Practically Perfect at the Poly? **UPDATE 7/28 -- And We're Back!!

[glennbo123]

Sounds like you got a great location at the Poly!

 

[TinkerbellinNY6]

Loving your report! I remember reading your PTR and you said you used an AP discount. Did you need to have your AP with you or just the voucher? We are considering getting an AP and want to use the discount but wont have the AP until we get there. Will we still be able to get the discount? We are going to purchase the AP and then activate it when we get there Just wondering what your experience was.

 

[tinacaplan]

So far so good at Poly! And that view!

I also tend to get aggravated/bemused by people who don't know anything about Disney. Like you said....you spend this much money on a vacation & you don't bother learning anything about it? I mean, it's not like you're going to a beach & all you have to do is go swim or lay out all day. Anyway, let me step down from the soap box because I could go on all day. I'll just say that I'm with you on that!!!

I actually really want to try Captain Cook's one day. I've heard so many good things about the grilled cheese sandwich.

Captain Cook's was good. Hmm...wish I'd known about the grilled cheese. The nachos were good, but nothing like I was expecting.

Yay for Tokelau!!!! And yay for your awesome room view!!!

Those "nachos" look interesting, they remind me of dessert wontons a restaurant that used to be by my parents had. It was wontons covered in chocolate and other sweets. Kind of the same thing...except with pork.

Thanks. The view was impressive. Too bad it was at the Poly.

I missed the update with the Poly pictures and now I can't see them until tonight. Bummer!

I'm not even going to read until I have the full effect but Stringbean says you view is gorgeous and I believe it!

Re: October - where do you and your mom want to eat that weekend? I'll be emailing you soon re: potential lunch or dinner destinations!

Yep...our view was incredible. As far as October, I'm thinking my mom is going to flake out on me. No worries... I'm still coming down, regardless. Mark has said its OK with him, so how can I say no to that? Plus, I've been curious about doing Disney solo, so here's my chance, if only for a couple of days.

I'm trying to convince her that she needs to make up her mind and we should buy plane tickets before they go too crazy, especially because for this trip to be worth it, we need that six a.m. flight out and a late Sunday evening flight home.

And you're pretty familiar with my ADRs...I (we) am up for pretty much anything. I really do eat pretty much everything.

Just caught back up!

I understand what you say about getting emotional during the part when you realize you're really *there* in the park! For me, it's seeing Spaceship Earth, but that's probably just because we've never been on ME so we miss the video.

Seems like you have a nice secluded area in your room, and a gorgeous view! I adore being that close to the water.

Looking forward to more!

It was nice being that close to the water. We had our own private little beach out there.

Lovely view and those nachos look darn good to me but then I'm a sucker for fried won tons. Kona has a dessert like that (I assume it's still on the menu) a sugar free apple thing with friend won tons...YUM! I can see how it would be different.

I forgot you were arriving ON P day, yikes!

That's what they were like...fried won ton pieces. And, yes, we did arrive ON President's Day. What was I thinking?? Actually, it turned out fine.

Sounds like you got a great location at the Poly!

Thanks!

Loving your report! I remember reading your PTR and you said you used an AP discount. Did you need to have your AP with you or just the voucher? We are considering getting an AP and want to use the discount but wont have the AP until we get there. Will we still be able to get the discount? We are going to purchase the AP and then activate it when we get there Just wondering what your experience was.

OK...this is the craziest part. I booked with the AP discount and never, not once, did anyone at the Poly ask me to show them my AP. At any rate, apparently you can check in with just the voucher. And you can book with the AP before you buy one, you just need to have purchased it prior to checking in.

I will warn you, though...having the AP has turned two trips into four!

 

[TinkerbellinNY6]

OK...this is the craziest part. I booked with the AP discount and never, not once, did anyone at the Poly ask me to show them my AP. At any rate, apparently you can check in with just the voucher. And you can book with the AP before you buy one, you just need to have purchased it prior to checking in.

I will warn you, though...having the AP has turned two trips into four!

I'm okay with the four trips I am doing the College Program and then my mom, and some friends of mine plan on going back in March for my 21st birthday and then we will probably go back again next August. Can you tell me where you went to book with the discount you receive with the AP?

 

[annmarieda]

great room!!!!

 

[MEK]

Your view is lovely and your lunch food looks pretty good. I have to admit that getting a dole whip at Captain Cooks is totally a bonus. Nice spot to eat lunch!

 

[natebenma]

I am with you! I just never know what will or will not be accepted. Shoes on..shoes off... sweater on.. sweater off. One time, I had a sweater on that they thought was the kind you would have put on over other garments. It wasn't. They asked me to remove it. I refused since I would have only been wearing a bra under it. I can't even remember what it was I was wearing, but it seems to me it was a pull over.. Anyway, point is... they don't seem to be consistent or know what they are doing. I even walked through once with... chapstick in my pocket!!!! Imagine... I didnt get stopped for that. I have learned not to smile at them though...that always use to get me stopped.

That bear is so gross. We're pretty sure he was one of those $5 stuffed animals they sell at Kohl's and we have idea how this became his favorite stuffed animal.


Yay for Jetblue! Now that we're all in agreement on our airline of choice.


You will have already left (and be home) by the time you read this, but that's awesome! I'm sure you're having a wonderful trip.


about the sweater...and how'd they miss the chapstick?

Back from our AWESOME childless trip to Puerto Rico.

I agree about Jet blue, except... Not sure I love the pet friendly policy. On our flight was a yippy dog with a very high-pitched bark. Wouldn't stop barking for the first 15 minutes and then as we descended again.

My lips get very chapped on vacation and I usually "forget" that I have chapstick in my pocket. They did the full body scan on Thursday in PR and I was afraid I was going to be stopped this time. Instead, they patted down my DH and inspected our passports after he had those in his pocket (after another TSA agent told him to do that)

on the bear. You never know what your child will latch onto. My avatar is Nay Nay Roar, my oldest son's security item from the time he was 18 months old.

 

[natebenma]

for your front seat on ME!!! Love it!

for your room view.

I hope the pixie dust continues to sprinkle on your trip!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Hi. A fellow CT resident joining in the fun. I agree with you and your DH wholeheartedly on a few things:

DIE-HARD Beach Club fan here. But excited to hear about the Poly. Your room location looks awesome!!

The Traveler's wall is the most exciting thing in all of BDL. Looks like you are Jet Blue fans. I used to go Delta but they got rid of their non-stop flights so now am shopping between Southwest and Jet Blue...

I get teary at the beginning of the Magical Express video too (and also always try for the front seat).

Looking forward to more!

 

[MEK]

Ca
I'm trying to convince her that she needs to make up her mind and we should buy plane tickets before they go too crazy, especially because for this trip to be worth it, we need that six a.m. flight out and a late Sunday evening flight home.

And you're pretty familiar with my ADRs...I (we) am up for pretty much anything. I really do eat pretty much everything.

Well, if your mom bails on you, you can totally hang with Cynthia and I for the weekend. I think we are going to MNSSHP on the 19th. Were you planning to go to the party?

I'm pretty flexible about ADRs too. There are very few (if any) Disney restaurants that I would turn my nose up at.

I haven't gotten my ticket yet because its just me and it really doesn't matter how much I pay. Well, it does, but I can hold on for awhile.

 

[tinacaplan]

I'm okay with the four trips I am doing the College Program and then my mom, and some friends of mine plan on going back in March for my 21st birthday and then we will probably go back again next August. Can you tell me where you went to book with the discount you receive with the AP?

That's great that you're going to do the College Program. As far as booking with the AP, I just called reservations.

great room!!!!

It was!

Your view is lovely and your lunch food looks pretty good. I have to admit that getting a dole whip at Captain Cooks is totally a bonus. Nice spot to eat lunch!

It was nice!

Back from our AWESOME childless trip to Puerto Rico.


on the bear. You never know what your child will latch onto. My avatar is Nay Nay Roar, my oldest son's security item from the time he was 18 months old.

Glad to hear your PR trip was great...and the bear is cute. I've always wondered what that was.

for your front seat on ME!!! Love it!

: for your room view.

I hope the pixie dust continues to sprinkle on your trip!

Hi. A fellow CT resident joining in the fun. I agree with you and your DH wholeheartedly on a few things:

DIE-HARD Beach Club fan here. But excited to hear about the Poly. Your room location looks awesome!!

The Traveler's wall is the most exciting thing in all of BDL. Looks like you are Jet Blue fans. I used to go Delta but they got rid of their non-stop flights so now am shopping between Southwest and Jet Blue...

I get teary at the beginning of the Magical Express video too (and also always try for the front seat).

Looking forward to more!

I've seen you around and didn't know you were from CT, too! Hi, neighbor!

Well, if your mom bails on you, you can totally hang with Cynthia and I for the weekend. I think we are going to MNSSHP on the 19th. Were you planning to go to the party?

I'm pretty flexible about ADRs too. There are very few (if any) Disney restaurants that I would turn my nose up at.

I haven't gotten my ticket yet because its just me and it really doesn't matter how much I pay. Well, it does, but I can hold on for awhile.

Thanks, you're very sweet. But we'll see about my mom. I'm not counting her out yet. I think I'm also anxious to get my plane ticket, because then I'll know for sure I'm going.

And the MNSSHP? Oh, dear. Hadn't even thought about that! I've never even paid much attention to it because I've never thought we'd be at Disney for it.

 

[Missyrose]

I'm back from Disney and ALL caught up! Great start to the trip so far. We love JetBlue and were so happy to find cheap tickets on them for our October 2012 trip! Wuh-hoo for the primo DME seat. Franklin really wanted that seat when we were there in October, but another family beat us to it.

That's awesome that you got your requested longhouse AND your room was ready at 11 a.m., nice pixie dust.

I'm with Cynthia, nachos made with fried wonton wrappers are right up my alley. What else was on them?

I love how your APs turned two trips into four. Ours turned two trips into three AND a DVC membership.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!

 

[KatMark]

Enjoyed the update, Tina. We were in that building at hte Poly on one of our stays there...we enjoyed it. We've not eaten at Captain Cooks since they made the changes with the touch screen.

 

[tinacaplan]

I'm back from Disney and ALL caught up! Great start to the trip so far. We love JetBlue and were so happy to find cheap tickets on them for our October 2012 trip! Wuh-hoo for the primo DME seat. Franklin really wanted that seat when we were there in October, but another family beat us to it.

Welcome back! JetBlue is pretty great. We're flying them again in July.

That's awesome that you got your requested longhouse AND your room was ready at 11 a.m., nice pixie dust.

Yep, that all worked out pretty well.

I'm with Cynthia, nachos made with fried wonton wrappers are right up my alley. What else was on them?

I wish I could remember! Pork and pineapple and some other stuff, for sure.

I love how your APs turned two trips into four. Ours turned two trips into three AND a DVC membership.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!

You gotta get all the use out of those APs! Hmm...how could I get mine to turn into DVC???

Enjoyed the update, Tina. We were in that building at hte Poly on one of our stays there...we enjoyed it. We've not eaten at Captain Cooks since they made the changes with the touch screen.

Thanks, Kathy. Tokelau was lovely.

 

[tinacaplan]

We made our way back to the Great Cermonial House and you can come with us....

Our first stop was at the Concierge desk, as we had to buy tickets for Mark and Max and I had been hoping I could get my actual AP here. The CM was lovely and added the tickets to Mark and Max’s Key to the World cards. She gave me a card, too that looked like a Key to the World card, but she claimed would serve as my AP. I was a bit dubious, but I had all my confirmation information, so if there had been a problem, I’d be OK.

We then made our way up to the second floor for our first ride on the monorail. And, to be honest, yes...it is great. It is better than riding the busses, if only for the novelty factor. I don’t find them to anymore comfortable or anything.

We passed by the Disney Wedding Paviillion and all the DVC construction obscuring its view. And within a matter of minutes, we were pulling into the MK station. And, yes, being that close has its advantages.

MK was just as crazy as I had thought it would be. And, of course, my AP didn’t work. Mainly because it was not really an AP at all. I sent Mark and Max onward to Tomorrowland and went over to Guest Services. The line wasn’t too bad and a lovely CM directed me towards the appropriate window where the was resolved lickety-split! Who says Disney’s level of service has diminished over the years? Not me.

I was pretty ecstatic as I walked back through the turnstiles as an official Annual Pass holder. I made my way under the railroad and down Main Street, getting my first glimpse of the castle.

Admittedly, while I may not have the emotional reaction that some do upon their first full view, it was beautiful and I had to stop for my first castle pic.

I found Mark and Max in the line for the Monsters, Inc laugh floor and, yet again, another very accomodating CM let me sneak in to grab their tickets.

I was not going to jump half of the line. In my opinion, that is a bit unfair to everyone else. But I was on a mission to obtain our first fastpasses of the trip, this time for Buzz Lightyear.

It had been my original plan to hit MK that afternoon, crazy crowds be damned, and head over to Tomorrowland, which I reasoned would be a bit less crazy, as I knew trying to get on anything in Fantasyland would have been impossible. Add in the fact that Max had developed a real affection for Mike and Sully since our last year with the fact that the Carousel of Progress is one of Max’s favorite attractions (no joke...it might be second only to Spaceship Earth), heading for Tomorrowland as a no brainer. I figured we’d also get a ride on the Peoplemover and maybe pick up a smooth at Auntie Gravity’s.

I found a nice place to sit outside of Merchant of Venus and people watched for awhile. One of the best things about Disneyworld is people watching, in my opinion. You get to see an endless stream of humanity float by from all over the world. But what never fails to fascinate me are the outfits women choose to wear to the parks. Please understand that I am not suggesting there is one proper way to dress for a day of touring. I try to look a bit nicer than I would if I were spending the day at the county fair or something. And I choose to wear the same incredibly comfortable and inconspicuous pair of Croc flip flops. I do my hair and a bit of make up so as to look presentable in whatever photo ops might present themselves. I’d say that majority of women make similar choices. But, oh many do not. Some look perfectly turned out in clothes I would never want to get dirty, nor would I ever be able to afford. On the other end of the spectrum are all the women who are wearing clothes that are too tight and way too revealing. Often, these same women are wearing shoes I would find torturous to wear out to dinner, let alone to walk around at Disney all day. And somewhere in between are the adorable Japanese girls in their bizzarely cute get-ups. So, yes...I had no problem occupying my time as I waited for the boys and Buzz.

Once I was reunited with my boys again, we had to go and check out the Carousel of Progress. Just to tell you how busy it was...we were NOT able to get our usual front-row center seats. Oh, the horror!

When we walked off, we took a glance at the Peoplemover and the line was really ridiculous. Luckily, it was time to fight the evil Zurg!

I got to ride with Max and I don’t know...I got the gist of the game this time and did...well...this is how I did:

How hillarious is this??

See...I’m a Gallactic Hero!!! I always knew I had it in me.

Unable to even ride the Peoplemove or get into Auntie Gravity’s for a smoothie, we decided to head back to the Poly. It was pretty cool to be walking up to the monorail again.

 

[amandaw]

How exciting it must've been to just hop on the monorail & be at MK so quick!

I'm glad they were able to get your AP sorted out without any further problems.

I couldn't agree with you more in regards to how a lot of women/girls dress for the parks. It really is quite ridiculous at times.

It sounds like the park was horribly crowded!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Thanks. The view was impressive. Too bad it was at the Poly.

Liked the Poly that much?

I will agree, the monorail is very convenient, and does break up the bus trips. Too bad the MK was so crowded that afternoon!!

It is fascinating what other people wear to the parks! Honestly, the shoes alone!

 

[MEK]

Read your update before I entered the no picture zone!

I love all your pictures of the Poly. What a gorgeous resort!

Talk about MK crowds. Yikes! Remind me to NEVER go during President's weekend. Too many people. No wonder you retreated to the serenity of the Poly.

Glad you got your AP straightened out quickly. I'll never forget the time I purchased one (on a ticket upgrade) and they upgraded it incorrectly. Fortunately, I realized it on the last day of my trip.

 

[eandesmom]

SO glad the tickets didn't turn into larger drama than that, seems like it was very easily fixed. I well remember the President's day crowds at MK, we beat a very similar path!

 

[natebenma]

What a pretty walk around the Poly!

Sorry about your hassle with the APs and the huge crowds you encountered.

What an amazingly beautiful picture of the castle!

Your post about what people wear in the park cracked me up. We have gone to Florida in summer the last 4 year. We love finding all the people wearing jeans and sweaters. Where are you originally from? Hell?

Or the heels...