Happy Trip Report Tuesday, friends! So glad you're here to hear about another Disney day! Let's get right to it!
Day 7 - Saturday, October 15, 2022
On this sweet Saturday morning we checked out of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and hit the road, ocean bound!
For many years now Jason has wanted to visit Siesta Key Beach and this trip we made it happen! A little over two hours from Disney property, it was a nice little mid-trip day trip!
It's always fun to see a cool sand sculpture in progress. This guy was doing a great job!
The water was so beautiful and clear. This was shortly after the big hurricane just came through so we suspected it may be even clearer when not recently stirred up by storms.
Cute crocheted keepsakes from a shop at the beach to remember this sweet day by!
After a fun morning of splashin' family fun in the sun and seashell collecting we washed away the sand and hit the road. While we didn't stop at any of these spots, I snapped a few pics as we passed through this super cute beach town. All the buildings and banners were adorable! We really enjoyed our time in the Siesta Key area and anticipate a return visit. Next time we may stay overnight and make a couple days of it!
We popped by a Zaxby's on the drive back to Disney. We don't have these in our area, so it's fun to get something different on the go.
Back to Disney World!
Time to check in for our week at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. We absolutely love the Poly! This was my youngest's top pick for her birthday week and we were thrilled we could put our DVC points to excellent use, making that wish come true!
The Disney Vacation Club studios have been renovated since our last stay and we loved the updates! Here's a pictorial peek around our home for the second half of this trip . . .
As you make your way down this hall you'll find double doors on the right with a closet and safe. On the left, two sets of sliding doors leading into each of the bathrooms.
This gorgeous wooden furniture held a hidden bed inside with a Lilo and Stitch mural as a beautiful backdrop. Lilo and Stitch is my youngest's childhood favorite making it such a fun bed for her!
Pulling the silver handle just above the couch bought down a second queen size bed. Our oldest enjoyed this sleeping spot. We really appreciated the ease of putting both of these beds "up" for the day and bringing them back down when needed. It's a great space savor and having the couch during the day was nice for extra seating.
I love the tray ceiling!
The Polynesian's DVC studios have two bathrooms making it so much quicker for us all to get ready each morning!
Bathroom #1
Bathroom #2
We stayed in our favorite building, Tokelau, and had a lovely view from our private balcony.
Time to head out for our evening at Magic Kingdom!
We started the night racing to make it in time for our lightning lane for Space Mountain. We literally had less than five minutes left in our time slot as we "booped" our magicbands at the ride entrance. Made it in just the nick of time! Phew!
Dinner at Pecos Bill's (again). Ha! We don't normally eat there all that often, but this trip is seemed to be the best spot for us to grab a bite in Magic Kingdom when mealtime hit and no one was especially in the mood for anything in particular. We all like it and it's reasonably priced, making it an easy win.
Chips and queso and fixings for fajitas
Next up, Jungle Cruise . . .
This drinking fountain just outside of Jungle Cruise is so much fun and hilarious!
I couldn't adore Mickey pumpkin wreaths more!
Time for a little Space Ranger Spin . . .
Followed by a spin on a family favorite, Peoplemover! It's best at night! Oh so beautiful!
Cheers to a Disney snack for all!
We love catching the fireworks from back in Fantasyland near Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid. It's a more secluded area as most are watching in front of the castle. Every time we catch them back there it makes for a fun and special memory. We celebrate along with the music and spectacular sights of the fireworks lighting up the night!
Soon we found ourselves under the sea visiting the Little Mermaid and her friends.
We wrapped up the night with one of my sweet forever faves, It's a Small World.
We walked right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A. and exited with light hearts.
From "the happiest cruise that ever sailed" to a ferry ride back to the Poly. Good times and great memories!
A Special Note on a Milestone Day
Before I conclude this post I'd like to take a moment to wish my BBF (best blogging friend) Chrissy a Happy 10th Friendiversary! Exactly a decade ago today we met online when I commented on one of her blog posts and we became fast friends. Since that day we've spent countless hours texting, have seen each other through sorrows, and cheered each other on throughout daily life. We've celebrated many holidays with each other from afar and have had the great joy of spending days together each time we've vacationed in California. Here's a sweet snapshot of our first time hanging out in person, back in 2016 at Walt's Barn.
You can find that old trip report here. Friendships are the sweetest gifts to come from the hobby of blogging. Chrissy is one of the dearest friends of my lifetime. Over the years she's become more like chosen family to us. Cheers to 10 years, sweet BBF! Looking forward to many more!
Thanks so much for visiting today, sweet readers and cherished friends! Hope to see you back here again next Trip Report Tuesday!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Previous Trip Reports from this Vacation: