Party at the Poly-Our first trip report-LAST ENTRY-5-21-07-page 4

[lklasing]

Alright – I’ve never done anything like write a trip report before. I barely wrote book reports in school. But, I’ve gotten so much from reading on the Disboards that really benefited us on our trip and the trip itself was so incredible, that I thought I’d give a report a try, both for posting here as well as just to have something to always remember how great the trip actually was. So here goes…

Who (the names have been changed to protect the innocent and not so innocent):

Me – 40 years old – went to WDW several times as a kid with family, and then skipped several decades till we started taking the kiddos. Severe case of OCD, which works great for planning WDW trips. In addition, I have been told that I have limitless energy, which works great in implementing WDW trips!

DH – Ray – 46 years old – pretty much same WDW history as me. He always stayed at the Poly as a kid, so that’s where we always stay now. No OCD, not nearly as much non-stop energy/craziness as me, but that’s what makes us do well together. We’ve been married 14 years.

DD – Danielle – 10 years old – High energy, fun girl, proud of being a “tween”. Loves to bring her favorite dolls and stuffed animals to WDW with the hope that Mousekeeping will arrange them in fun ways while we’re gone. (It happened most days this trip, though we didn’t get any towel animals.)

DD – Jodi – 8 years old – Very cool, laid-back kid with lots of deep thoughts. She takes after Ray in that she enjoys relaxing more than her sister and me. A great collector of anything collectible – stickers, Star Wars stuff, rocks, you name it she’s got it.

My brother – Earl – 34 years old – Great guy – we are exceptionally close. This is our first trip to do together with our kids, but we knew it would work out great. We are lucky to live near each other in the town where we grew up, so we spend a lot of weekend time together with all the kids.

SIL – Leigh – 35 years old – Very fun. She and Earl had their 7-year anniversary on the last day of our trip. Leigh and I have a lot in common – lots of energy, lots of planning, lots of excitement. She and I started working together on this trip last August. She and Earl had been together to WDW a couple of years ago on business, but this is their first time to take any kids, which takes us to…

My nephew – Evan – 4 ½ years old. Adorable boy on his first trip to the World. He is BIG into Power Rangers, so that was definitely going to be a big thrust of their trip. He is very much adored by his cousins. We were all so excited about getting to see WDW from the eyes of a little kid again, and he didn’t let us down!

(And, last but definitely not least, little Elise – 1 year old. A sweetheart of a girl, but alas, she didn’t get to go. Everyone has differing opinions about this issue, but Earl and Leigh decided that she would have to wait until she was a little older for her first trip, a decision I fully endorsed. She stayed home with two sets of adoring grandparents.)

When – May 2-6, 2007

Where – The two families split up – we stayed at the Poly, GV concierge, and they stayed at the WL. While I’ll obviously have a lot more to say about the Poly than the WL, feel free to fire me questions about either resort – I’ll get any needed intel from Leigh about WL. (For the record, they loved it and would definitely stay there again!)

Day One – Wednesday, May 2 – We’re all on the same early morning flight. Somehow, the planets must have aligned perfectly, because the travel went off without a hitch. :yay: It was Evan’s first plane ride (at least that he could remember – I think he went on one before), so he was quite the ball of excitement. We were all sitting near each other, so my girls had lots of fun checking out Evan’s reactions to everything. We landed at MCO right on time and took the tram to the main building. Then, down the escalator, where we happily found our driver waiting on us. :drive: We used ****** and it was perfect. Our driver was a very nice guy who helped us get a porter and then went to get the van. I just love it when someone’s waiting for you when you arrive. I know we could have done it cheaper (free!) if we had used Magical Express, but getting our own transportation has always worked out great for us, so why stop now? Plus, with two families, it was very reasonable. I’d definitely use ****** again.

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Jodi in the van

After a quick stop at the Publix (thanks, Leigh, for not killing my husband by shopping for the full 30 minutes! :thanks: ), we were off to the resorts. First a stop at the WL to drop off Earl, Leigh and Evan (who we heard as he first walked into the WL saying, “Where are the toys?”), then on to the Poly. We just absolutely love it there. We were greeted by the bell staff with all the right “Aloha’s”, then whisked off to Hawaii via the fun golf cart thing, where our room was ready, and it wasn’t even 11:00 a.m.! :) I did try to upgrade to LV, having changed my mind about the view in the last couple of weeks, but they had 2 nights when it wasn’t available and I wasn’t inclined to change rooms mid-trip.

The room (1533) was perfect! (Well, almost perfect – it had a few issues (wobbly shower head, leak in sink that they quickly fixed – problems that weren’t big problems.) We’ve stayed there before, but not since the renovation, so we were delighted. It didn’t occur to me that I didn’t take any pictures of the room till right now as I’m writing this, but the good news is that the room looked exactly like all the pictures of Poly rooms I’ve seen all over the internet, so you can figure out what it looks like. :surfweb: It was our first time to be on the first floor and we really loved having the patio. No more second floor for us!

I really felt compelled to go ahead and unpack as I can’t stand to have suitcases laying (lying? I never could figure out which one it is) around, but I tried to restrain myself so we could start having big fun. Plus, Ray was hungry and everyone else was rapidly getting that way too. So, off we go on a monorail ride to the MK! The girls have their pin lanyards ready to go and these hats we got this year. Danielle’s is just plain white, but Jodi’s is this odd thing I got at the Target that, unfortunately, covers too much of her face. I regret not figuring this out for all our Photopass pictures till the last day or so. Here are my girls and me as we arrive, thankfully with no hats! http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007-Disney009-1.jpg

:offtopic: Note the Baggalini – I guess now is as good a time as any to fill you in about that. Thanks to several recommendations here, I got one from Amazon, about $30, and really loved it! It was just the right size. In past trips, I have carried more to the parks than I did this time, mainly due to having a smaller bag this time, but that really was a good thing! After 9 months planning (including Disboards, TGMike, the EZ Fun Guide, etc.), do I really need to lug my big ol’ Unofficial Guide with me every day? Apparently not, and not having it was quite liberating. Plus, my index cards with all my important info fit perfectly, plus my phone, Blackberry (not used for work this trip, but rather to communicate with Earl and Leigh), wallet, camera, and everything else I couldn’t live without. I will note, though, that while I loved the Baggalini, it didn’t work out so well for Leigh. It didn’t fit her right (maybe because she’s shorter than me?) and didn’t hold all their stuff – they had a change of clothes for Evan that apparently took up too much room. Other than Leigh’s discontent, the only negative I would say about the bag is that the metal buckle right above the cell phone holder part hit right on my collar bone. It was fine the whole way through until our last day, when it really started hurting. Up until then, though, it was perfect for me, and I’ll definitely be using it again!

After an almost walk-on ride on Splash Mountain (really – there was hardly any wait and it was noon! I love early May!),
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we did lunch. I had heard good things about Pecos Bill’s and it didn’t disappoint. Very good “fixins” bar, by the way. Jodi was happy with her lunch
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while Danielle was more concerned about planning our next move.
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Then, off to BTMRR with our FPs. We probably could have just skipped doing the FP as the line wasn’t long, but it worked out fine. Then, we hit the Haunted Mansion, which we all love. Again, no line at all. :cool1: Then we headed to the biggie, at least for Danielle – Space Mountain! On the way I tried to get them on IASM, but my girls have decided they won’t fall for that again. Even though Danielle loves dolls, they’re both so down on having that song sung to them time after time, I don’t think I’ll ever get them back in there! :sad2: We also thought about riding Peter Pan, but the line was too long.

Anyway, we get to Space Mountain and … drum roll, please … WALK ON! :cheer2: Again, I loooooooove early May! It was Jodi’s first time to ride it. Her first two trips she was not up for the daredevil stuff, but now that she’s practically an adult at age 8 ;) , she was up for the challenge. I wouldn’t say she loved it, but she didn’t hate it either. Then, it was time for some ice cream (had to start using up those snack credits! :mickeybar ) and then on to Buzz. Again, little to no line. :cheer2: Ray won the family point contest by a mile, as he always does.

After so much good luck on our first day, we didn’t want to jinx our good luck any more so we headed back to the Poly for one of our favorite vacation activities: POOL TIME! But before I get to the pool time, I’ll tell you that I forced the family to ride the boat back to the Poly. I’m mean that way. They love the monorail and I do too, but last trip we never took the boat and I love the water, so I forced the issue this time. I promised them it would be the one and only time we’d ride the boat, and I meant it. But, fate actually had another plan. :rolleyes1: (Stay tuned for more on that one!) Anyway, we got back and suited up. Gotta love the volcano pool! It was busy, but not packed, and we were lucky to get to a shady table at just the moment someone else was leaving it. :) So we played for quite a while, feeling very proud of having so much fun time on a travel day. Then, the girls and I cleaned up and headed to the GCH for one of their other favorite vacation activities: gift shop time. :sad2: . Interestingly, this is Ray’s least favorite vacation activity, so therein lies the rub. How to juggle two girls that, maybe just because they are girls, have a serious need to shop and spend some of the money they’ve been saving for most of a year, and at the same time keep DH happy? I tried to find the answer this whole trip, but didn’t, so if you know make sure to tell me! Anyway, we hit both Poly gift shops for a while and then checked in for our dinner at ‘Ohana. Since Ray had now arrived and it was going to be a while for our table (we were a little early for our ADR, but people were already waiting), Ray and I hopped up to the bar for a quick drink before dinner. :drinking1

When it was our turn, we were seated at a great window table. Our waiter (Ron?) was great and very sweet to the girls. He even got Danielle excited about participating in the coconut races, and she’s usually not into that stuff anymore.

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The food was very good and I’m very glad we ate there, but it probably won’t become a must-do restaurant for us every trip. Of our four big dinners, ‘Ohana ranks fourth, but only because we ate at some incredible places! Anyway, very happy with our dinner, we headed back for a night swim.
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After that, we had dessert in the concierge lounge (love Chef Dick’s desserts!), had one more glass of wine, and then hit the hay, dreaming about a magical day on the horizon. :goodvibes

Up next: Now which park were we going to today??

[wdwgirl03]

Great start to your trip report! I love the Polynesian and can't wait to stay there again. :goodvibes :goodvibes How awesome you had walk-ons to some of the big attractions. And of course, I love the pictures (best part of any trip report!).

[OhMari]

Great pictures.
Note the Baggalini – I guess now is as good a time as any to fill you in about that. I have the same bag. I put my cell phone in the little zipper area, where I see a piece of paper sticking out of yours. My dh slung it over his shoulder, when I didn't want to carry it, especially when he loaded it down with his diet dew.

[lklasing]

Great start to your trip report! I love the Polynesian and can't wait to stay there again. :goodvibes :goodvibes How awesome you had walk-ons to some of the big attractions. And of course, I love the pictures (best part of any trip report!).

It really was great getting on to the rides so easily. The further we got into the trip the longer the lines were, but I was just amazed that in the afternoon we had such good luck on our first day.

Great pictures.
I have the same bag. I put my cell phone in the little zipper area, where I see a piece of paper sticking out of yours. My dh slung it over his shoulder, when I didn't want to carry it, especially when he loaded it down with his diet dew.

I actually kept my phone there too - the zipper pull looks like paper sticking out. It was great having it there - it was the only way I had a chance to hear it when it rang!

[Hollywoodhaha]

Love your TR:goodvibes

Update Soon! :hippie:

[Alicnwondrln]

great start!
Looks like your trip started on the right foot.
cant wait to hear more:banana:

[Dicecatt]

Great report! I am picturing the Poly...heaven!

So...do you regret not upgrading to LV? I am debating, but I'm just not feeling good with dropping $1000 more for the view...we had GVC last year and just watched the fireworks from the beach. Geez, I think I am answering myself on weather to upgrade or now:confused:

[swillis]

Great report...looking forward to more!

[Caitsmama]

Great TR so far, thanks for sharing!!

[Mom2CJ&Kitty]

I'm in... can't wait to hear more!

[lklasing]

Thanks to everyone for posting! I'm glad you are enjoying the report - it was such a great trip I just had to give this a try!

So...do you regret not upgrading to LV?

Honestly, I did really wish I had booked LV, especially when we first got there. However, we enjoyed the fireworks from both the beach and the lounge, and both spots are great (the lounge even pipes in the music and dims the lights - very fun!). While we were there, I told DH that next time I'm just going to book LV from the beginning. Now that we're back, though, and I have over $400 I wouldn't have had otherwise, I'm not sad. There are people, though, that totally swear by LV, and I've never had it so it might be that I just don't know what I'm missing.:rolleyes:

[lklasing]

Day Two – Thursday, May 3 – This was our designated Epcot day. We all love Epcot, especially the usuals – Soarin’, TT, M:S (okay, I’m kind of a wuss on that one but was up to trying it again) – so we were ready to roll bright and early. Jodi enjoyed answering the wakeup call, and after breakfast in the concierge lounge (plus bacon and sausage from Captain Cook’s), we walked to the TTC to grab the monorail. It was about 8:20 and an early entry day for the MK, so there were several groups that were obviously staying off-site sitting around waiting to be let into the monorail/ferry area. Happily, we didn’t have to wait with them and entered the transportation area heading toward the monorails, when we were approached by a CM who I immediately recognized as being on the Dream Team! He asked us to follow him, which we of course did. My mind was racing – we were clearly getting something, but I had no idea what! (I will admit that the thought of spending the night in the castle crossed my mind, but I quickly banished the thought.) Ray and the girls were excited too, although they really weren’t tuned into the YOAMD thing like me, as I hadn’t wanted to get anyone’s hopes up. Anyway, he finally tells us that we were going to be the day’s “First Family” and were getting a private boat ride to the MK! :woohoo: It was very cool! We were presented a certificate with our name on it and they took our picture in front of the boat before we took off. (I know I still have that poloroid somewhere, but can’t find it. :sad2:)

Anyway, we were all very excited, but of course my mind was going crazy with, “…but we’re going to Epcot…” thoughts! But, I just stayed quiet and off we went to the MK in a very cool boat all to ourselves! (Remember how I promised my family the day before that we wouldn’t have to ride the boat again? They of course reminded me several times, but they were thrilled with the ride. :) )

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When we were almost there, our driver Cole turned the boat around backward and stopped it, and took our picture with the MK behind us.
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It was really incredible. So then, there we were, at the MK totally unexpectedly, and already having had a great day at 8:30!

I have to say here that my mind was really going bananas with thoughts about how we were at the early entry park and we didn’t even get there at opening, how we were supposed to be at Epcot, how we were planning on doing our big MK day on Saturday when we had ADRs for CRT breakfast, etc…. But, I am proud that I squelched all those thoughts and was able to just ask everyone what they wanted to do (as opposed to what I had planned to do) – stay at the MK or go back to the original plan and head on to Epcot. Of course, they all opted to at least play at MK for a little while. So, in we go, feeling very special. :goodvibes We eventually decided that we would do Space Mountain and Buzz again and then maybe head on over to Epcot. So, we head to Space Mountain where there was virtually no line :thumbsup2 and ride for our second time this trip. Once again, Jodi did fine, but afterward she declared she had had enough of that ride for this trip.

Next, we got in line for Buzz, and again were happy to not have any significant line. But, the line was moving slower than usual and there was a commotion toward the front. As we got closer, I could tell what the commotion was – they were giving away Dream Fast Passes!!! I was so nervous about whether we were going to get one I almost didn’t make it, but when we got there, she still had a pile and we all got one! :woohoo: Yay! I couldn’t believe our luck! We were supposed to be doing Epcot and here we were, in the MK after a private boat ride there, getting Dream Fast Passes! Here’s us with our new FPs (Ray says I got the “crazy eyes” in this picture.)

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Well, that obviously cinched it – there would be no Epcot for us today! We decided to ride every FP ride we wanted and if there was anything left, we would give it away. So that’s exactly what we did. We did Stitch (but didn’t even use the FP as there was no line and we wanted to save it), then after a drink break,
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started back with the rides. I had talked to Leigh and Earl by then and found out they had 10:05 FPs for Peter Pan, so we hooked up with them and all went together. My girls were delighted to have Evan sit between them on his first time on Peter Pan. Afterward, it was clear we were going in different directions. But, I was able to break off the tabs for Pooh and Buzz from our FPs and gave them to Earl to see if they would be able to use them. I figured it would either work or not work, but there was no loss if it didn’t as we wouldn’t be going back that way. Happily, they were able to use both and they said it really helped their day. :thumbsup2

We then hit Splash Mountain and BTMRR and had a great lunch at Columbia Harbour House. The upstairs seating was great. We were all getting tired and hot by then, and even though we still had several FPs left, we decided to head on back and have more pool time. But, we weren’t going anywhere till we put the remaining FPs to good use. So, as we walked down Main Street, we kept our eyes open for the right party of 4 to give them to – we wanted it to be someone without kids too small, since the biggie FP of all – Space Mountain – was still on the necklaces. We found them – a family of four with two girls about our girls’ ages – and they seemed quite delighted to receive them! They would now be able to go on Space Mountain, Stitch, Jungle Cruise and one more (I can’t remember!) without waiting in line. Very cute family and it was very fun to get to share! :banana: Giving them the necklaces really was one of the highlights of our trip.

Next was pool time again – always a big hit with my family. Until I started going to WDW with my girls, I would have never thought that swimming could be so rejuvenating, but it really is! We all felt rested and relaxed, and ready for our next adventure: California Grill!

We all had reservations at the exact same time for California Grill, although it was two different reservations. Honestly, Leigh and I didn’t plan it that way (I know Ray and Earl don’t believe that we didn’t plan it, but it’s true!), but it worked out that we were all heading there for 6:10 ADRs that night under two different names. Right before the trip I figured this out and tried to get the two ADRs combined into one, but they said they didn’t have any flexibility as they were fully booked. They did say, though, that they would try to seat us near each other.

When we got there (after riding the elevator for a while trying to figure out how to get up there :rolleyes1), we were blown away by the ambience. It is an absolutely stunning restaurant with incredible views. That is really the kind of place Ray and I love eating in, and the girls were even pretty impressed. We were even more excited, though, when we saw where we were sitting – in the table right next to Earl, Leigh and Evan! They obviously noted my request on the reservation when I called, because there is just no way that happened coincidentally when the entire restaurant was full. :) Regardless, there we were with them, and we were all very happy with the tables.

The food – where do I start? It was incredible! Once I was told it was made from whole wheat, I had to order the mushroom flatbread as my appetizer. Oh. My. Gosh. I’ve never had something so good. Everything that everyone had was great, but everyone agreed that the flatbread won the best dish hands down. The wine was great, the entrees and desserts were great, but I’d kill for another piece of the flatbread! After the meal, we all went out on the observation deck and enjoyed the view, and although we were way too early for fireworks, we had a great time.

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After dinner, we all thought about going back to the MK to catch SpectroMagic, but Jodi was tiring, so she and I headed back to the Poly for some fun on the beach.

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Jodi really loved the Electric Water Parade. Ray and Danielle did go to the MK, but wound up coming back when some big lightening bolts struck just as they were about to get in line for Splash Mountain. :eek:

Afterward, we again had dessert and drinks in the lounge and caught Wishes and then, fully exhausted, satiated, and pleased with our day, we went to bed, looking forward to our day on Friday at Animal Kingdom!

Next up - We couldn’t possibly do three parks in one day, could we?

[Caitsmama]

Wow! How awesome for you guys!!! A boat ride and fast passes! But, the best part i like, is when you said that giving the remaining passes away was one of your highlights --- now we get to feel how the CM's do! LOL Isn't it just as fun to share a good treat! Good for you!!!

I am loving your TR... Living thru your family til november! LOL

[Poppinsme]

I'm really enjoying your trip report. Thank you! :) We are staying on our trip LVC and we cant wait. :cheer2:

[Kim321]

I'm enjoying your trip report immensely! Keep it coming!:goodvibes

[lklasing]

Thanks, everyone for your replies! You're all very sweet. Caitsmama, you're right about getting a feel for how the CMs feel - we actually commented about it after getting the FPs that handing them out had to be one of the best jobs in the world - she made a huge group of people so happy!

[sham101505]

Great TR! I am planning an anniversary trip for DH and I at the Poly and was contemplating whether or not I should go concierge but reading your report I think Ive already made up my mind. Breakfast, dessert and wine before bedtime what more could a girl want?

[srandsr76]

Great report!!! We are going to be staying at WLV in September..glad to her your brother and family enjoyed their stay there.

AWESOME pixie dust!!!:wizard: That family was very luck to run into you! You were your very own Dream Team!!

Cannot wait to read more!

[wdwgirl03]

Wow, you're so lucky to get that boat ride and the fastpasses!! I'm jealous! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

[AGPrincess]

Great TR so far! Your DD's are too cute!

Can't wait for more!

[lklasing]

Thanks, everyone, for reading and responding!

Great TR! I am planning an anniversary trip for DH and I at the Poly and was contemplating whether or not I should go concierge but reading your report I think Ive already made up my mind. Breakfast, dessert and wine before bedtime what more could a girl want?

You got that right! A lot of people want to know whether paying to go concierge is "worth it" and it all depends on how you define worth. We have never eaten dinner in the lounge, though I did get to see it one night and it looked great. Clearly since we don't do dinner there we're probably not getting a dollar-for-dollar value out of it, but having perks like a spot to go in our own building to stretch out, grab a snack, let the kids relax in front of the tube for a few minutes without having to subject everyone to it, and, like you picked up on, having a late night cocktail and dessert makes it totally worth it for us! We also do most breakfasts there too and that part saves money. (Granted, I don't do pasteries or really anything in there for breakfast for me so I do take out from CC's, but the girls love the offerings in there for breakfast.

Great report!!! We are going to be staying at WLV in September..glad to her your brother and family enjoyed their stay there.

AWESOME pixie dust!!!:wizard: That family was very luck to run into you! You were your very own Dream Team!!

Cannot wait to read more!

Wow, you're so lucky to get that boat ride and the fastpasses!! I'm jealous! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Great TR so far! Your DD's are too cute!

Can't wait for more!

Thanks! Y'all are all so sweet! We really had a good time getting to share our fun! We had a few more chances while we were there, which should be in an installment in the next few days.

BTW - does anyone know how to change the title of this thread? I was going to do that when I posted a new entry, but can't figure out how! Thanks!!

Leslie

[soxnation]

i have done 3 parks in one day family tradition well crazy family tradition!!
loving your report can not wait to hear more:)

[thptrek]

To change the title go to your first post and click on edit. Then when the edit panel comes up, click on the advanced button. From there you can edit the title.

[pierresgirl]

Great report so far, can't wait for more! You guys were SO lucky with the 2 dreams!!

[happybratpack]

Super report, can't wait to read more!!

[Cory's Gal]

Enjoying your TR!! Two dreams in one day, WOW!!!! It was so nice of you to share what was left too!! What a great example for your girls!! They are adorbale, can't wait to hear more!!!!:yay:

[lklasing]

Thanks for your sweet words, everyone! And thanks, thptrek, for telling me how to change the title - i couldn't figure it out for anything. Anyway, on with the report:

Day Three – Friday, May 4 – Once again we awoke to a pretty early wakeup call – I think Ray caught it this time. After a big breakfast at Captain Cook’s, we headed to the bus stop and quickly caught a bus for the AK.

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We arrived at the AK right on time (for me at least – definitely a little early for Ray given that it didn’t open for about 30 more minutes :rolleyes1 ), but we were able to sit and relax for a minute and, of course, get all juiced up with sunscreen.

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Once inside, Ray and the girls headed to DinoLand, while I dashed off to get FPs for EE. FPs in hand, I caught up with the gang just as they were starting to ride Primevial Whirl – heaven forbid, they talked Ray into going on it!

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I warned him to keep his head back on the headrest, with the hope of avoiding whiplash and off they went. A minute later they were done, and it looked like Ray could have used a little more time between eggs and sausage and that ride! :sick: The girls wanted to ride again, so I took off with them this time.

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Next, Danielle and Ray wanted to ride Dinosaur, but Jodi had no interest at all, so we split. Jodi enjoyed the Boneyard, even though I think she worried she was a little old for it.

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After a run-in with T-Rex,

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(I told you that darn hat covers too much of Jodi's face!), we were off to tackle Everest. :scared1: Jodi had been on the fence about whether or not to ride this one for the entire trip, but after a long conversation with a very sweet CM working EE, she decided to give it a shot. Both Jodi and Danielle rode the entire ride with their eyes covered, but everyone survived and everyone loved it! That is, everyone except maybe Ray, whose breakfast had still barely settled after Primevial Whirl, but he thought it was great too. :thumbsup2 Jodi even wanted to ride again, but the standby line was longer than I was into, and I was afraid Ray might actually get sick if we made him do another exciting ride so early in the morning. :)

After yet another snack of drinks and ice cream :mickeybar, we headed to a ride none of us had ever ridden before but all were excited about: Kali River Rapids! The line was not too bad and we really enjoyed the part of the wait when we happened to run into Earl, Leigh and Evan coming off the ride, soaked to the bone. :) The ride itself was great. We were sharing a raft with a fun assortment of people, including two teenaged boys. We knew we were in trouble when we were unknowingly headed for the big drop and one of the boys saw what was coming and said, “Oh Snap!” :lmao: Next thing we knew we were drenched.

After KRR, we decided we’d head over to MGM. We had done most of the rest of AK on a previous trip and while we would have loved to do Safari again, no one wanted to wait the 30 minutes Leigh told me was the stand-by time. (We had gotten way too spoiled the day before with our Dream FPs! :rolleyes1 ) So we headed off to the busses and started to wait for the MGM bus. And wait. And wait. And wait. We must have been waiting for 40 minutes or more. I don’t know if that’s usual or if we were just unlucky, but it sure got tiresome. Regardless, we finally made it to MGM, where we grabbed a FP for Tower of Terror and then caught the live performance of High School Musical, much to Jodi’s delight. We were starving by then, but didn’t have ADRs anywhere since I hadn’t planned for us to be at MGM that day. I managed to get us into 50’s PT Café, which was fun, but not as fun as I had hoped. I think it must be totally dependent on who you have as a server as to whether you get excessively picked on or not. Regardless, the food was good and we were glad to have a cool place to sit and eat.

Next, we headed to Star Tours, as Jodi is a HUGE Star Wars fan.

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After the ride, we of course landed in the gift shop but sadly, Jodi had spent virtually all her money. But her sweet sister (who still had lots of her money left) decided to get her a couple of figurines, which went over very well.

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Then, back to Tower of Terror which we all rode, but which Ray and Jodi were not too fond of. Since the wait for Rock’N’Roller Coaster was too long (50 minutes), we decided it was finally time for a swim and headed back to the Poly.

After a relaxing dip, it was time for our sitter from Kids Night Out to arrive. Leigh and I had decided back when we originally booked the trip that we would get a sitter one night for our girls plus Evan and have fun in Epcot with just Ray, Earl, Leigh and me. :drinking1 When I booked it, I requested a college-age sitter and was told they would do their best to get us one, but that they couldn’t promise anything. I understood that, but was still surprised when our grandmother-age sitter arrived. Let me first say that she was very kind, obviously very competent and very qualified, but she definitely was not the sitter my girls were hoping for. My impression was also that while she loved taking care of smaller children, she wasn’t too fond of ‘tweens. Nevertheless, we were very comfortable with her taking care of the three kids and the four of us took off toward Epcot.

When we first arrived, I had planned to go grab FPs for Soarin’, as this was Earl and Leigh’s only chance to ride it, but they were out for the day and it was a 90 minute wait. :eek: So instead, we just headed straight toward our main destination – Wine! We had a glass in Germany, a flight in Italy (Ray and Earl were particularly impressed by the 20-something babe working in Italy :rolleyes1), another glass in France (Ray and Earl only), and then we stumbled toward Canada just in time for our ADR at Le Cellier. After some work by me, we were seated at one of the 2 full booth tables in the restaurant. Yay – we love booths! Anyway, dinner was absolutely to die for. Lots of steaks, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. Everything was great except we weren’t too fond of the asparagus side, as it was a plate of big (I mean BIG) asparagus, and we apparently are a group of tiny asparagus lovers. :confused3 After one last glass of wine, we decided that Soarin’ was more important to our group than Illuminations, so we did that with only about a 20 minute wait. The funniest thing, though, happened while we were walking to Soarin’. I’m tall and a fast walker and so is my brother, so Earl and I took off. Ray, while tall, is not a fast walker and Leigh is a good bit shorter than all of us, so they lagged behind. Apparently, the whole way there, Leigh was complaining to Ray about how fast Earl and I were going and why we were going so far. Come to figure out later that she thought Soarin’ was in Canada and Earl and I were just being mean in making her walk so much! :rotfl2: (I’d say her confusion was because of all the wine, but I think she was just genuinely confused!) Regardless, we eventually made it there and everyone enjoyed the ride. Somehow, we managed to all stay awake on the monorail ride home, relieved the sitter (and, in their minds at least, rescued the girls from the sitter) and said good night to Earl and his family. I made everyone go right to bed because (1) we were exhausted after having done all the parks except MK in one day, which is totally NOT our style and (2) we had yet another early morning the next day, starting with 8:10 ADRs at CRT!


Next up: Princesses and more magic to share!

[kdzbear]

I love your trip report. You and your family take such great pictures! I can't wait to hear more! :cheer2:

[ObsessedwithWDW]

Subscribing CUTE FAMILY!!!!! And we are booking the Poly soon so I am eager to hear all about it!

[lklasing]

I love your trip report. You and your family take such great pictures! I can't wait to hear more! :cheer2:

Subscribing CUTE FAMILY!!!!! And we are booking the Poly soon so I am eager to hear all about it!


Thanks, guys! I had fun taking pictures this trip more than I usually do. Even though there is always so much to do, it was easier this trip since it was the girls' third time and I was not feeling like I had to show them everything. I could just enjoy being there with them and taking their picture! Danielle actually tired of me and my camera by the end of the trip, but she knows the rule - if mom's taking me to Disney, I have to let her take my picture! :lmao:

Leslie

[donnajean17]

Subscribing!! Love reading about your adventures!

[disneyfan67]

So far, so good! Excellent trip report and you have done a good job of taking pictures. I'm looking forward to the next installment. I hope you took some "Hanging around the Poly" pictures and had a chance to relax in that beatiful resort and the volcano pool.. Keep the report comming.:thumbsup2

[Dicecatt]

I'm really enjoying your report...I love giving stuff like Fast passes away...not that I've gotten a dream fast pass but I sort of know how you felt!

One thing I want to know...how on earth did it happen that one of your girls bought the other souvenirs because she was out of money? I'm not sure my kids would ever do that (actually, they all buy things for the little one but are wretched to each other!)

Sounds like you had an amazing trip, it makes me long for September and the Poly! And you described Concierge very well...so many people ask "is it worth it" but you can't really answer that question because it is very subjective. Kind of like the view ;)

[lklasing]

Subscribing!! Love reading about your adventures!

Thanks! Glad you found us!

So far, so good! Excellent trip report and you have done a good job of taking pictures. I'm looking forward to the next installment. I hope you took some "Hanging around the Poly" pictures and had a chance to relax in that beatiful resort and the volcano pool.. Keep the report comming.:thumbsup2

Oh, I hate to say it but I really didn't. :guilty: I did take a couple more pics in the lounge that I haven't posted. I have them at work and will get them posted tomorrow.


I'm really enjoying your report...I love giving stuff like Fast passes away...not that I've gotten a dream fast pass but I sort of know how you felt!

One thing I want to know...how on earth did it happen that one of your girls bought the other souvenirs because she was out of money? I'm not sure my kids would ever do that (actually, they all buy things for the little one but are wretched to each other!)

Sounds like you had an amazing trip, it makes me long for September and the Poly! And you described Concierge very well...so many people ask "is it worth it" but you can't really answer that question because it is very subjective. Kind of like the view ;)

Don't be deceived - my girls can act very poorly to each other at times, but most of the time do pretty well. Now at Disney, it's just somehow easy to behave better than at home - that's one of the billion reasons we love it there. :cloud9: They both are very sweet to the other, though, when they are worried that the sister won't get something they would otherwise want. :goodvibes

You're right about the concierge thing being so subjective. I actually had a travel agent try to talk me out of it before our first trip saying it would never be worth doing. Happily I knew what we like better than she did and booked it all on my own. :thumbsup2

Thanks for reading!! I'll have the next installment up probably tomorrow. :upsidedow

[ADP]

lklasing

This is a great trip report. You shouldn't have blown your cover and told us this was your first trip report. I would have believed by reading so far that you were well experienced.

Thanks for the Poly concierge info. We are staying Poly CGV in July and any information or opinions are very appreciated.

[ctmomof4]

My family and I just got back a couple of weeks ago from The World, and we LOVED the California Grill. We had a 7:30 reservation and stayed for the 10:00 showing of the MK fireworks right outside on the balcony. What an amazing view!!!! It was spectacular to see Wishes from up that high. The food and service were outstanding, it was one of our most MAGICAL nights there. Runners up were Artist Point and Flying Fish. You have a beautiful family, keep the adventures coming!!!!!!

[lklasing]

I hope you took some "Hanging around the Poly" pictures and had a chance to relax in that beatiful resort and the volcano pool.. Keep the report comming.:thumbsup2

Somehow, I really didn't do a good job of taking pictures around the Poly - rather silly given the number of pics I took in the parks, combined with the fact that hanging around the resort is really one of our favorite activities on our WDW trips! :confused3 However, I did find a few more from the beach and the lounge from our California Grill night:

Jodi playing on the beach:
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The girls writing in their journals in the lounge:
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Ray and I enjoying our last glass of wine for the night:
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Sorry I don't have any more Poly pics!


lklasing

This is a great trip report. You shouldn't have blown your cover and told us this was your first trip report. I would have believed by reading so far that you were well experienced.

Thanks for the Poly concierge info. We are staying Poly CGV in July and any information or opinions are very appreciated.

Thanks! You will really love Poly concierge! Have you made a request about which floor you want to be on? If you are on the first, like we were, I would try to avoid the room closest to the elevator - the patio would pretty much face the side of whichever building is next to Hawaii. We were in the second room from the elevator, though, and it was fine. I'm so jealous of you going in July!

My family and I just got back a couple of weeks ago from The World, and we LOVED the California Grill. We had a 7:30 reservation and stayed for the 10:00 showing of the MK fireworks right outside on the balcony. What an amazing view!!!! It was spectacular to see Wishes from up that high. The food and service were outstanding, it was one of our most MAGICAL nights there. Runners up were Artist Point and Flying Fish. You have a beautiful family, keep the adventures coming!!!!!!

Of all the restaurants we've been to at WDW over our several trips in the past few years, the only one that will now be a must-do for each trip is California Grill. We didn't even do the fireworks from there and it was fabulous! I definitely want to try Artist Point and Flying Fish next time. Thanks for reading!

Leslie

[Dicecatt]

Your girls are so completely cute, I love the dimples. They are lucky they inherited those from you!

My kids are actually a bit nicer to each other at Disney, but on my last trip I just had my twins with me...they argued about who got to sit next to me, who got to press the elevator button (they are 8, how is that still thrilling?) and who got to hold the restaurant buzzer. Drove me crazy! When they start bickering at Disney I get a slightly hysterical tone to my voice and say "you aren't being very magical!" I probably sound idiotic but how can anyone fight at Disney???

[lklasing]

Dicecatt - Thanks for your comments about the dimples! Obviously they run strong in our family - Earl and Evan have them even bigger than my girls and I do! (BTW - mine still argue over elevator buttons and they're 8 & 10! :confused3 Oh well...)

[lklasing]

Day Four – Saturday, May 5 – This morning when the wake-up call came (Stitch is now getting a little tiring), we were all noticeably more tired than all previous days. We had done reasonably well getting to bed before too late, but we were still going to bed much later than we generally do at home but getting up close to our usual time. Regardless, we quickly got ready and grabbed the monorail back to the MK (still didn’t manage to get to ride in the front – one of the highlights of our last trip) for our breakfast with the princesses. Of course, this was originally supposed to be our big day at the MK, but fate had intervened (actually, the Dream Team) and we had done that on Thursday, which meant we still hadn’t been to Epcot. So, the plan now was to do breakfast and hustle over to Epcot – thank goodness for the dual monorails!

We arrived at the MK and were easily admitted – no one even asked for our name or ADR number to ensure we actually had a reservation. It was about 8:00 and the park didn’t open till 9:00, so it was almost deserted. :goodvibes It’s such a neat place to be when there’s so much room to walk and take pictures.

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On our way to the castle, there were several groups of people taking pictures, and we did what we always try to do when we see that happening – we took pictures of them so they could have their whole group in a few pics. Then, we went straight to the castle and checked in for breakfast. Just as we were being directed to enter the castle to get the picture with Cinderella (which turned out great, by the way), a security guard stopped us. It actually scared me for a minute, though I knew we hadn’t done anything wrong. :eek: But, we weren’t in any trouble after all – somehow he had seen us offering to take other people’s pictures and as somewhat of a “reward” for our good behavior, gave us special “Where Dreams Come True” commemorative pins – one for us to keep and one for us to share with someone else.

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It was really very neat to get. I had heard about them here on the Dis, but never expected to get one. I was worried that the girls would argue about who got to keep possession of the pin we kept, but somehow that never happened. I was just really honored to get it and proud that we had done something that someone else had thought worthy of such a neat gift!

Breakfast was wonderful, as always. The girls were both given “Wishing Stars” and magic wands. We all loved the stars, but the wands looked like they were going to give us trouble – all we had to carry things were the girls’ fanny packs and my Baggalini, and those wands weren’t going to fit into any of those. We’d have to figure out what to do about that. Interestingly, Jodi was much more impressed with the swords they were giving the boys, so she traded her wand in for a sword on our way out – very cute.

Picture in the lobby with Cinderella (not the one their professional photographer took, which turned out much better, but I like this one too):

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Pictures during breakfast (for the first few pictures, I forgot how important it is to make sure to not have everyone standing in front of the windows or else it messes up the picture. Don’t forget when you go!)

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If you’ve ever been to this breakfast, you know that everyone there is very sweet. But the funniest thing happened when we were with the Fairy Godmother. The girls were having any character autographs signed directly on their hats (we’ve already done the books twice and this was a fun change of pace). The Fairy Godmother started giving me advice about how to take care of the hats! Apparently, I need to get scotch guard so the ink won’t run, and if I ever wash them, I’m supposed to put them in the top shelf of the dishwasher! Now, the scotch guard advice was great as I never would have thought of that and I need to make sure and get some. The dishwasher thing I’m sure works, but I don’t plan to wash these hats – they’re fun souvenirs now. Very cute too – I’ll try to get a pic to post with all the autographs.

Breakfast was very quick, as I think it usually is when you have an early morning ADR. We would have been perfectly primed to be ready at the rope drop to dash off to whatever rides we wanted to hit first, except instead we were going to do the unthinkable: Leave! :rolleyes1 Yup, since we had done the MK twice already and Epcot was soooooo calling our names, we headed toward the front. But first, we found a cute family with a young girl dressed up like a princess waiting to go into the castle for breakfast and gave them the second “One to Give” pin. Once they determined that I was not some crazy woman trying to freak them out by approaching them while they minded their own business, they seemed very happy and appreciative.

Having the several opportunities that Disney gave us this trip to share the magic – first with sharing the remaining FPs and now with the pins – was really special to all of us. It’s odd approaching complete strangers who don’t know what you’re doing, but once they figure out you’re OK, it really brightens them as well as you. pixiedust: I was especially thrilled to get to share in that activity with my girls – they clearly loved it, as would become evident on our monorail trip to Epcot in just a few more minutes.

After giving the pin, we started heading toward the exit. Well, let’s call it the entrance as that’s what everyone else was using it for right at opening time. By the time we got to Casey’s, a wave of humanity hit us. :crowded: Never have I felt so much like the proverbial salmon swimming upstream – we even had both guests and CMs telling us we were going the wrong way. But, we were all determined that we were doing the right thing to get on to Epcot, and we were right. But it sure did seem like a wasted opportunity to be there so early on a non-early entry day and be leaving while everyone else was getting there!

We grabbed the monorail heading to the TTC, sure that we’d get the front seat this time, but still no luck. The girls now feared we wouldn’t get to do one of our favorite rides – piloting the monorail – this trip. Oh well, can’t do everything and we certainly have already done more than our share! Once to the TTC, we catch the monorail to Epcot and end up sharing the cab (what do you call those things?) with a cute family with a young boy and girl. Danielle and Jodi had the idea to give those kids their wand and sword, which wasn’t solely altruistic as they had no desire to carry them around all day, but I thought it was nice that they wanted to share them with this family that had the right age and gender kids (and, thankfully, also had a big bag the dad was carrying that would easily hold the items). So, my girls shared and the brother and sister seemed very happy to receive something unexpected. :goodvibes I was very happy that my girls really seemed to be totally tuned in to the “Share the Magic” theme – it’s one we are trying to continue on even now at home.

Well, we finally made it to Epcot and made it through security – a much longer line than we had encountered at any of the other 3 parks. Don’t know if it was because we were there shortly after opening, or if they didn’t have enough guards, or just bad luck, but it was no big deal. Once we made it in, I took off to get FPs for Soarin’ (got ‘em – yay!) and then we all rode Test Track together. Jodi hadn’t liked it 2 years ago on our last trip but she really loved it this time. :) Next was M:S, but Ray and Jodi decided to sit this one out. So, even though I would have much rather stayed on the ground with them, off I go, blasting off into space with Danielle, determined not to get too scared or claustrophobic this time. And, amazingly, I did it! :yay: Don’t know how, don’t know if I could do it again, but somehow I didn’t get freaked out like I did last time.

Afterward, Danielle and I hooked up back up with Ray and Jodi and we all did Soarin’ with our FPs. It was wonderful as always, but this time we were lucky to be on the first row – it was fun to ride without seeing everyone’s feet in front of us! Afterward we caught Honey I Shrunk the Audience, which was fun but the Kodak commercial before it started got a little long…. Anyway, afterward, Ray and Jodi were about done for and decided to head back for a rest. Danielle and I did some gift shop shopping and then did something I had been wanting to do on this trip – took the boat to the Y/BC so I could check out SAB. I’ve thought about staying there for a future trip and wanted to see if it was worth giving up on our beloved Poly. Well, SAB was absolutely fabulous, but I don’t think I can give up the monorail, so I think we’ll keep staying put!

Once back at the Poly (thank goodness for cabs – much quicker than getting back to the front of Epcot and then riding the monorail), we hit the beach

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and then the gift shop yet again – the girls still had money burning holes in their pockets. :sad2: Finally, after another swim and clean up, we decided it was time to head to the AKL for dinner at Jiko. I had been so excited about eating there – the pictures I have seen are so pretty! But first we had to figure out how to get there. There is no direct route, of course, and we were kind of tired of the busses after Thursday’s long wait to get to MGM, so we decided to cheat and take a cab. What the heck, we’re burning so much money anyway that a cab wasn’t going to kill us. We were heading for the cab area coming out of the GCH when we stumbled on something I had been wanting to see since our last trip to the Poly – the torch lighting ceremony! It was really cool. They had the path blocked so no one would get flamed, but it was over quickly (too quickly). The girls really enjoyed it and we did too!

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When we were about to get in the cab, the girls saw the fire dancer (is that what you call him?) and wanted to get their picture with him and he very sweetly obliged:

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When Danielle asked him how he does what he does, especially the part where he puts the torch on his tongue and appears to catch it on fire :eek: , he said all it takes is lots of practice and lots of water. :lmao: He was very cool.

The cab ride to AKL was quick and easy – much quicker and easier than Disney transportation, so well worth the money. AKL is absolutely gorgeous! The girls looked for animals while I checked in at Jiko, but I don’t think they saw any. Regardless, it’s a beautiful resort. I’d love to stay there except for the transportation – again, I’m just too spoiled at our ability to get to 2 different parks from the Poly without getting on a bus to go to a resort where you have to take a bus to get anywhere.

Jiko was great. Ray had the barbeque chicken flatbread for his appetizer and I think the braised short rib for his entrée, while I had the cheese plate to start and the jumbo scallops. It was all great, but I loved the cheese plate the most. The girls both got kid dinners (we were waaaaay out of dining credits by now) and they were both happy. Danielle got the PB&J, which came on very cute pink and purple bread (but apparently tasted like white, as she didn’t complain) and Jodi got the world’s biggest bowl of mac and cheese. It was all great. The desserts (‘smores and the puzzle thing) went over very well too.

On our way out, we ran into the nicest gentleman who was working the door. He very sweetly agreed to have his picture taken with the girls.

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He even gave us a card with his email address. We haven’t done it yet, but I plan this weekend to send him an email and include the picture. He was very neat and the girls really enjoyed him.

After cabbing it back to the Poly, Ray hit the lounge and the girls hit the beach while I did the least fun part of any vacation: packed to go home. :sad: I HATE going home from any trip, especially this one. It had just been too much fun the whole way through! But, at least we had a late flight out the next day and would get to have most of another day to have fun, so I tried to fight off the depression for the moment. Around 9:45, Ray called me and I joined him and the girls on the beach, where they had secured one of those lovely hammocks and we all watched Wishes together. :goodvibes It was such a wonderful way to end yet another glorious Disney day.

Up next: But I don’t want to go home!

[wdwgirl03]

Yay, another update! I'm really enjoying reading your trip report (and all the pictures! Love the one in front of the castle on an empty Main Street!). You are much braver than me, I am still too chicken to get on Mission Space, even with the tame option. My dad and sisters keep trying to get me to go on. :rolleyes: Looking forward to reading the ending!

[sham101505]

I am loving your trip report! Thank you for including all the pics. Job well done.....:thumbsup2

[lklasing]

Yay, another update! I'm really enjoying reading your trip report (and all the pictures! Love the one in front of the castle on an empty Main Street!). You are much braver than me, I am still too chicken to get on Mission Space, even with the tame option. My dad and sisters keep trying to get me to go on. :rolleyes: Looking forward to reading the ending!

I'm glad I'm not the only one scared of M:S! I might have thought about doing the tame/lame side, but I know Danielle would have had no part of that and she was the only reason I was doing it at all! Try it sometime - just try to tell yourself that you'll do fine and you probably will! :thumbsup2

I am loving your trip report! Thank you for including all the pics. Job well done.....:thumbsup2

Thanks so much! :flower3:

[ADP]

Don't you just hate that feeling knowing that you are spending your last day at Disney. Packing to leave WDW and driving to the airport is the worst.

I like to call it "Disney Depression" :sad2:

[tinkgurl]

Just found this trip report! Love it!

[Busymom85]

Great review. What was your favorite meal?

[lklasing]

Don't you just hate that feeling knowing that you are spending your last day at Disney. Packing to leave WDW and driving to the airport is the worst.

I like to call it "Disney Depression" :sad2:

"Disney Depression" - I love it! I think I'm still suffering!

Just found this trip report! Love it!

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it!

Great review. What was your favorite meal?

Now that's a fun question. I would have to say, hands down, that my new favorite restaurant at Disney is California Grill. Everything about it was top notch. My SIL Leigh feels the same way. They guys loved it too, but they're not nearly as vocal as us girls are. :rolleyes1 Regardless, the ambience was great, the service perfect, low noise level (and I had been worried about the noise), and the food unsurpassed. Of course, the view doesn't hurt either! ;) We went to Citricos last trip and it was good also, but isn't even in the same league as CG. Jiko would be my second place winner, but Ray would definitely say Le Cellier. They were both great too.

Gotta go! I'm getting hungry thinking of all those great restaurants!:thumbsup2 Thanks for reading!

Leslie

[lklasing]

Day Five – Sunday, May 6 – I woke up way too early, just so sad that our last day was here. I was able to get up and dressed and go get the skinney about checkout, getting bags checked, etc. from the concierge guy on duty without waking anyone up. The concierge people at the Poly really were great the whole time we were there. They did everything from mailing a postcard for me (to the kids of a sweet Dis’er who sent mine a postcard when they were in WDW earlier this year) to arranging for someone to set the time on our clock when I couldn’t figure out how to. :rolleyes: Next, I ran to Captain Cooks for our last takeout of sausage and bacon (no eggs this time – I figured they’d be cold before we started eating). Finally, I returned and woke up Danielle, who had missed the wakeup call every day and really wanted to hear from Stitch on our last day. At 7:30, mission was accomplished. :thumbsup2

Next, I started the check out process. Ray usually does stuff like this but unfortunately he had woken up with a killer of a cold :sick: (TIP – do a better job than we did at using hand sanitizer while you’re there!), so I took on the task of dealing with bags and Delta. It was really easy, though – I just called for a porter who drove me and all my bags to the front, where I checked everything except for our carry-ons all the way through to home and got our boarding passes. I had to have both my and Ray’s drivers licenses, but that was it. Very easy. I highly recommend doing it this way – it was so nice to not have to deal with suitcases again until we got home.

We all did breakfast together in the lounge and then the girls and I took off for the MK. Ray just wasn’t feeling well enough to put in that kind of full day again, and I really didn’t want him to be completely dead, so I arranged for a late checkout, and he just relaxed in the room, on the patio and in the lounge for most of the day.

As we were leaving the room, it became obvious that Danielle’s hat was lost. :eek: This was a real bummer because all the princesses we had met yesterday at the breakfast as well as the few other characters we had run into had all signed her hat! I was hoping it would turn up, but just having packed everything, it was not looking good. :sad2:

Anyway, we headed to the monorail, hoping once again to get the front seat, but again it was already occupied. I told the girls to just not worry about it – there will definitely be another trip – but they were disappointed. Regardless, we made it to the MK and were pretty close to the front when they opened up. I had never seen the little skit they put on at opening before. It was cute! Once inside, we hooked up with Earl, Leigh and Evan for our last time of playing in one of the parks. Together we hit Splash Mountain, which happily had no line! :) In fact, since we went right there, there were so few people in line that some of the logs went through the ride with no one in them! When we were just starting and about to go up the first real hill, one of those darn empty logs came down the flume at exactly the right moment to totally soak us to the bone! Honestly, we were as wet as we had been from Kali River Rapids on Friday. Couldn’t believe it. My (of course denim) shorts stayed wet almost all day. But, you can’t go on a ride called Splash Mountain and be surprised at getting wet, I guess…

Next, we rode BTMRR, again with no line, then hit Pirates (hadn’t seen it since they changed to Johnny Depp – gotta love it!), the Tiki birds thing and the Jungle Cruise. Loved our boat driver – I know they’re all funny/corny, but she was really pretty good.

Here are the girls in line at Pirates:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007-Disney138.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007-Disney139.jpg

Then, we decided to grab lunch and headed back to Columbia Harbour House. Everyone had already eaten there once this trip, but it really was good and convenient, so we went for it again. After lunch, we all rode the Haunted Mansion for our last ride, and it was lots of fun. We then parted ways with Earl, Leigh and Evan and headed back to Main Street to do some last chance shopping and something called Virtual Magic Kingdom. Have y’all heard of this? Danielle was about to die to get all the points/rooms/whatever you could, so we had to guess at this multiple choice scratch-off card for quite some time before we got it all. But, we finally did, it was free and she was happy so I guess that was somehow a worthy exercise. :confused3

As we were heading out of the park to go back to meet Ray, Jodi realized she had left her fanny pack in the bathroom. :sad2: I went back and looked for it and even stopped by lost and found at the front of the park, but it was to no avail. She was very sad, as it had her disposable camera, tons of stickers and her little fan. I was pretty bummed, ‘cause it had been just the right size for her and I definitely planned to keep it for the next trip. Well, now we’ve lost a beloved hat and a fanny pack and Ray was sick – things were not going as well as before – must be the last day. :sad1:

We headed up to the monorail and our luck changed for the better – we finally got that ride in the front we had been hoping for! :) This made the girls much happier, especially when it stopped to wait on something several times on our way to the Poly where we hooked up with Ray. There was still plenty of time before our ride would be picking us up, so I let the girls change into their swimsuits in the bathroom and we hit the pool one last time. I have to say, though, that I was so worried people would think we were pool hoppers! I kept on almost telling everyone who walked in that we weren’t, but I decided to just play it cool.

Right as we were leaving the pool, Disney got something it hadn’t had in a long time and sure could use again now I’m sure: rain! It poured! Big thunder, wind, the works. It lasted for some time but let up right around when we left for the airport, via our same great driver as brought us there. The trip to the airport and on home was as uneventful as it had been getting there, which was great except at the end we were back home instead of at our favorite place: the Poly!

We’ve been home about a week and a half as I’m writing this, and we all still really miss it. I’m already scheming about another trip, though I can’t make too much noise about it to Ray, who is still somewhat in sticker shock from this one. But, I’ll put it together before too long – Disney is just too magical a place and kids really are only little for such a short time that we’ll have to go back soon.

Up next: One last entry, with lots of Photopass pics (my CD came!)

[kdzbear]

I loved your update. I am so glad that you were able to walk right on to all of your favorites at MK on your last day! I can't wait to see the new pictures. I also know how long the wait can be before another trip back. My husband finally gave in in April that we could go on a trip and Sept. 22nd can not get here soon enough! Thank you for sharing your trip! :cheer2:

[wdwgirl03]

We’ve been home about a week and a half as I’m writing this, and we all still really miss it.

Aww, coming home from Disney World always stinks, doesn't it?!?! I swear, the older I get the harder it is for me to leave (even though I know I'll be going back). :rolleyes: I think now that I'm older it's not only the rides and stuff, I just love the whole atmosphere! I can't wait until December when I'm going with my family! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc Anyway, thanks for sharing your trip...I really enjoyed reading everything!

[tinkgurl]

Aw. Not a fun way to end your trip losin things and havin people sick!

[ekball]

...and kids really are only little for such a short time that we’ll have to go back soon.


AMEN!!!! If this isn't the best reason to keep going, then I don't know what is!! (I have to remember this after we get back in Sept.) :thumbsup2

[Dicecatt]

I love that your family keeps giving...and you are repaid with all the magical things that happened...it is so cool the security guard gave you those pins! too bad for the lost hat and pack though...and your poor husband with his cold! Makes leaving Disney even worse!

Hey Ekball! Nice to see you!

[kaysmommie]

Loved your trip report. I just finished reading it all today. your pictures are great too andyour girls are adorable. I'm missing Poly right now too! We are going in October during DD's fall break but I have always wanted to go in early May. Sounds like you had your share of pixie dust and you are all so sweet sharing it with others. My DH:eek: is till in sticker shock after our last trip. But soon as we had plenty of funds we booked Poly again for this year. Sorry your DD lost her hat and bag, losing the autographs and pictures on her camera is :sad2: . I'll check back to see your pictures.

[liznboys]

Wonderful report, Leslie! And thank you for completing it so swiftly! ::yes:: Your girls are beautiful! I'll come back to see your Photopass pix too. :)

[lklasing]

Thanks, everyone, for your sweet comments! :goodvibes

Trip Over - The Rest of the Story – All good things must come to an end, and of course our fun trip to Disney was no exception. We made it back fine, and I’m happy to report, so did our lost belongings! Danielle’s hat was turned in to someone at the Poly while we were still there, and since she had written her name on the inside of the bill, a CM looked up our name and got it to Ray before we checked out! :wizard: And, to top it off, someone else turned in Jodi’s fanny pack from the MK bathroom she left it in, and since I had put LGMHs on all of our bags with our contact info, they called my cell phone last week and shipped it back to us free of charge! :banana: Both my girls were so happy to have their stuff back, but Jodi was especially happy to have her “Wishing Star” back from CRT, as she had never made a wish on it yet!

For the record, here are pictures of the autographed hats:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007019.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007020.jpg

The girls really enjoyed getting them autographed instead of a book this time. If you have kids that are getting over the books but not quite out of the autograph stage, I highly recommend doing the hats! Plus, they were very functional in covering their faces from the sun, and I usually have a hard time getting them to wear hats. (Just don’t forget to make them take them off for pictures!) Speaking of pictures, my Photopass CD came in and I just have to share some of the pics! I was very pleased with how they turned out:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image02.jpg
Thursday morning, right after we got off our private boat ride


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image15.jpg
Just a little while later on Thursday, right after we won Dream Fast Passes!


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image29.jpg
Thursday night, when Ray and Danielle hit the MK together


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image38.jpg
Friday morning, as we were leaving the AK. (One thing I forgot to add in my initial entry about Friday – TGM had recommended against going to the AK that day because there was some big group of eighth graders who were to be in that park that day from noon on. I decided to throw caution to the wind and go anyway, figuring that we would be out well prior to their arrival. Big mistake! There were tons of them everywhere, from about 10:00 on. So, take this as a hearty endorsement for TGM – I would have never heard about the eighth graders from anyone else and I wound up really wishing I had taken his advice. I’ll definitely use him again on our next trip.)


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image45.jpg
Us arriving at MGM after fleeing AK


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image62.jpg
:)


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image81.jpg
Saturday morning as we arrived at the MK for our CRT breakfast. Note how no one was in the park!


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image93.jpg
Fun with Tinkerbell


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image97.jpg
Saturday morning, arriving at Epcot after our CRT breakfast


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image108.jpg
Such a fun ride! I wish they would put all the picture rides on the photopass system!


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image111.jpg
Sunday – our last day – arriving at the MK


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image165.jpg
Our last pic – we were leaving the MK right as this parade happened by.


I’ve tried to think about what all to say in my last entry about this trip. In a nutshell, it was fabulous. I would change very little to nothing. We were so blessed with so many special things – family being with us, great weather, wonderful dreams being granted, no noticeable love bugs (I had worried about them!), super resort, no problems with kids on heelies, you name it – it seemed like we had it. Even with Ray getting sick at the end, happily it really only got him bad the last day and he was able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

We loved doing the meal plan and would definitely do it again. While it is way too much food, it was easy to not feel like we had to eat everything we were given, since we weren’t having to pay for each meal at the time we ate it. It was a fun way to experiment with new and different foods and restaurants.

Oh, here’s a picture of the candy bar we got our first day at the Poly:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/May2007018.jpg

I got some questions about it on another thread so I thought I’d post a picture. It’s really cute – I think it’s too cute to eat, but my family disagrees. I think they give them to all concierge guests. We still have it and are just waiting on the right time to eat it!

Thanks, everyone, for reading! This has been a very fun experience for me to do this report and I appreciate all of your sweet comments. It’s been fun reliving the trip by writing about it. Feel free to post any other questions (or PM me any time) if there’s anything I can tell you more about. :wave2: Now I just need to get started planning our next trip!! :yay:

Leslie

[krismom]

What a beautiful family! Thanks for sharing...
:thumbsup2

[tinkgurl]

I got that sad feeling when I looked at that the pic you said was your last pic as you were leaving the MK! I hate that feeling of turning around at the end of Main Street before you exit and saying good-bye to the castle and everything! But, this trip has to end to begin a new one! Great report and I loved it! Glad to see everything was returned!

[wdwgirl03]

Great pictures! Love the Tower of Terror one. :)

[liznboys]

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q255/lklasing/image62.jpg
:)

Heehee! I love it! :teeth:

We stayed at the Poly for just 2 nights this past March (first 6 nights were at SSR). And we were so looking forward to staying there, but then we ended up dealing with a stomach bug so we didn't get to do all the Poly things we had planned. :( I love reading trip reports on the Poly to see what it's like more. We're going back there to "try again" later this year. We cannot wait!

Thanks for the report! :sunny:

[lklasing]

Thanks to everyone who has been commenting or just reading! You are all very sweet! :goodvibes And to those of you that have trips coming up, whether it be to the Poly or one of the other resorts, do you have room for four more? ;)

Leslie

PS - Glad y'all like the Tower of Terror picture! We had fun with that one. The Photopass guys are great!