaccy]

It is typical of me to get to the party late.....so late the party has ended or was actually the week before.

Many thanks for excellent trip report it has been time consuming and brilliant especially with all the interaction.

Definitely would like to see the next report(s)......

Roll on July, as you have whetted the appetite.

Cheers from Scotland

 

[buzz1121]

Nebo, your CSR pictures are beautiful! It looks like such a lovely resort to stay. I am really on the fence about our Star Wars weekend trip resort of choice.

You tinkered with your August trip much as we did. What day do you and Smidgy arrive? We are booked to arrive on Tuesday, July 31st, but I am really thinking I might go ahead and book two more days which would have us arriving on Sunday, July 29th. I think the August trip might be the final 2012 trip for us, unless we can squeeze in a long weekend in October.

I think the glow necklaces are a great "must bring" item for you. The challenge of course is keeping them out of the mysterious magnetic force of the "Nebo triangle".

I'm super excited that you and Smidgy have been able to extend your August trip!

 

[jakeybake]

Love the picks of CSR. I have walked through there at night during my conference trips but have never seen it during the day. I have heard that it's as close to a deluxe as you can get staying at a moderate.

My favorite pic is the one of you holding up that huge rock with just your arm. I had no idea you were so strong!!!

Jay

 

[yellowtink]

I must admit, to make a glow stick a glow necklace a connector is very important. If you want to bring some on your next trip I recommend going to either Target of Michael's. They have tubes of them for a couple of dollars.

 

[cp'ersmom]

I stayed at CSR for one night went I went there in Jan. when I woke up in the morning, the entire place was shrouded in a thick fog. It looked so mysterious, I quickly got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed out the door. I took lots of what I thought would be awesome pictures but none of them came out the way I hoped they would. There were also some of the largest spider webs have ever seen all along the fence by the lake. It was a pretty resort but I live that scenery every day so I don't think I will stay there again.

 

[winkers]

I love the glowstick story.

 

[pkondz]

I got all of the ADR's I wanted - even Le Cellier for lunch! Never been there.

Nice! Came close to eating there once, but never have.

Okey dokey,,, I've some final thoughts on the past and upcoming trips I'd like to share.

Final thoughts? You do realize that there's a collection of misfits here who are bound and determined to keep this thread going until the next one starts?

First, Ponzi, I do remember good old Tim, who went by the nickname of Kibbles.

I lump him in the same category as the Austrian tourist who was killed while swimming in chum filled, shark infested open water.

Anyone ever see the movie Dumb & Dumber?

Don't know why I thought of that movie.

But first a couple things that got forgotten in the last report,,,, at least I think they did,,so if I didn't forget them
and I forgot that I didn't forget, well excuse me then.
What was I going to say, I forgot?

You were just about to say how you were going to keep this thread open.

these people we met up with gave everyone a battery operated glow necklace, that we all wore at the Studios one night.

And for me, it really helped find my group in the dark.

I bet your group was ticked that you were able to find them after all the trouble they went to, to lose you.

I bought about six or eight of them, thought they would come in handy at Epcot and the Studios again, help me find Smidgy.

Oh, you don't need glow sticks to find Smidgy... Just look for the women running away... that's her.

Ok, now, try and keep up.

I always try. I seldom succeed.

Meanwhille,,,,sigh,,,, Smidgy didn't kn9ow that I went and got new glow tubes, she saw the package sitting there and new it was useless without the connectors,,,,, and tomorrow is the day the maid comes for DVC, she the throws out the NEW package of tubes that had connectors inside!

Oh yes,,,, LAUGH?
ha
ha

I reached up and grabbed the packages,,,

I was so sure I knew what was coming...

The connectors that are at the very ends of the long packagges fell out of the carton,,,,

and rolled off the top of the cabinet only to fall into the abyss behind, once again, completing the full circle where we came in at.

... and I was right!

I was so disgusted I went out on the balcony and just started beating love bugs to death with my "sticks" .

That is such a perfect response to the situation.

They glowed nicely.

I just about wet myself when I read that.

It wasn't until around Atlanta a couple days later on the way home that I remembered there was still two connectors somewhere on the back seat floor in the car!

Have you found them, yet?

He had already thought I was the smartest person on the planet for using a quarter as a screwdriver, but his eyes about popped out of his head when he thought I had cut myself and never made a sound.

"Son, real men don't cry over cuts unless the limb falls off... and maybe not even then."

or maybe even a run to the liquer store for them, who knows how it might come in handy.

Uh, huh. For them. Right.

Then Smidgy ran into our friends at the restaurant who rent us points,,,,,and THEY wanted to know our Disney plans this year.

Do these friends ever use their own points????

We added 3 nights to the front part of the trip,

I thought it might be a cool idea to go right back to where we were, only this time not have all the mental baggage that dominated us the last time.

I like that idea.

Thanks for all the CSR pics. You know, seven years or so ago, when I was planning our first trip with the rugrats; I was trying to figure out where our first on property stay would be. We chose POR for several reasons, but one of the reasons we decided not to stay at CSR was because it was a conference resort. I got the idea in my head that it would be cold and sterile. Guess I was wrong!

That view you had was really nice, too.

 

[nebo]

It is typical of me to get to the party late.....so late the party has ended or was actually the week before.

Many thanks for excellent trip report it has been time consuming and brilliant especially with all the interaction.

Definitely would like to see the next report(s)......

Roll on July, as you have whetted the appetite.

Cheers from Scotland

Hey, a new kid in class, welcome! And all the way from Scotland, too bad you weren't with us from the beginning, maybe next time?
And, I'm sorry, I see Scotland, and I think of a bumper sticker about two of my favorite tv characters in it,,:

"Very funny Scotty, would you mind beaming down my clothes now?"

Nebo, your CSR pictures are beautiful! It looks like such a lovely resort to stay. I am really on the fence about our Star Wars weekend trip resort of choice.

You tinkered with your August trip much as we did. What day do you and Smidgy arrive? We are booked to arrive on Tuesday, July 31st, but I am really thinking I might go ahead and book two more days which would have us arriving on Sunday, July 29th. I think the August trip might be the final 2012 trip for us, unless we can squeeze in a long weekend in October.

I think the glow necklaces are a great "must bring" item for you. The challenge of course is keeping them out of the mysterious magnetic force of the "Nebo triangle".

I'm super excited that you and Smidgy have been able to extend your August trip!

Yeah buzz, maybe we can now meet before the rest of the family gets there on the 4th, we check in on the first now, and will be at the Poly for the Lewow on the 2nd.
And no, never had anything to do with Star Wars weekend, can't help you there, I wish now that we could have made a ZSuper Soaps weekend or whateverit was called for Smidgy,,, now they don't have it any more.

Love the picks of CSR. I have walked through there at night during my conference trips but have never seen it during the day. I have heard that it's as close to a deluxe as you can get staying at a moderate.

My favorite pic is the one of you holding up that huge rock with just your arm. I had no idea you were so strong!!!

Jay

Would you believe, that even though I am right handed, for most of my life you did not want to arm wrestle me left handed, even if you were left handed, I hardly ever lost to even southpaws.
Reason?
Mostly from my accordian days,, and as I got older, operating a manual surface grinder, both "instruments" were real workouts for the left arm, so holding up that rock was no problem. Reminds me of Seinfeld talking about how you see the guy driving down the road with the mattress on the roof of his car,,,, held on by some string,,,,
and his arm out the window hoding the top of it!
"Hey, now problem,, I got it."

I must admit, to make a glow stick a glow necklace a connector is very important. If you want to bring some on your next trip I recommend going to either Target of Michael's. They have tubes of them for a couple of dollars.

I think the long ones that bent into a necklace came in a carton of two for a dollar at Dollar Tree.
and,, ok,,, how exactly ARE you supposed to "turn them on?"

I stayed at CSR for one night went I went there in Jan. when I woke up in the morning, the entire place was shrouded in a thick fog. It looked so mysterious, I quickly got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed out the door. I took lots of what I thought would be awesome pictures but none of them came out the way I hoped they would. There were also some of the largest spider webs have ever seen all along the fence by the lake. It was a pretty resort but I live that scenery every day so I don't think I will stay there again.

I remember you were less than thrilled on your one night stay there, where was your room?

I love the glowstick story.

What would happen if I put a couple in my suitcase that get's checked, could that be a problem with TSA? Do I even want to torture myself again with those damn things?

Nice! Came close to eating there once, but never have.

Ok, I missed the Okitty comment about booking Le Cellier.
I love it there, yes not cheap which makes it perfect for a Free Dining plan. I still have had the best Fillet there EVER, the cheddar cheese soup is really good, along with the weird "stick bread" you get at your table. Oh, and for dessert both the maple creme brulee and chocolate mousse were both great.
The seven ounce fillet don't sound like much, but I thought it was a perfect amount if you get the soup and dessert too. Oh,, and the garlic mashed potatoes,,,, mmmm.

Final thoughts? You do realize that there's a collection of misfits here who are bound and determined to keep this thread going until the next one starts?

Yes, I do know that, but we really need to take at least a little break,,, and then start over again, fresh. By the way,, when are you going to Huwhyey? What are the dates?

I lump him in the same category as the Austrian tourist who was killed while swimming in chum filled, shark infested open water.

Anyone ever see the movie Dumb & Dumber?

I watched about 15 minutes of it and really hated it and turned it off. And I was a big Jeff Daniels fan at the time.
Here's a sleeper movie most people have not even heard of, that I liked a LOT! It stars:
Jeff Daniels]
Eric Stolz
Charlene Theron
James Spader
Danny Aiello
Teri Hatcher, and more,,,
"2 Days in the Valley"




I bet your group was ticked that you were able to find them after all the trouble they went to, to lose you.

That was about the only time she and i have actually shared park time with other people since going the first times with the kids;
I'm not sure we know how to play with other children anymore.


I was so sure I knew what was coming...



... and I was right!

Believe me, getting behind this "wall unit" was not an option, at least not for a couple of stupid connectors to cheapo glow sticks.
However,,, if a couple of vikes had fallen behind,,,,,?
we're blasting!

That is such a perfect response to the situation.

Yes, I thought using the stupid useless sticks to beat up on love bugs made perfect sense at that time. ,,,,

I just about wet myself when I read that.

,,,, and believe it or not, Diane sometimes thinks I'm still immature.

Have you found them, yet?

Actually,,,, um,,, NO. Haven't even thought of them until last night.

"Son, real men don't cry over cuts unless the limb falls off... and maybe not even then."I'm assuming you are quoting somebody, but it's past me.



Uh, huh. For them. Right.

Honestly, yes, for them. Either way, we will have what we need, for us, flying or driving. But I know my son,,, and he's not going to probably bring anything to drink,,, then,, after the second time he has to buy 2, 9.50 cent drinks for him and his wife, he's going to suggest they "stop by our room" on the way, and it's going to go fast then.

Do these friends ever use their own points????

You know, it doesn't appear so recently at least. We got the impression from the last talk that we might be doing them as much a favor renting their points, as they are doing us a favor renting to us.
I think with the recession and all, people arent getting divorced as much as they used to, I think business in the legal circles might be down.





I like that idea.

Uh huh, even though we both agree you should not try to redo, or make up for a bad last trip, in this case it just might be therapuetic to go back there, even if it's not my favorite resort.
Hey, I did want to try the Kidani pool first thing in the morn,,, before the yellow jackets get there,,,, and what do you think,,, maybe this time I'll take the time to look at all the displays under glass or carved up in the main lobby...?

Nah

And remember,,, last time I never, never, ever, ever, ver, ver, er,,,,,, DID, get a zebra dome.

Thanks for all the CSR pics. You know, seven years or so ago, when I was planning our first trip with the rugrats; I was trying to figure out where our first on property stay would be. We chose POR for several reasons, but one of the reasons we decided not to stay at CSR was because it was a conference resort. I got the idea in my head that it would be cold and sterile. Guess I was wrong!

That view you had was really nice, too.

It's hard to explain, but that view was better than the BLT or AKL views, because it was a bit closer to the action,,,,and it wasn't stagnant,,, which is why I like the mods so much.

At the deluxes you have a balcony, enjoy what you are looking at, cuz you are going to look at this exact scene a lot for the length of your trip.
Interior corridors remove any "walk around" aspect of your stay.

The view you just saw from our room at CS, ok, P bucket is not letting me in right now,,, but I was going to say that just 15 steps away turning a corner would have given you a direct view of the Casita quiet pool,, then , walking around on our floor brings us past views of great fountains and reflecting pools in the back.

It just changes so drastically, so much to look at, without hardly any effort at all.

We werer concerned about the conference resort aspect ourselves,,, but here's what I've noticed,,, just my thoughts, I could be wrong.

People booking there because of work conferences hardly have time for park time, which means that for a huge resort, the bus stops wer'e barely crowded.

Same thing applies for the pools, especially the quiet pools, if they do have any pool time, they go to the main pool. And main pool usually consists of kids an wives that have talked hubby into bringing them along with, while they are in meetings, mom and the kids are at the pyramid pool,,, and no, I don't mean to sound sexist, it just seems to be my observation here.

However,,,, one down side is,,, I have seen a HUGE group of conventioneers attack Pepper Market en mass ,, with a line that wound down the hall,,, this countered all the times we just walked in and went right up to what we wanted to order.

My bottom line:
Don't let the fact it's a convention resort turn you off.

 

[pkondz]

"Very funny Scotty, would you mind beaming down my clothes now?"

That's a good one!

ok,,, how exactly ARE you supposed to "turn them on?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glow_stick
That should help you out.

By the way,, when are you going to Huwhyey? What are the dates?

We leave on April 14, a Saturday. Return the following Saturday/Sunday.

I'm assuming you are quoting somebody, but it's past me.

Nah, just a 'Here's what Nebo coulda said' kinda comment.

 

[buzz1121]

Hey Orangecats! We have been to Le Cellier twice. The kids loved the pretzel bread and I agree with Nebo that the soup, filet, and cream cheese mashed potatoes are awesome. DH had a burger on our second visit and he said it was really good as well. I'm excited for you that you have an ADR!

 

[PirateKate]

I love your pictures of Coronado Springs Resort. It's one of our favorite places to stay. The convention people never bother me. It's kind of fun knowing that they're working and I'm on vacation.

 

[buzz1121]

Hey Pkondz! Who are you calling a misfit?

Who I am kidding? In a Nebo TR it's almost a requirement to be a misfit of sorts, so I will wear the name as a badge of distinction!

Nebo, I bet Smidgy would have loved a Super Soaps weekend! Smidgy, what are you watching these days?

I will have to let you know how the Force treats us. I'm trying to figure out a way to be in the World for my birthday, it falls in the time frame. I'm still mulling the possibilities.

I thought the same thing Nebo, that maybe we can meet you guys in the early August days. We don't have big plans for our days, so it would be great, a trip highlight to meet you and Smidgy!

We haven't done the Lewow before. We have eaten at Ohana's, minus the shrimp shells, Kona, and Capt. Cooks.

I tell you, it is really important to your continued breathing that you watch out for the maintenance/landscape gold carts at the Poly. They are at other resorts, but they seem particularly fast and vicious there. With your luck, I'm just thinking this is a "hit and run" waiting to happen!

 

[Millie12591]

[B
What would happen if I put a couple in my suitcase that get's checked, could that be a problem with TSA? Do I even want to torture myself again with those damn things?

Hey Nebo, I got waaay behind and never got a chance to really post much. At least to anything that was still relevant by the time I read it. As for making the glow in the dark necklaces work....you slightly bend them where there is harder stuff on the inside, then you shake them, the breaking and the shaking allows the chemicals to mix and then glow! And yes, you can put them in your suitcase, no problem. We do it all the time. Just make sure they don't get bent or crushed.


My bottom line:
Don't let the fact it's a convention resort turn you off. [/B]

Agreed! CSR is my favorite resort!!
You rarely see the people there for the conventions, at least that was the case for us, but then we don't spend very much time in the Main building.


I honestly didn't think I would like the resort because I live in Texas and see that sort of decor all the time. But we needed bigger beds and a bigger room than POP had to offer and so we went with the resort that I thought was going to be the best fit. CSR turned out to be just that!

When we pulled into the property...I was MORE than impressed!! It's such a beautiful resort.

As soon as we walked out from ME and started down the side walk towards the Lobby, I was already immersed in the ambience of the place and felt like we were exactly where we were supposed to be. The fact that the music was on the slightly familiar side made it feel all that much more like coming home.

The Cabana's are where we like to be , on the back side facing the Ranchos section. It's close to the main pool and close to the second to the last bus stop. (the best bus stop in my opinion since the bus is usually full by the time it gets to the last bus stop-this way you don't have to be on the bus as it's picking everyone up from all over the resort )

I've seen pictures of the Casita's court yards and would love to stay there, but I'm not willing to pay a premium to be there since we don't need the main building other than for checking in and checking out.

Anyone thinking about staying at CSR should really check it out, you won't be disappointed.

 

[orangecats2]

Hey Orangecats! We have been to Le Cellier twice. The kids loved the pretzel bread and I agree with Nebo that the soup, filet, and cream cheese mashed potatoes are awesome. DH had a burger on our second visit and he said it was really good as well. I'm excited for you that you have an ADR!

Thanks. It seems like Le Cellier has been easier to get recently. I just wonder if people are boycotting it since they changed dinner to two credits. I am definitely getting the filet with the mashed potatos. Haven't decided on dessert yet. I tried the cheese soup at F&W from the Canada kiosk and I wasn't impressed so going to skip that - leaves more room for bread!

 

[melk]

I thought it might be a cool idea to go right back to where we were, only this time not have all the mental baggage that dominated us the last time.

WOuldn' t fit be cool if we got the exact same room with that incredible view?

That would be cool, and not entirely impossible. We surprised the kids with our trip last month, telling them just a couple of days beforehand. They were so excited and immediately wanted to know which DVC resort we had picked. They were thrilled to hear Kidani and went on YouTube to find videos of the resort. One of them that they watched was a man and a woman giving a tour of his one-bedroom at Kidani, room 7750. They showed the layout, the view, and it got the kids excited for the resort. Well when we arrived, guess which room we got? Yup, 7750! We could not believe it, I mean, what are the odds? I should have run out and bought a lottery ticket!

And I love your pictures of CSR! We have never even visited that resort, not sure where it even is on Disney property. But it looks beautiful.

Have fun planning your upcoming trips. So exciting to be going with your grandson. It is so awesome to see Disney through a little ones eyes.

 

[yellowtink]

I think the long ones that bent into a necklace came in a carton of two for a dollar at Dollar Tree.
and,, ok,,, how exactly ARE you supposed to "turn them on?"

You just snap them to "turn them on". Make sure to break it down the entire tube to get it all glowing. At Target and Micheal's they come in a tube that keeps the sticks from breaking before you use them.

 

[nrod]

Thanks for the CSR pics! I'm getting really excited for our Fall trip!

As for the glow sticks, if you are checking luggage you can pack them (make sure to put them in a plastic bag, just in case. That stuff is not fun to clean up). I'm not sure about carry on. A tip I learned here on the DIS...for kids who are afraid of dark rides, you can give them a glow stick and they will have a little light, without disturbing other riders. The first year we went my son had just entered the fear of the dark stage and they were a life saver. The two boys also used them as light sabers back in the room at night. Now I have to buy them for every trip!!

I see you got answers on turning them on - after you snap it just shake it up and it should light the rest. And if you want to use the same one for a few nights, put them in the freezer overnight. We used the same two glow sticks all week doing the that.

 

[Heluvsme]

Can't wait for the summer trip and hearing all about Jackson's first trip!!


Dawn