Babieemelly's travel blogs:
- Orlando, Florida: Three Weeks of a Million... 2007
- New York City: "There's no need to... 2007
- Rocky Point, New York: Beaches, Ports and... 2006
- Orlando, Florida: The Three-Week Disney Resort Report 2006
- Rocky Point, New York: A Weekend Threatened... 2006
- New York, New York: Life in the... 2005
- Orlando, Florida: A Month-Long Dream Come True 2005
- Rocky Point, New York: A Snowy Weekend... 2005
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania: A Return to a Childhood... 2004
- Rocky Point, New York: Midnight Beach Parties... 2004
- Long Beach Island, New Jersey: A Weekend... 2002
- Rocky Point, New York: Restoring My Love... 2001
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Day 19: Jambalaya on the Bayou...
Entry 23 of 29 | show all | print this entry |
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Today was a pretty busy day and it also happened to be one of my favorite days of the trip. I woke up at 10:00 and had some cereal for breakfast. Mom and dad were dressed by now, after having woken up early and sat out by the pool. That was their tradition throughout the entire trip and they loved it. After having breakfast I took a shower and got ready quickly. There was a lot that I wanted to do today and I wanted to make sure we could fit it all in. My plans for the day were to visit the three Disney moderate resorts that we had not yet seen, since we had only visited the Coronado Springs Resort. Mike had absolutely no interest in coming along so we waited for him to get up and dressed before we headed out the door at 11:30. Dad wanted to go to an EB Games on Route 192 to get a game that he and Michael had wanted, but he wasn't sure of it came out that day or the next day. Mom and I also wanted to go to the Target in the same shopping center so we debated whether we should go to the stores or the resorts first. They were both in opposite directions, so we decided to go to the resorts first and then we would stop by the stores after.
We drove towards Disney property with the Caribbean Beach Resort as our first destination. We had stayed in the Aruba section of the Caribbean Beach Resort on our very first trip to Disney in 1992, so the whole resort had a nostalgic feeling to us! We had passed the entrance several times on our many drives through Disney property so we knew exactly where to go. We pulled into the gates by 12:30 and drove around the large resort for a few minutes, trying to decide where we wanted to walk around. We drove around Aruba and it brought back so many memories! Mom and dad remembered everything clearly but I remembered everything just from watching our video of the trip so many times. We were able to find the actual building we stayed in which was awesome. Ah, the memories!
After taking some time to stop and reflect, we made our way over to Old Port Royale (the main building) and were able to park in the very first spot next to the entrance. I love the entrance to Old Port Royale. The welcome mat was tropical and full of many vibrant colors, and there were tropical flowers lining the pathway. Very nice. We headed inside and nothing really looked familiar to me, but mom and dad said that they remembered it all. We went to the left and looked around the gift shop for a while. They had a few cute things but nothing that any of us were interested in. We then went back out into the main room and it was covered in Pirates of the Caribbean memorabilia! There were pirate animatronics and statues, lots of signs and banners, and a ton of toys and souvenirs to buy. I guess it was fitting since we were in a resort themed after the Caribbean!
We headed outside to look around the Centertown and it was really nice out there. The entire area bordered the beach and there was a huge fountain, a little area where kids could get temporary tattoos or their hair braided, and a pretty cabana selling tropical drinks. There was also a pier where you could rent boats and jet skis. We walked over to the beach and there were tons of ducks and birds in the area. Mom took a picture of dad and I on the beach and then we spent a few minutes watching one of the cutest ducks ever! It was trying to catch something that was deeper in the water, and it would keep bending all the way over to reach it, leaving only it's little butt and tail in the air. It was the funniest thing! I took a few pictures and video before we noticed that the walking trail from Aruba to the Centertown and Old Port Royale was right next to where we were standing. Mom and dad said that we had walked that path every day on our first trip to get breakfast or lunch at the food court.
After spending fifteen minutes looking around Centertown, we headed back inside to look around Old Port Royale a little more. There wasn't much there but there was a huge food court. We weren't planning on getting anything but mom and dad decided to get coffee. We first made our way down to the bathrooms on the other end of Old Port Royale. Mom and I ran in and the bathroom was filthy. It was really gross, and while we were in there a maid came in to clean it. She wasn't very friendly, though. She just gave us dirty looks and mumbled to herself under her breath. Welcome to the Happiest Place on Earth! Or not. When we were done with what was a very weird experience, we made our way back to the food court. We went to a small stand across from the main seating area where mom and dad each got a cup for coffee, and I picked out a Mickey bar. I didn't think I would like the Mickey bar and was instead going to get a Nestlé's Tollhouse Chipwich which I love, but I got the Mickey bar for the photo opportunity! Yes, I got something to eat just so I could take a picture with it. Priorities people!
We paid and went over to the main food court area. Mom went to fill up her coffee cup but coffee started leaking all over the place. There was a hole in the cup! She ran back to the counter and got a new cup, throwing the old one out. Mom and dad both got their coffee while I looked around the food court. I was surprised to see that it was so easy to get drink refills. The Disney resorts sell refillable mugs that you're only supposed to use at your resort during the duration of your stay, but if we're talking about fountain drinks at a food court there's really no way to enforce that rule. You always get free refills at a food court, so we even saw a lot of people refilling their regular plastic cups. Hey, why not?
When mom and dad were done fixing their coffee we went and got a seat at the back of the food court. It was empty back there except for two other people, and our table was next to a small table covered in drawings which must be where the kid's activities take place. The back of the food court was nice. Everything was very bright and colorful, and it looked like we were in a Caribbean cabana. We sat around and ate, and I got my picture of the Mickey bar which was a lot better than I had expected! What I didn't understand about the food court was why you could seat yourself here, but you can't at the food court at the Coronado Springs resort. Usually in a food court you go and get your own food and then sit where you want, just like how it was here. I like it a lot better that way.
When we were done eating we decided to head out. We were back in the car by 1:15 and making our way over to the Port Orleans French Quarter resort. I had really liked the Caribbean Beach Resort! I didn't love it as much as I had expected I would, but it was definitely nice. The resort itself is huge and gorgeous, and I love how there are so many different areas to the resort all themed after different Caribbean islands. Old Port Royale and Centertown were also nice. This is definitely the place to stay if you have kids. Everything is very relaxed and colorful, and there seemed to be a lot of kid's activities going on, as well as temporary tattoos, hair braiding, and arcades to keep everyone busy.
The drive to Port Orleans was a short one. We had also passed the entrance a few times during the past few weeks so we knew exactly where to go. Port Orleans is made up of two sides - the French Quarter and Riverside. French Quarter came first and we were pulling into the parking lot by 1:20. We parked and headed towards the main building. I immediately was able to tell that this resort was different than most Disney resorts. It had a completely different and more relaxed feel. It really did feel as if we were in New Orleans. We headed into the lobby and we were smack dap in the middle of Mardi Gras! A very, very relaxed Mardi Gras, but still Mardi Gras. Everything was very subdued in deep, rich browns, purples and blacks, and the entire lobby had the air of a lazy southern afternoon. To make things more festive, though, there were several Mardi Gras-themed touches such as statues of joker's dressed in colorful costumes. There was also a big fountain that I took a picture of mom and dad sitting in front of.
We went into the gift shop and I loved it. It was the most unique resort gift shop was had seen yet. Not only were there lots of Disney souvenirs but there were also New Orleans and Mardi Gras-themed souvenirs, such as picture frames and keepsake boxes. The entire store was decorated by illuminated legs and feet of jokers and Mardi Gras performers. It was really cool! We took a quick look around and then walked through the small game room, sad and surprised that there was no ski-ball, before we headed outside. The pool was down a long walkway near where we were so we headed back there. The walkway was awesome; it was covered in palm trees and weeping willows, and there were Mardi Gras character statues all around, including alligators in marching band uniforms playing instruments. Very cute! We passed the hot tub, which I loved. Instead of it being right on top of the pool like it often is, it was hidden away amongst a few topiary archways. It was very quite and private, and great if you want to get away from all of the kids in the area for a while.
When we got to the pool we were greeted by a HUGE statue of a colorful joker. It was awesome and very festive! The pool was pretty big and it had an awesome snake slide. I had completely forgotten that a statue of King Triton, Ariel's father from the Little Mermaid, can be seen riding the dragon so I didn't look for him. Oh well. We looked around the pool for a little while before making our way back to the lobby. Once in the lobby we decided to check out the food court. Wow, that's a really cool food court! The place was huge and the ceiling was just COVERED in large props and memorabilia from Mardi Gras. Very awesome. We had seen everything that we had wanted to by then, so mom and I decided to run into the bathroom before we made our way over to Port Orleans Riverside. The bathroom was priceless; it fit in perfectly with the theme. The toilets were the old fashioned kind where the tank is high up and you need to pull a chain to flush it. I loved it! It really did fit in perfectly with the theme. I love how Disney goes all out like that. No one else was in there so I had to get a picture of the toilet!
After telling dad all about the old fashioned toilets (I told you I'm easily amused!) we headed out of Port Orleans French Quarter at 1:40, and made our way a few feet down the road to Port Orleans Riverside, arriving at 1:43. We pulled into the pretty crowded parking lot, parked and headed into the lobby. The lobby of the Port Orleans Riverside resort was interesting. The entire resort is supposed to resemble the Louisiana Bayous of yesteryear, and everything is very old fashioned and simple. It's all very "country." I took a picture of mom by a large couch in the lobby before we headed into the gift shop.
The gift shop definitely fit the theme of the resort. Everything was very simple and old fashioned, and it featured a lot of "country" souvenirs. They had little plant-your-own sunflower kits for only $5, and I wanted to get one but I decided to pass. The stuff here really wasn't our taste, but mom contemplated getting a set of salt and pepper shakers. They were pretty expensive, though, so she also passed and we made our way outside. Up until now I hadn't loved the Port Orleans Riverside resort, but as soon as we got outside I completely fell in love with it! The grounds of this resort are unbelievable. Literally unbelievably and ridiculously gorgeous. We passed the boat dock before walking to a wooden bridge and making our way over to the left side of the resort, which featured little cabins. This part of the resort is supposed to be like Backwoods Louisiana and it was beautiful. The paths were meandering and covered with weeping willows and other beautiful trees, and there were water mills and small islands dotting the shore. We walked by the pool without stopping before passing over another wooden bridge and making our way over to the right side of the resort.
The right side of the resort was my absolute favorite. It was made to look like the old Southern plantations that used to be alive and well throughout Louisiana. The hotel buildings were made to look like huge mansions peeking out behind the weeping willows and it was absolutely beautiful. T here was a gorgeous river meandering its way throughout the property and the foliage was just perfect. All I kept thinking was, "You could fall in love here!" The entire resort, but especially the side with the mansions, was really, really romantic. I loved it. We walked around the resort, taking in the beauty of the grounds. Mom and I took a picture in a nice wooden gazebo and I took several pictures and videos of mom and dad walking by the mansions. We wanted to head inside to see what the inside of the mansions looked like but it was getting really, really hot out, and we didn't want to bother. We walked around the grounds through the entire resort and I just loved it and couldn't get over how beautiful it was.
We finally made our way back to the front of the resort by 2:20. There were televisions playing the news near the luggage claim area so mom and dad stopped to see what was going on for a few minutes before we made our way back to the car. Of all the resorts we had visited that day, the one I loved the most was Port Orleans Riverside. I hadn't expected that at all! I always figured that if I stayed on Disney property I would stay at the Polynesian or the Caribbean Beach Resort, but now I would definitely stay at Port Orleans Riverside. It completely transformed me out of Disney and made me feel like I was not only in another place, but in a whole different time. It was amazing, and I can only imagine how romantic and gorgeous it is at night when the mansions are illuminated. Who would have thought that I'd all in love with a resort themed after the backwoods of Louisiana?!
We headed off of Disney property and made our way down Route 192 towards the house. We passed our turn over to the house, though, and continued further down 192 towards the shopping center with EB Games and Target. We went to EB Games first, and mom and I sat in the car while dad ran in. The game he wanted didn't come out until the next day but he pre-ordered it and got a free t-shirt for doing so. We then made our way over to Target and we spent a lot of time looking at the souvenirs. My old Disney shirt from the year before was starting to rip so I wanted to get a new one. I got a cute grey one with all of the Disney characters and it says, "Disney Dreams" is silver glitter. It was only $12! While we were at Target mom called the Domino's in the area. I had gotten the number before we left so that we could call from the car. That night the video game awards were on the G4 channel and Mike had been looking forward to watching them. We decided to just get pizza and hang out in the house that night so he could watch the show. We got three pies with the 5-5-5 deal - one plain, one with pineapple, and one with bacon and onions. When we went to pick up the pizza it wasn't ready yet so we walked around the shopping center that the Domino's was in. We went into a few gift shops and looked at pictures of the homes available at a real estate agency before picking up the pizza.
When we were done in there we finally headed back to the house, making it home by 4:30. It had been a great day and I was very excited about finding a new resort to love. I was also sad, though, that we only had four days left of our vacation. Where had the time gone?! I started thinking about where we were going to eat on Friday, our last day in Orlando. We had a priority seating for breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Café, but I started questioning my decision. The Whispering Canyon Café is a very loud, crazy and kid friendly restaurant where the waiters make guests do the hokey pokey and scream like cowboys. It would have been great if Aunt Stacy had decided to come and Alison was with us, but without being with a child I didn't think that anyone would like it. I told mom and dad about how I wanted to make a new priority seating for a nice dinner on our last night, and they agreed. As soon as we got home I wanted to go online and look at the menus of different restaurants to decide where to go, but mom wanted to eat first. I helped her set the table and we all sat in the dining room and ate. The pizza was as good as usual, although it doesn't compare to real New York pizza.
When we were done eating everyone sat around the living room and watched TV, and I went online to see which restaurant we wanted to go to. I narrowed it down to three choices - 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort, and Boatwright's at Port Orleans Riverside. All three restaurants were expensive so we had to take our decision seriously! I really only wanted to go to Boatwrights so that we could go back to Port Orleans Riverside; I had really fallen in love with it. Mom and dad would rather go to a buffet, though, and of the two on the list I knew that 1900 Park Fare was better, so that was decided. I couldn't have been more excited! 1900 Park Fare was a character dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother, Suzy and Perla, and it was a restaurant I had ALWAYS wanted to try! It's close to $30 a person so I didn't think we would be trying it any time soon. Mom and dad had agreed, though, so I called Disney Dining and made a reservation, making sure to note that we were celebrating mom and dad's anniversary. Since we weren't going to the Disney parks this trip I really wanted to go to a character meal so that I could get pictures with a few Disney characters. I never thought that anyone else would agree! Dad and Mike kept teasing me, saying that I knew exactly what I was doing and was planning on sneaking in a character meal all along. I swear that I hadn't!
That night we all just hung out in the house. Mike watched his video game awards and I watched E and VH1 in my room. At 9:00 we watched "So You Think You Can Dance" and at 10:00 mom, Mike and I played two games of California Rummy. When we were done playing everyone was tired so mom and dad went to bed, Mike took a shower and then played his PSP in his room, and I read "Their Eyes Were Watching God" until I fell asleep at 1:00.
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