Chunkymonkey and Chubbyhubby Feed the Force!! A May 2015 TR - Update 10/29 Trip Epilogue!

[cajunfan]

Yeah I know, me too. I used to be able to drink more but that was a long time ago (like college years!), I realize I don't need alcohol to have fun - just lots of Disney!

Same here!

 

[LindseyJo22]

Can't wait to read about 'Ohana! And I love all the pictures in the Poly. I'm going to keep the Trader Sam's thing in mind when we go in September - I don't think we'll make it inside, but I want to try one of those dole whips or the specialty drinks

Though we may end up staying at Poly sooner rather than later, which would be a perfect opportunity for Trader Sam's!

Also I love all your outfits - so adorable! I'm going to have to go Disney shirt shopping before we leave

 

[disney2mom]

Thanks!! I did print it out on my photo printer and I plan on framing it!
No worries, glad to see you again! I hope you're getting excited about your cruise! I know ours is so far away but I can't help but buy "cruise clothes" as I like to put it. LOL. Did you hear they have discontinued the complimentary signatures on the pillowcases and frames, etc? It's sad as I thought it was such a perfect item but at least I got it once.

I will definitely have to put Whispering Canyon on my list! I have so many on my must try list!

Yay, it's a lovely picture! I'm always thinking about our next cruise even though it is 226 days away!! I know what you mean about the "cruise clothes", I'm always looking for new things for the cruise and have found some good deals! I didn't hear that the complimentary signatures were discontinued
I forgot my picture frame on the last cruise and was planning on taking 2 items the next time, at least you have yours!

Looking forward to reading more!!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Can't wait to read about 'Ohana! And I love all the pictures in the Poly. I'm going to keep the Trader Sam's thing in mind when we go in September - I don't think we'll make it inside, but I want to try one of those dole whips or the specialty drinks

Though we may end up staying at Poly sooner rather than later, which would be a perfect opportunity for Trader Sam's!

Also I love all your outfits - so adorable! I'm going to have to go Disney shirt shopping before we leave

Thanks! Trader Sam's seemed really cool. I absolutely love Tiki bars and wish they weren't so rare nowadays. Even when you go to Hawaii, sometimes finding a nice tiki bar is harder than you think! I think everyone had a misconception that they were cheesy and kitsch-y but now that they are slowing becoming extinct...they are becoming a novelty! I think we all need a little kitsch and some dole whip on occasion. Well, maybe just me!

It's good to know that even if you don't go into Trader Sams you can still taste all the drinks on the outdoor patio!

Thank you!!

Yay, it's a lovely picture! I'm always thinking about our next cruise even though it is 226 days away!! I know what you mean about the "cruise clothes", I'm always looking for new things for the cruise and have found some good deals! I didn't hear that the complimentary signatures were discontinued
I forgot my picture frame on the last cruise and was planning on taking 2 items the next time, at least you have yours!

Looking forward to reading more!!

Yeah! Now that we're in the dog days of summer, I can't wait until all the summer stuff goes on sale and I can stock up on cruise clothes! I've already purchased some maxi dresses which was what I was missing on our last cruise! So excited.

Yeah, it's sad they were discontinued...I think the number of requests were getting out of hand.

 

[chunkymonkey]

PTR Update...Prices are insane!

So I got some quotes for our MYW package for Feb 27-March 5. It's really insane! Prices were astronomical for any of the monorail resorts which is where I really wanted to stay. (GF or Poly are my top choices but I'd also do Contemporary, or any one of the Epcot resorts.)

I am thinking of renting DVC points now. I don't really have much time (only 30 days until my 180 day mark) so I was thinking of going through those DVC point rental brokers. Even if I do, it would still be much less than purchasing a MYW package through my usual travel agent even if I stay in the VGF or Poly Villas. I feel bad because my agent is great and I want to give him the commission, but the price of the packages are just too high.

I rented DVC points once a long time ago when we stayed at the Aulani in Hawaii. It was great but it was only for 2 nights so it wasn't a big expenditure. The main reason I'm hesitant is the lack of cancellation policies. I'm sure that I'd have to buy some trip insurance - but I've never bought travel insurance before so not sure how/when to do it. Anyone rent DVC points before and got travel insurance?

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 5 Part 4: 'Ohana and Wishes...another perfect night!

Any night that starts with dinner at 'Ohana and ending with late night MK fun is just about a perfect night as you can get (with the exception of our Star Wars Weekend night which literally was amazing) at WDW!

We were led into Ohana by a castmember who got us some of the pineapple sweet bread. I am not a fan of this bread and is probably the only thing I don't find appealing on their menu. I wonder why they even have it. It is kind of lifeless, and not really representative of Hawaiian breads. They should really substitute it with some warm taro bread, or some of those fluffy King's Hawaiian rolls (drool).

We still noshed on it though, since it was in front of us and I never turn down bread of any kind.

Me + Carbs = Happy

Then our salad came...

I know the salad is a bit different from the ones in the past. The mandarin oranges are missing and the addition of fried noodles seem new. Whatever it is, it's still tasty!

Here's our delicious dumpling and chicken platter:

Yum, potstickers (Asian dumplings) and chicken wings. We definitely got seconds of the dumplings! I think dumplings are the most perfect food. Meat and/or veggies wrapped in a carb. I've never met a dumpling I didn't like.

You know, I believe every culture has a variation of "dumpling" - there's ravioli and tortellini, pierogi, samosas, empanadas...all of those qualify as dumplings! And not to mention kreplach! I grew up in NYC so I've had my fair share of Jewish food and it's soo good!​

OK I have a confession to make...every time I go to Ohana I always forget to take a picture of one of the courses. It's like the hungry hippo takes over and we just devour everything and forget. This trip, I forgot a pic of the noodles and veggies. So here's a picture from a previous trip:

The noodles are so good! I like the texture of them. They have a nice bite and are flavored well and aren't just dough-y.

Our dipping sauces. I honestly don't use them much as I think everything seems to be fine on it's own.

Servers came around with beef, chicken, and shrimp. I stuck to shrimp mainly just because that was what I was craving. Here is one of the possible 7 servings I ate...

Please ignore messy plate. Ohana is not the place for food stylists.

Lots of skewers came around! The servers are also known as food pushers. But we can rarely say no at Ohana.

Boy we were stuffed!! But our favorite part is hands-down is the dessert.

Banana foster bread pudding!!! It's delicious. It's what me and my sisters dream about!! In all honestly I don't even put the banana foster sauce on. It's that good without it. Once in a while I'll drizzle a bit on, but I prefer it without.

Even though we were stuffed from dinner we still managed to polish of dessert.

YUM. I cannot wait to go back to my favorite WDW restaurant!

We realized at that moment we left the restaurant that it was still some time before Wishes, so we took the monorail to MK. This time, instead of waiting with the crowds in front of the castle we walked over to the bridge between main street and Tomorrowland.

What a pretty sight!

It was a nice view of the castle but know that the fireworks from this angle are not directly on the back of the castle. They are coming from somewhere in Fantasyland. So you will need to stand back a bit to get a good picture of the castle and fireworks.

It's always fun to see Wishes from different angles in the park. Note that it's pretty loud here and you can here the fireworks go "boom!"

We still had an hour before the park closed! Sooo, to avoid the nightmare crowds at the bus stop and to put off the really long walk to Gate #34...DH and I went on a few rides while CS went to take character pics (of course). The crowds were really light at this time. It was awesome!

I've decided the Speedway is much better at night!

Then we went on Dumbo! It was a total walk-on.

Meanwhile...

CS said the line for Rapunzel and Cinderella was really short! So she didn't have to miss out on pictures with them on this trip!

We all met up and did a few more things:

Winne da Pooh!! Love this ride and the interactive queue. Although there was barely any line!

Then, we decided to brave waiting in stand-by at Peter Pan. The wait time said 35 minutes! And it looked like there was no line...but the new queue is deceiving. It snakes around and is quite long. At least there are interesting things to see along the way.

We ended up waiting about 20 minutes which is not that bad but I really don't get why the line is so long for this attraction.

We were really tired after this so we decided the park had thinned out enough that we'd start to head back.

As we were leaving the park, we saw the 2nd Electrical Parade!

It was much less crowded than the first one!

As we were leaving we were lead down an exit that was off to the side. It really made it much quicker than to weave through the people standing around main street.

We finally make it back to AoA and crash!

Stay tuned for our next day...where we get to Feed the Force yet again...at Rebel Hangar at DHS!!
​

 

[cajunfan]

It's after 10 pm here and I am soooo CRAVING Ohana's dumplings!!!

also, I agree with you...I do not like that bread. There used to be a different pineapple bread served there...it was much better, but more of a dessert bread than a bread on the table sort of bread.

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

 

[kadrachb]

I am not a fan of this bread and is probably the only thing I don't find appealing on their menu.

When we ate breakfast there this past trip, I was not a fan of the bread they served. It's just kind of there... it actually tasted kind of stale...

Me + Carbs = Happy

If someone says they don't like carbs, how can you trust them? Carbs are the best. Not for my waistline, but the best for everything else!

I think dumplings are the most perfect food. Meat and/or veggies wrapped in a carb. I've never met a dumpling I didn't like.

Those dumplings look amazing! Nothing beats a good dumpling... other than a good pork/curry bun... but still, dumpling are normally always amazing!

At least there are interesting things to see along the way.

I think thats a huge plus, kind of keeps your mind off how long you might have been waiting! I loved the bedroom part of the line.

 

[LindseyJo22]

Oh man... We are already basically planning a trip for May/June, so I think I'm going to have to try for an 'Ohana dinner. Especially since I'm pushing for the Polynesian as our home base!

I know it's gotten some hit-or-miss reviews lately, but I've never been, so I figure I don't have anything to compare it to, and everything I've seen looks awesome.

I love late-night MK; it seems like we got so much done on our last trip due to a late magic-hour night when there was almost no one in the park. Peter Pan is just such a slow-loading ride, I think it doesn't take much time for it to get backed up. But at least the new queue seems awesome

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I love the poly I agree, however that the price to stay there is outrageous. Renting dvc points is still even too high for me. Hopefully you find a good deal.

You basically hit all the things I love on this night. The poly, trader Sam's, wishes, Mk at night, ohana.

Literally there is nothing better in the world than an uncrowded Mk at night. Sigh.

Oh, and I can't wait to hear about your rebel hangar experience. I loved that place so much. Thought all the food was excellent. I'm so mystified and angry that they didn't keep that place year round.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

I know the salad is a bit different from the ones in the past. The mandarin oranges are missing and the addition of fried noodles seem new. Whatever it is, it's still tasty!

I wasn't a fan. I was really disappointed that they changed out the salad. The salad was a favorite part of mine the last time I went.

Yum, potstickers

Mmmmmmmmm The main reason for hitting up Ohana!

Our dipping sauces. I honestly don't use them much as I think everything seems to be fine on it's own.

I thought they were pretty tasty. but then I'm a heavy sauce user.

 

[MrsSkellington]

OH MY GOD. I cannot wait for 'Ohana! I get more excited with every picture that is posted! How long did it take you to eat there? Just curious. We have an early 5:15(?) reservation and I was going to push it back if I can, but maybe it's not a good idea?

And I LOOOOVE that picture of you on Dumbo! It's great!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Another PTR Update...and we're booked for 2016!!

So I vented my frustration yesterday over how insane Magic Your Way prices at WDW were in 2016, especially for the deluxe resorts. I mean, it's a milestone birthday so I was set on splurging a bit but the amount of money they wanted was a little overpriced. It was almost the price of 2 Disney cruises per person! (Well, in an inside stateroom). So I seriously looked at renting DVC points.
I was going to go through some online DVC brokers so that I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of the rental process...but then decided that it was too much of a commitment as most of them said there is 0 cancellation policy, then I'd have to get trip insurance, etc. which is probably just as much, if not more work.

So I spent some time trolling the DVC board on the DIS and found a really nice seller who was willing to rent me points for less than the online brokers, and who offered a 45 day cancellation policy provided he can re-rent the points out. That is awesome! We spent this morning emailing back and forth...but I am excited to say that:​

From February 27th to March 5th 2016 we're staying at...a deluxe standard studio room...at the...

POLYNESIAN VILLAGE!!!!






OMG I'm so excited! This trip is really shaping up to be the WDW trip of a lifetime!

For less than half the price that my agent quoted me, we get to stay in a studio room at the Poly.
Even if I add on a weeks worth of park tickets, it would be half the price of the package.
Even if I decided to add annual passes, it would still come out to 2000k less than the package price.
Insane, right?

I may just have to rent DVC points from now on...

I hope everything works out! I may just get the travel insurance anyways, since you never know...February is a long time from now!
And what happens if the DVC owner cannot re-rent the points. I may be at a loss for them ultimately. I think it'll just be good to have.

Since I now have a confirmation number, I am all set to make ADRs 180 days out! That day is August 31st, so exactly a month from today! Soooo excited!

I may actually have to start a PTR now.

I'll post a link when I do start it! ​

 

[soniam]

@chunkymonkey

Were you considering that there may be a discount released later for your dates? The Poly is often 30% off. Or were you concerned that they may not do the discount? Also, it looks like discounts weren't released until early October for your dates, which would be past the 180 ADR date.

How do ADRs, FP+, and magic band shipments work with DVC points rental?

Hope you have a great time. It's a wonderful resort, but prices have gotten into the ridiculous realm, even for regular rooms.

 

[chunkymonkey]

It's after 10 pm here and I am soooo CRAVING Ohana's dumplings!!!

also, I agree with you...I do not like that bread. There used to be a different pineapple bread served there...it was much better, but more of a dessert bread than a bread on the table sort of bread.

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

I know right? I posted those pictures and I got hungry! I wish Ohana would change the bread back. I never had the "old" version of the bread but it sounds yummier!

When we ate breakfast there this past trip, I was not a fan of the bread they served. It's just kind of there... it actually tasted kind of stale...

At breakfast my main carb is Mickey waffles...I eat a ton of those!

If someone says they don't like carbs, how can you trust them? Carbs are the best. Not for my waistline, but the best for everything else!

Agreed, always thing people who don't eat carbs are kinda sketchy....hehehe.

Those dumplings look amazing! Nothing beats a good dumpling... other than a good pork/curry bun... but still, dumpling are normally always amazing!

yum, buns, dumplings...I love them all!

I think thats a huge plus, kind of keeps your mind off how long you might have been waiting! I loved the bedroom part of the line.

Yeah thankfully it is now mostly air-conditioned too!

Oh man... We are already basically planning a trip for May/June, so I think I'm going to have to try for an 'Ohana dinner. Especially since I'm pushing for the Polynesian as our home base! I know it's gotten some hit-or-miss reviews lately, but I've never been, so I figure I don't have anything to compare it to, and everything I've seen looks awesome.

Oh you must try to get Ohana! It's so popular so I'd just get the reservation anyways because it's harder to get the closer you are to your trip. I once extended my trip another day because the only ADR I could get was for the day we were leaving #truestory

I think the people who dismiss it now probably used to go a long time ago, so the flavors may have changed over the years. The first time I went was 5 years ago, so I probably did not see any major change. I still love it though!

I love late-night MK; it seems like we got so much done on our last trip due to a late magic-hour night when there was almost no one in the park. Peter Pan is just such a slow-loading ride, I think it doesn't take much time for it to get backed up. But at least the new queue seems awesome

Late night MK is the best! Maybe I'll save all my nights for MK, lol! You're right with the PP being a slow-loading ride. They should look at creating another track, but I don't think there is any more room in Fantasyland.

I love the poly I agree, however that the price to stay there is outrageous. Renting dvc points is still even too high for me. Hopefully you find a good deal.

I did! See my next post!

You basically hit all the things I love on this night. The poly, trader Sam's, wishes, Mk at night, ohana.

I know...all my favorite things too! I need to try all the drinks in Trader Sams at least once in my lifetime!

Literally there is nothing better in the world than an uncrowded Mk at night. Sigh.

Sigh

Oh, and I can't wait to hear about your rebel hangar experience. I loved that place so much. Thought all the food was excellent. I'm so mystified and angry that they didn't keep that place year round.

It was amazing, probably some of the most fun and unexpected character interaction. And the food was great! Although we got ripped off by a Jawa. Doh!

I wasn't a fan. I was really disappointed that they changed out the salad. The salad was a favorite part of mine the last time I went.

You're right I think I did miss the mandarin oranges! I didn't mind the change as much though, although I picked out all the bell peppers, I can't stand them!

Mmmmmmmmm The main reason for hitting up Ohana!

you said it right!

I thought they were pretty tasty. but then I'm a heavy sauce user.

I'm a purist at 'Ohana!

OH MY GOD. I cannot wait for 'Ohana! I get more excited with every picture that is posted! How long did it take you to eat there? Just curious. We have an early 5:15(?) reservation and I was going to push it back if I can, but maybe it's not a good idea?

I'm so excited for you!!
Dinner is around an hour and 15 to an hour and a half depending on how much food you eat. They will keep coming around with skewers until you tell them you want dessert and the check! You can always order seconds of dessert too (and we usually do, although on this trip we were too full).

And I LOOOOVE that picture of you on Dumbo! It's great!

Were you considering that there may be a discount released later for your dates? The Poly is often 30% off. Or were you concerned that they may not do the discount? Also, it looks like discounts weren't released until early October for your dates, which would be past the 180 ADR date.

How do ADRs, FP+, and magic band shipments work with DVC points rental?

Hope you have a great time. It's a wonderful resort, but prices have gotten into the ridiculous realm, even for regular rooms.

Yes my agent said there were no discounts for Feb out now and some could potentially be coming (though not guaranteed). I could have booked a dummy resort just to get the booking confirm number but I still may not end up with the Poly. The amount I saved was worth it to have a guaranteed reservation at the Poly in one of their new DVC studios!

As long as you have a reservation confirmation # you can make ADRs and link your magic bands to it. I already entered my confirmation # on My Disney Experience account and it shows up as confirmed at the Poly. We already have magic bands from our past 2 trips so we don't need to get new ones. If I buy park tickets I just have to link them to our bands. At least that's the way I understand it should work. Wish me luck and in 30 days and I'll let you know if the ADRs go through, LOL.

Yes prices are ridiculous now. I could not have stayed at the Poly if it weren't for DVC points!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Great update and beautiful night-time pictures of MK! I'm so glad that you stayed persistent and was able to book the Polynesian Village for 2016!

 

[SpecEdismyLife]

I've been loving your trip report! I started with your cruise report because we booked one for April and ended up reading this one too! We always rent Dvc points when we go! Can't wait to see more pics of the next cruise and trip!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

You can always order seconds of dessert too (and we usually do,

You mean you have ROOM for seconds on dessert?!?!?!?? Though I have heard of people asking to do things backward. Lol

 

[soniam]

Yes my agent said there were no discounts for Feb out now and some could potentially be coming (though not guaranteed). I could have booked a dummy resort just to get the booking confirm number but I still may not end up with the Poly. The amount I saved was worth it to have a guaranteed reservation at the Poly in one of their new DVC studios!

As long as you have a reservation confirmation # you can make ADRs and link your magic bands to it. I already entered my confirmation # on My Disney Experience account and it shows up as confirmed at the Poly. We already have magic bands from our past 2 trips so we don't need to get new ones. If I buy park tickets I just have to link them to our bands. At least that's the way I understand it should work. Wish me luck and in 30 days and I'll let you know if the ADRs go through, LOL.

Yes prices are ridiculous now. I could not have stayed at the Poly if it weren't for DVC points!

I don't like to make a reservation assuming that I will get a discount either. Luckily, we have gotten one for all of our visits, so far. I don't wait for the discount to make my room reservation though, because they often seem to be released after my 180 day ADR window. Our first family WDW trip and the first time we stayed at Poly (2012) it was a childhood dream, so I just told DH that we were going to suck it up and pay it. I had booked it before the discount, so it was rack rate. Then the discount, 30%, came out soon after, which I didn't even know they did, and we basically got a night+ free. However, Poly was a good $200/night cheaper then.

I buy tickets from Undercover Tourist all the time, and you just need to link them. I can't remember if they automatically link if you buy just tickets from Disney. It's easy though; just enter the number on the ticket or from the email (e-ticket) into MDE.

I have thought about renting DVC points before, but with just the 3 of us, we don't really need the extra space or the kitchenette. However, it might be worth it at the Contemporary, since there are so many more DVC rooms. We have been staying at POR lately, which is way more reasonable than the deluxes. It's good to know that renting DVC is pretty simple. I think if DH and I go to Food & Wine in the next couple of years, we will stay at one of the Epcot resorts for convenience. I think it would be a short trip with Epcot being the main focus, so they would be really convenient. I might look into renting DVC points then.

 

[bcwife76]

Congrats on getting a fab deal for the Poly!!!!!

Those castle photos, oh my gosh, so beautiful! Almost brought a tear to my eye! Just....magical perfection.

And Ohana, oh my goodness, that looks incredible!!