Posted on 05/19/2007 6:30:39 PM PDT by gonzo
Hi, Fellow Freepers! Welcome to the official FReeps Ashore 5 Caribbean Resort Getaway Thread!
Bahama Mama (freeper Leni/ MinuteGal) will be along in a few minutes to start this thread movin' right along. She'll bring you all the details you'll need to register for this terrific vacation opportunity. Hope to see you in Orlando in September!
Remember to post your replies to 'Minute Gal', aka, BAHAMA MAMA!!
Well, it's a good time in Florida .................... FRegards
Dear FReeper FRiends, this is your ole Bahama Mama back again with "FReeps Ashore 5", a wonderful freeper social event planned for you and yours. Lurkers are also invited. Y'all are cordially invited to sign on to what will be a deliciously-enjoyable resort vacation at the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort.
This will be a Grand Gathering in sunny Orlando of Eagles and Egrets who normally inhabit the fabulous threads of Free Republic.com.
We're also happy to announce that we've obtained a resort package deal that's difficult if not impossible to beat. WOO-HOO!
Now you can do what you've always wanted to do......vacation with great company in a tropical Caribbean resort without even having to leave the country.
We've been able to get in on a terrific once-only special bargain rate.......one you'll probably never see again as the cost will certainly be higher next year when they run this special package deal again.
You'll be delighted to wine and dine, swim and chin with patriotic, like-minded, intelligent, witty and good-lookin' fellow conservatives who hang out on these pages. Plus, you'll have the unique opportunity to meet, know and love the interesting personalities behind many FR famous screen names!
Bahama Mama (moi) will post all the details as we go along. She'll be happy to answer questions except for those pertaining to actual room bookings and air reservations. This will again be handled by our honorary Freeper, Wanda, our lovely tropical travel mermaid. She's worked diligently and happily with our fun-loving freepers for all of our FR Caribbean cruises over a span of seven years.
Keywords for this thread are "FReeps Ashore" or you can bookmark it.
Please direct all questions and comments to "MinuteGal" or you can always freepmail me if you have a private question or two.
FREEPS ASHORE!
Bahama Mama (aka Leni/MinuteGal)
Wow, long time no see! How are ya?
Happy Armed Forces Day (we all know everyday is).
Sounds great so far...
Stay tuned. I'll put up the room info and other interesting information tomorrow.
I'm in the Eastern time zone and it's getting to be close to the time for Bahama Mama to head for the hammock in her little grass shack at Barefoot Bay......located on a sparkling, serene blue lake in our freeper Caribbean resort village
Bahama Mama
saving. ‘Sounds like fun!
Ive been to DC for the inaugurations twice and on a MANY FREEPs, but alas, no more.
Sorry, Thanks anyways for the thread (at least it didn't get moved to chat).
Each village consists of five two-story brightly-colored buildings with cool pastel walls, white-wood railings and vivid red metal roofs.
Villages feature swimming pools, chaise lounges, cabanas, umbrella tables and hammocks.
The center of the resort is Old Port Royale, an atmospheric shopping and dining area where stone walls, pirates' cannons and tropical birds create a Caribbean ambience where guests can shop or use the game room, lounge, food court, Shutter's Resturant or the huge sparkling pool with fun water slides.
(There are SIX swimming pools in the Caribbean Beach Resort!)
Island-themed guestrooms feature bright green armoires, striped bedspreads and floral curtains, all in the tropical mode. Amenities in the rooms include dial-up internet access, satellite TVs and personal safes. If you want a fridge brought to your room to use all week, tell Wanda when you make your reservation/deposit. There's no charge.
Provided also are complimentary Express Service motor coaches that take guests from Orlando International Airport directly to the resort.
There's also complimentary transportation to Disney theme parks, water parks and just about everywhere else!
You don't even have to handle your luggage when you land at the Orlando airport!
More on this and other good stuff tomorrow.
Bahama Mama
Sorry, I will be in Alaska in Sept.
mark
See if you can rescue any stranded polar bears while you're up thar in Alaska, LOL.
Bahama Mama
The total package price for two people at the Caribbean Beach Resort is $1676.64 including taxes. The price for singles is $1410.39. These rates compare favorably with our average cruise cabin prices for FReeps Ahoy 4 last year.
This package includes a week of meals consisting of one sit-down table service meal per day at fine restaurants throughout Disney, one cafeteria-style meal per day at locations throughout all parks and resorts, and one snack per day meaning ice cream, soda, pop corn, etc. at stands everywhere. You're issued an individual meal credit card which covers the whole week. Your meal credits are subtracted as you eat. The card affords a very flexible way to enjoy a variety of meal dining experiences throughout your stay.
You're on your own hook for one meal a day. Most people pick breakfast, opting for coffee and Danish (from a shop) in their rooms, or purchasing breakfast at the nearby Resort cafeteria. Some people may want a hearty breakfast before hitting a theme park and just buy a hamburger for lunch at the park. Your big meal can be anytime of the day. Meals can be whatever you want, whenever you want.....this is why the meal credit card offers flexibility.
Your Resort package will also include a "Park Hopper" pass good for unlimited admission the entire week to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom.
An information package will be sent you after you make your reservation.
This blurb on our package rate special will continue below. Keep on reading......
Bahama Mama
Once a year, Disney offers a September special package for the Caribbean Beach Resort. People throughout the country (and world!) have been booking for months. A friend of mine booked over 6 months ago. We've latched on at the tail-end of this special to take advantage of the price. We've been assured there's still rooms left, but of course, this can change in a heartbeat.
Unlike cruise lines, Disney DOES NOT HOLD BLOCKS OF ROOMS FOR GROUPS except for business groups. Therefore, we are all reserving as individuals and it's first come, first served. The number of unreserved rooms at this resort is not unlimited. We urge you to get your phone call reservation in immediately if you plan to go.
You may want to call (ask specifically for Wanda) at toll-free 1-800-266-1167 tomorrow to book. She's in California, so adjust for the time differential and make your call during normal business hours. Identify yourself as a Freeper right off the bat.
A $200 deposit per room is due within two weeks of your phone call. The balance is due and must be received by July 25.
Cancellation insurance for emergencies is available for about $60 additional.
We WERE able to pursuade the resort to classify us in a "Grand Gathering" set-up which means that as we book, our names will be linked on their computers and they will try to keep our rooms relatively close together at the resort. This is very meaningful as the resort "villages" are spread over 600 pristine acres. We want to be close together as much as possible. So I think you get my drift when I urge you to book NOW.
Remember, no deposit is required for two weeks. But I'll have my credit card ready and pay it immediately, anyhow. If you have any questions, Wanda will answer them.
This booking information will be concluded in a post below.
Keep on reading.......
Bahama Mama
Accomodations for which the quoted rate applies are for a standard room. Upgrading to a waterview room for not too many more $$$'s is available. Talk to Wanda about room options.
Wanda will also make your air reservations. This is a great way for ONE phone call to take care of everything you need for a great vacation.
MAKE SURE TO GIVE WANDA YOUR FR SCREEN NAME!
Folks, this getaway resort vacation is, as usual, an FR fund-raising event. Unlike cruise lines, resorts don't offer rebates for group bookings. We've always turned any past cruise rebates over to FR. This time, which is our first freeper shore vacation, we're asking for a 10 buck donation per room as a donation for our favorite forum. This is not mandatory in any way, just a nice way to say "thanks" for the privilege of using this board to get together socially.
It's FR that provides the vehicle for like-minded freepers to get together from across the fruited plain, to enjoy a fine social event, to get to know each other, to exchange ideas and interesting regional input, to relax from the political (and sometimes depressing) hub-bub of the world and national stage, to restore mental and physical health after all the downers lately, to meet a cute conservative guy or gal, oh, oh,........well....need I go on?
We always get the greatest cooperation from JimRob and the mods when we do our FReeps Ahoy threads. Please consider this very nominal donation to FR when you contemplate making a reservation. You'll be notified by me, your Bahama Mama, when and where to make the donation after you sign on board. Thank you all.
We also ask another favor. Wanda has other travel clients world-wide who she works with. Please don't phone her unless you're reasonably certain you'll be going on this resort getaway. Many of you long-time cruisers know Wanda and she knows you. She loves freepers and works patiently with each one. Your word as a freeper is good as gold with her, so please don't pepper her with millions of questions on a fishing expedition unless you really can make this trip.
This goes for Bahama Mama, also. I'm at your service 25 hours a day to answer all questions I'm able to answer. Each event we always get a few folks who bombard Bahama Mama (and Wanda) over and over with the damndest questions even though they don't and never have the slightest intention of booking.
So please be kind and considerate to Wanda and yo' Mama. We're here to please and to get you painlessly and smoothly all squared away for this fun resort event.
Remember, Wanda takes care of information on booking, price, air transportation. She will explain details of the package deal to you, including how the meal credit card works.
Bahama Mama answers all the rest of your questions, hah.
FReeps Ashore!
Bahama Mama
What’s Disney’s smoking policy?
Leni: Good to see ya up and kickin' sand spurs off'n yo socks! :-D
Again, as always, Chief Mousekefreeper, Jim Robinson, will pull three winning freepnames out of the hat.
The winning rooms will each receive a $50 gift packet in the form of Disney Dollars.
These bills come in $1, $5, and $10 denominations. They are accepted for all dining and merchandise in restaurants and shops throughout our resort village as well as the entire Walt Disney World.
The Disney Dollars can also be exchanged any time for U. S. currency.
What a great prize to win!
We're also going to have a nice number of modest prizes awarded by random drawing throughout the resort week.
Plus, EVERYONE looks forward to our famous and hilarious "gag gift" to be won in a drawing one by some unsuspecting freeper. More on some of our notable gag gifts of the past will be posted in a few days when Bahama Mama can come up for breath.
We just may do the gag gift drawing poolside some warm, sultry, tropical Florida evening under umbrellas with cold Margaritas all around with little monkeys hanging from the glasses. Oh, my.....can you bear all this lusciousness???
In addition, every room booked will receive a little item as a personal welcoming favor from yo' Bahama Mama. It'll be most usable all week long. It's a surprise, and I'll only tell you that it's smaller than a bread box.
As always, all prizes for our events are donated. Some are coughed up by hapless local conservative business friends of Bahama Mama. They never escape escape her clutches when it comes time for freeper events.
Phone Wanda RIGHT AWAY to register. She'll notify me when we have 20 rooms booked and then we'll have the Grand Drawing for the $50 prizes. Her phone number is toll-free 1-800-266-1167.
Bahama Mama
P.S. Read my tag line......
All dining establishments are smoke-free, as are clubs and lounges. Tobacco products are not sold in the theme parks. Guests may purchase tobacco products in Disney resorts, including our own Caribbean Beach Resort.
Now for the really good news.......our resort has rooms for smokers and non-smokers alike. BE SURE YOU TELL WANDA IF YOU WANT A SMOKING ROOM WHEN YOU PHONE HER TO BOOK YOUR RESERVATION! This is another compelling reason to sign on now......so that you're assured of a smoking room.
Remember, this is a state-wide smoking policy, so if you venture off the Disney property, the same rules apply everywhere you go in the Sunshine State, including all saloons, sigh.
Thank you for the great question, Alice. See ya in Wonderland......oops, Disneyland!
Bahama Mama
Beginning June 1, 2007, Disney owned and operated resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club resorts will become smoke-free environments. This policy includes all guest rooms, balconies, patios, meeting spaces, restaurants, lounges and public space. Smoking will be allowed in designated outdoor smoking locations only. A room recovery fee will be charged for smoking in Guest rooms, on balconies, or on patios.
I'll be taking my grandkids back and forth to school in September. But I only live a couple of hours north of Orlando. Are there any FReeper activities I could go to without staying at the resort?
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