Weird and Ninja Shout Out to You! (updated on 7/14)

[HarkiQuinn]

Joining!!

I may be old but what does NDB stand for?
Love the photos, triton scares me more at AoA than the ride. Just way too...nig.

 

[RachelNinja]

Catching up...all the Art of Animation photos are fabulous! We haven't seen the Lion King or Little Mermaid parts of the resort yet, so it's so fun to get a preview. Resort exploration is my fav.

I do think of you when I think of resort exploration! I haven't visited many of them just yet, but maybe one day we will so that we can also try different restaurants. Our vacations aren't really long enough to have more than one non-park day.

We love to do resort exploring too! I haven't made it over to Pop and AOA yet but love all the pictures from you both. Looks like there are a ton of photo ops which is what Disney does best. My favorite section is probably the Lion King section. I loved that movie in college and had always wanted to see the Broadway show. I finally got to see it when it came to DC during a tour and it brought me to tears (But they were happy tears!)

Absolutely! I can't even imagine how many times those icons were photographed already. Isn't the show amazing? Loved it!

I'm sorry they didn't honor the room request that I put in for you. I really wish you could pick your own room like you can pick your own seats on flights now!

I love all your videos! Do you guys edit them all together when you get back or do you just keep them individual?

Sometimes a Disney resort wander is a perfect way to spend the day.

Both yours & Howard's photos are great!

No worries! I know that stuff like that happens; I'm happy we were able to wait for it to be fixed. It really would be nice to pick our own rooms! I mean, if you book earlier, you have a better choice. I think it's fair! Then if let's say someone needs a closer room due to a medical reason or something and there's nothing available, they should offer those early bookers an incentive to switch to a room farther away like, a quick service meal for everyone in the room. Haha, I'd totally do that!

I keep all the videos individual because I don't think I'd be good at video editing. Howard attempted a bit recently, so we'll see if anything comes of it!

Thanks! I'm happy that we do get different perspectives.

Klutzes Unite! Seriously. I have lived in my house for nearly 5 years, I still walk into door jams!

I have been trying to be good about sticking to some kind of a work out regimine. It was actually easier than I thought at Disney because it was so cool to see the resort at such an early sleepy hour!

The Little Mermaid Section in particular is a bit much. Those icons are HUGE. They are definitely intimidating.

We totally say bogeys!! I think my favorite icon that they build was the statue of Prince Eric. Something completely out of the movie that we had never seen before! Love it!

Haha, I know some people get hurt at home because they move too quickly or are careless, but I don't think that's me. I just really do think I'm a klutz sometimes too! It just happens!

Yeah, even Ariel is a little scary too, I think.

Haha, "bogeys" makes it less ... gross!

Your AoA pictures are wonderful. Thanks for the tour of the resort. Howard is right - you do have a good idea and captured things from unique perspectives. I love the LM and the cars areas. They are super cool. Nice job!

Thanks! I think we make a good pair in what we capture. His sister is having a baby soon, so I think it'll come in handy then too! When we were at a birthday party for our friends' 2- year old son this past Saturday, I would poke him and be like, "Take a picture of that" because we still do see things differently.

As someone who has never visited AoA, your pictures and descriptions are awesome!! You could seriously include a day on the trip just to take it all in - so, so, so many fun details!

I mean, who knew that fish had a mustache?!

It really is chock full of details! I even like how they made the landscape so specific too. The grass in the Cars section is short and trimmed perfectly whereas in the Nemo section, there are bushes that help the fish blend in as if they're swimming around.

Joining!!

I may be old but what does NDB stand for?
Love the photos, triton scares me more at AoA than the ride. Just way too...nig.

Oh yay! Thank you for joining in; I hope you enjoy it!

NBD stands for "No big deal." We know it as part of Ariel's song, but it has really taken off nowadays with the younger generation. I see it all the time.

Triton in general is just a frightening merman, haha.

 

[RachelNinja]

Returning "Home"

The walk back to Pop was really quick. Though both resorts are rather large considering they have a ton of rooms, it's actually very easy to go back and forth between the two to see everything. I feel it's the same way with a resort like Animal Kingdom Lodge because you could be rather far from the lobby, but being able to see animals from all the windows during your walk makes it seem shorter. It's pretty cool to think that Disney has even though about how guests can enjoy the resorts when they're walking to and from their actual destination.

I have to admit that I enjoy the signs in AoA more than in Pop because I love the movie trivia more the decades trivia! We snapped pictures of the ones that were the most interesting, which was pretty much all of them on our walk back. Isn't this one so interesting? Jeremy Irons didn't actually sing "Be Prepared"! I don't know if it's the entire song or just the ending of it as the internet sources say, but either way, it's definitely an interesting fact.



By the way, I find it funny that Jeremy Irons was the voice of Scar since I know him as an actor in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. When I learn who the voice actors were for all the Disney movies I watched as a kid, I'm blown away. I knew that Jonathan Taylor Thomas (haha, I grew up during the JTT era) was young Simba, but sometimes I forget that Matthew Broderick was adult Simba! It's hard for me to separate him from Ferris Bueller and especially from The Producers on Broadway since I got to see him and Nathan Lane in the lead roles. Oh wait, Nathan Lane was Timon too! Haha. The two that really surprised me was how Rowan Atkinson (as in, Mr. Bean!) was Zazu and then Moira Kelly (as in, Karen Scott on One Tree Hill ... yes, I did watch the first few seasons of that show) was adult Nala. So weird. I think it'd be rather awesome being a voice actor. I think to some degree that it actually immortalizes the actor more because kids from different generations hear them and always associate the voices with their animated characters.

I saw Pumbaa looking all sly there on the side of one of the buildings as if he were looking over your shoulder and reading your texts or something.



Despite having seen this resort before, this was actually the first time I noticed that they had these humongous sketchbooks! I love the spiral binding at the top. It reminds me of the We R Memory Keepers Cinch or the Zutter Bind It All. They're two machines that a lot of papercrafters have to bind things together. I don't have either one now as I debated between the two a few years ago. I think I will eventually get the new Cinch with the square holes in the far off future when we have kids or something. I think it'd be cute to make little notebooks and stuff for autographs at Disney World or memory books. I imagine it'd be really cute to make little sketchbooks or mini scrapbooks for party favors too. Haha, I have a lot of ambitious ideas for when we have kids.



I liked this sign because when I had posted the picture of Rafiki on Instagram, I said I didn't know what he actually said to use as a caption. Then there it was! My friend Kathy had actually commented on the picture with this!



It's fascinating to think about how someone actually has to create custom software as technology advances. I basically know only 3 Microsoft programs as I use use Word for lesson plans, Powerpoint for random things (haha, I don't have a need to make slides anymore ... no more school presentations), and Excel for typing up my shopping lists because I use the columns to list out all the items, sizes, quantity, coupons and such. Other than that, I can go online and well, that's about it. I use the computer for Cricut Craft Room too for crafting and such, but other than that, I don't know ANYTHING else. To think that there are brilliant minds out there who not only USE the programs but also CREATE the programs baffles my mind.



What's also interesting is that these clever people weren't necessarily the people who had perfect grades in school growing up. School was extremely important to me, and I always wanted not only to do my best but also to BE the best. Academics was my number one priority because it was, in my mind, a way to please my father (or at least attempt to please him), which then grew into a personal obsession too. He was the one who would ask where the extra 2 points were if I got a 98 on a test and then would ask if there was extra credit if I returned home with a perfect score. He even asked me why I wasn't valedictorian when I was ecstatic that I was graduating as salutatorian in high school. I think doing well or at least trying your best in elementary and middle school is vital to future success, but at the same time, I know that there are people in high school who didn't necessarily have the best grades but are extremely successful now. I think traditional school subjects don't always show just how talented some students really are. I think it was even worse when I was in school since nowadays there are a lot of specialized programs for things like computers.

Haha, I realize that was a tangent, but I just felt like writing it out because I met with one of my high school friends last week who is doing very well as she just left her job at Bloomberg and is moving to California to work for Reuters. She was someone who disliked school because she said she was surrounded by the rest of us who got really good grades, but it never showcased just how skilled she was. Of course, my love of academics came in handy because I'm in education, but I know that it's not always the be all and end all especially as we get older. I hope that Howard and I will be able to instill a love for learning when we have our own kids. I want to teach them that it's important to do their best in all things for the glory of God, but at the same time, I don't want them to think that their worth as a person is rooted in their grades because that's how I felt at times having a typical Chinese father. I definitely have practice now with students. I praise the kids who try their hardest or who improve the same as the kids who just always do well. Haha, realistically, I might also praise those kids who are working really hard to do their best even more than those who get it easily.

Okay, this is a trip report about Disney World ... I really got sidetracked! But anyway, yeah ... Disney people? Amazingly smart and talented.

I have to check for this! I know that you can easily see the Easter eggs online, but there's something about seeing it in the midst of actually watching the movie that makes it so much more special.



How adorable is Squirt?! These would make such cute SVGs to make cards.



I'll end with a video as we get closer to our room. The beginning of the video basically features the wind, but I was saying that I was curious what all the CMs were doing in the middle of the walkway. They were having tables set up and everything and greeted us when we passed by. I wish we would've asked! After that, I get a little out of it because I'm just so gosh darn thirsty! Haha, I couldn't speak clearly, and I couldn't hold up the camera!

VIDEO: Walking Back to Pop Really Thirsty

Would I be able to take a drink?! Here's hoping!​

 

[JulieODC]

When we are at WDW, we often talk about how creative they are with every single detail -- it's mindboggling how they bring it all together, with so many nuances and details!!

 

[HarkiQuinn]

I LOVE all of the trivia around AoA, gonna have to stay there one day!

 

[irky416]

Ok, trying to catch up.

You guys got some really good pictures of AoA! I especially like the ones where Howard is taking a picture of you taking a picture. I missed a lot of the details that I saw in your pictures when we went over there. And I definitely didn't see any of the signs giving the details. Sad we missed those! I'll have to look more carefully if we make it back over there.

I am also a klutz. I trip over and into things constantly and most of the time I don't even know what I tripped over. I think it's my own two feet. During the school year, I constantly have bruises on my thighs and shins from bumping into desks as I'm walking around the room. Ad I often make a fool out of myself as I trip over nothing and stumble around the room.

I love the videos you guys made. You're so cute!

We always say bogeys, too! A lot of times when Morgan's nose is running, we either say,"You have a bogey" or "Ewww, troll bogeys!" Haha. I guess that's kind of mean. Hopefully, one day she'll understand! And bogey just sounds so much nicer!

It's so easy to want to make all the things when you have kids if you're crafty! You just made me want to make little notebooks. I'm making Morgan Frozen finger puppets right now, even though I already bought some from the Disney Store for her. They looked so cute, I just couldn't resist! I bet Luke and Leia's 1st birthday party decorations will be awesome!

 

[RachelNinja]

When we are at WDW, we often talk about how creative they are with every single detail -- it's mindboggling how they bring it all together, with so many nuances and details!!

It really is insane just how great they are at putting details everywhere!

I LOVE all of the trivia around AoA, gonna have to stay there one day!

I love that they took the time to decorate the walkways with that trivia to give people walking something to look at and to spread more of that Disney mania!

Ok, trying to catch up.

You guys got some really good pictures of AoA! I especially like the ones where Howard is taking a picture of you taking a picture. I missed a lot of the details that I saw in your pictures when we went over there. And I definitely didn't see any of the signs giving the details. Sad we missed those! I'll have to look more carefully if we make it back over there.

I am also a klutz. I trip over and into things constantly and most of the time I don't even know what I tripped over. I think it's my own two feet. During the school year, I constantly have bruises on my thighs and shins from bumping into desks as I'm walking around the room. Ad I often make a fool out of myself as I trip over nothing and stumble around the room.

I love the videos you guys made. You're so cute!

We always say bogeys, too! A lot of times when Morgan's nose is running, we either say,"You have a bogey" or "Ewww, troll bogeys!" Haha. I guess that's kind of mean. Hopefully, one day she'll understand! And bogey just sounds so much nicer!

It's so easy to want to make all the things when you have kids if you're crafty! You just made me want to make little notebooks. I'm making Morgan Frozen finger puppets right now, even though I already bought some from the Disney Store for her. They looked so cute, I just couldn't resist! I bet Luke and Leia's 1st birthday party decorations will be awesome!

Haha, I like those pictures too. When I went on vacations with my family, I took the pictures because otherwise we wouldn't have any at all, so there weren't as many with me in them. Now I know for sure there will be pictures because we are constantly taking them of each other!

YES! I'll be drying off from my shower and notice that my legs are all bruised! I hit the desks all the time. The silliest thing is that I'm always walking into my own desk, which is ridiculous since mine is the heaviest in the classroom so it doesn't move like, EVER. It's not like the kids' desks that shift all the time.

Awww, thanks! Nothing will beat the videos of Mo though! Sometimes we'll see it on our FB feeds at the same time and watch it at the same time. Such a cutie!

It does seem less gross! I'd much rather someone point out that I had a bogey over having a booger, haha. The word "booger" reminds me of gross little boys or something.

Loved those finger puppets! You're going to be an expert when Luke and Leia come around; I'll much rather pay YOU for things than a store

 

[RachelNinja]

Going to the Polynesian

When we arrived back at the room after our tour of Art of Animation, we saw that our delivery had arrived! As I mentioned before, I did some research this year and decided to forego the order with Garden Grocer and go with Staples instead. As a rewards member, I was able to get free shipping even if I just wanted to order water, but at the time I think it was free with just $20 anyway. The 24-case of bottled water was $5.99, and the 12 bottles of Honest Tea was $22.99. I was able to use a $5 off $25 breakroom purchase, so it was only $23.98. Normally, the cost of the Honest Tea would be way too much on a normal day, but in comparison to what we would pay in the parks for drinks, it was still a bargain.



Our luggage had also arrived as well, so that means we would be able to get our pins and Vinylmation too! Other than the wait, of course, I love that we don't have to worry about luggage. It makes traveling through the airport so much easier especially not having to stop at baggage claim. Even if we did have to take it with us, the fact that our bags are on wheels would make it easy. I remember the suitcases that my parents had when I was really young didn't have wheels on it, and they were such a clever idea when we first began seeing them while traveling.



Anyway, I had asked how to label the Staples order, and people suggested that other than my name, the arrival date would be good as well as the confirmation number of our reservation. As you can see, that didn't actually fit when the label was printed! I'm sure they know what these things are for though, so it's not a surprise when they get packages like this. I'm sure they would've been fine just having my name there. By the way, I did put my full name, but I just edited my last name out of the picture.



The label on the water was a little bit clearer in that the date can be seen. The great thing about ordering from Staples is that I didn't have order that much in advance because of their fast shipping and delivery. I was worried to send it TOO early or for any problems that might cause it to be delayed. Thankfully, this was quite easy, and I'd definitely do it again.



Once I was able to drink water and take some Tylenol, I got my pins out and prepared my first lanyard of pins that I was ready to trade. Trading is definitely entertaining for me because even if the parks get crowded, we can always trade. It provides a reason for us to interact with cast members too. For the pins, the trading aspect is actually more important to me than keeping them because I find great ones and get super excited about them. Then I'll keep them until the next trip where I will have to go through them again to pick traders, and the ones I found during the last trip are the ones I end up trading during the next one! I do have sets I love and won't trade though like the old Pirates of the Caribbean set (the one Goofy is Davy Jones and all that), the Nerds set, and the cupcakes set.



Okay, so we've been in Florida for a few hours already, so it was time to get even more immersed in the Disney magic and head out to the bus stops! I think heading out to a resort on the first day just works out so well for us because we don't mind what might be a longer "commute."



We didn't have to wait too long for a bus, which was great since we were definitely ready to eat! As you can see, there are people who are fine just wearing a short sleeved tee whereas others are a bit more bundled up. We were huge fans of this January weather considering our Christmas trip two years earlier was FREEZING!



Once we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, we passed by all the people going into the park itself and headed up to the resort monorail. I couldn't believe we were so close to all that magic! I think even just walking by was exciting. I used to think that it'd be torturous having to do that, but since it was the start of our trip, it wasn't painful at all knowing we'd be there the next day. It's interesting looking at space Mountain from the outside and thinking that there are people in there at that exact time having a blast and possibly screaming!



Though it's definitely not AS interesting as ride track, there's some monorail track!



Of course, these are incredibly dangerous, haha.



We had finally arrived at our destination! Howard and I both love the Polynesian because it was where we thought we were going to stay for our Disneymoon. I loved the feel of Hawaii and the proximity to Magic Kingdom. It would've been so fun staying at a monorail resort especially with our annual passes, but when we had the opportunity to buy DVC points from a fellow DIS friend, we actually realized the cost difference between the Poly and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Now knowing a bit more about the resorts, I'm glad we stayed at AKL. The Poly is actually a tiny bit too busy for me, but they do have rather awesome chairs! Or did? I don't even know if these are still there since I know they're redoing the lobby.



We had a chance to enjoy the details of the resort. I don't think I really paid much attention to this the previous two times we were there. I love seeing typewriters for some reason. In junior high, we had to take a typing class and actually learned on an old-fashioned typewriter. It was actually taller than the one pictured below, so we had to push our fingers down very low to actually get the letter arm to swing to the paper. I also really enjoyed using the arm thing to move the paper to the next line. It was kind of interesting that we had to learn that way since we couldn't just easily use the backspace or delete key to fix a mistake. I used to type reports on my mom's electric typewriter too. I'm actually happy to be in the generation to have been able to experience things before everything got super technological! I mean, kids these days will never know what it's like sitting by the stereo with a blank tape in there and a finger on record waiting for a favorite pop song to be played! Haha, no YouTube or iTunes! We just had to wait for it on the radio or until the CD was finally released!



But let's not knock how easy it is to have access to newer technology like cameras so Howard can take pictures like this, haha. I used to have my own camera and had to purchase rolls of film and pay for it to be developed. I'd have tons of horrible "selfies" with my friends because the 4 of us wanted to be in pictures together when we were hanging out. Digital cameras are probably the best. If you follow my blog, you saw that Howard and I met our newborn nephew this past Saturday. I actually mentioned to him that digi cameras are the best because we were able to take a TON of photos so that he could pick through them to give the best ones to his sister. That would've been a LOT of film!



Okay, no more pictures! Let's start walking towards Captain Cook's!​

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

When I took a typing class in college we totally had typewriters too!! I always thought it made it so much harder because we couldn't use backspace, but now I kind of feel like it probably made me a better at typing overall!

 

[jane2073]

Captain Cooks is our most favorite resort quick service restaurant. We try to eat there at least once a visit.

I have not idea what Poly looks like now and I am afraid to look at the pictures. That is probably my most favorite resort that we will never afford to stay at.

 

[irky416]

I had to laugh at the memory of holding your finger over the record button while listening to the radio because I totally did that too!

 

[HarkiQuinn]

Awesome job getting (fairly cheap) beverages! I actually didn't know that Staples had a reward program.

Can't wait to see Capt. Cooks!

 

[MEK]

Oh mY! I'm glad your water was there and waiting because that walk was making me thirsty! Great idea - shipping from staples. I never would have thought of that.

Love all the pictures from AoA. It's such a cute resort and I haven't visited it since it first opened and only one section was opened. Cute sayings.

I enjoyed your rant about grades and talent. There are definitely talents out there that can't be judged by grades. Sorry your dad was so over-bearing with the whole grade thing. Sometimes I think I do that with my younger son so listening to your story put some perspective on things. Thanks!

Great update!

 

[JulieODC]

We've been to the Poly sushi bar a few times, but have never taken the time to explore the resort -- we definitely should! I'd love to stay there someday...but I totally agree that the lobby always seems SOO busy when we've been there.

 

[Cinderella16]

Subbing! I just started reading and I truly enjoying it so far, especially the hilarious intro stating you are indeed not pregnant... which, btw, I can 110% relate to! Can't wait to read on!

 

[RachelNinja]

When I took a typing class in college we totally had typewriters too!! I always thought it made it so much harder because we couldn't use backspace, but now I kind of feel like it probably made me a better at typing overall!

Absolutely! I think it totally made us more aware of where the correct letters were. We had to work on our speed, but the accuracy was way more important then!

Captain Cooks is our most favorite resort quick service restaurant. We try to eat there at least once a visit.

I have not idea what Poly looks like now and I am afraid to look at the pictures. That is probably my most favorite resort that we will never afford to stay at.

I'm so happy that it's fairly close by because we might have to stop there in the future!

Yeah, having seen the lobby in real life, I'm curious yet a little timid as to what they might have done to the lobby. Of course, I'm not as emotionally attached to it as others are.

I had to laugh at the memory of holding your finger over the record button while listening to the radio because I totally did that too!

And then being disappointed when the DJ talked too much or interrupted the end of the song!!!

Awesome job getting (fairly cheap) beverages! I actually didn't know that Staples had a reward program.

Can't wait to see Capt. Cooks!

Yup! The rewards program isn't even complicated. I think you can just get the card in the store from signing up.

Captain Cook's is all ready to be posted!

Oh mY! I'm glad your water was there and waiting because that walk was making me thirsty! Great idea - shipping from staples. I never would have thought of that.

Love all the pictures from AoA. It's such a cute resort and I haven't visited it since it first opened and only one section was opened. Cute sayings.

I enjoyed your rant about grades and talent. There are definitely talents out there that can't be judged by grades. Sorry your dad was so over-bearing with the whole grade thing. Sometimes I think I do that with my younger son so listening to your story put some perspective on things. Thanks!

Great update!

Can you imagine? All I really had was a bit of water in the morning, the tomato juice on the plane, and then that shared soda from Chik-fil-A. That's it! Boy, was I parched! Ordering from Staples was a lot less painful than dealing with other stores or websites. I also loved the short delivery time.

I can definitely attribute part of my academic success to my father pushing me so much, but like I said, it was way TOO much in that I felt my worth as his daughter and as a human being was tied to that. I do agree that sometimes kids need to be pushed a bit, but I wasn't someone that needed to be pushed. I would've tried my hardest all on my own. I still stress good grades with my middle school kids because I feel that it should be one of their highest priorities at that age, but yeah, getting older means being able to excel in other areas.

We've been to the Poly sushi bar a few times, but have never taken the time to explore the resort -- we definitely should! I'd love to stay there someday...but I totally agree that the lobby always seems SOO busy when we've been there.

What great options for eating though, right? That's the big lure of the place, but it really is MUCH too crowded for me to feel comfortable. I know things will look different now and possibly roomier, but I don't think I could handle seeing so many people in such a small space all the time.

Subbing! I just started reading and I truly enjoying it so far, especially the hilarious intro stating you are indeed not pregnant... which, btw, I can 110% relate to! Can't wait to read on!

Yay, Julianne! Glad you're here. My sister-in-law just had a baby, and when we went to visit, Howard's aunt asked when we were having one now! We were like, "Uh, we should just enjoy THIS baby first!"

 

[RachelNinja]

Reporting for Eating Duty, Captain Cook!

For those of you who follow me on Instagram and have an excellent memory, you might remember that I was writing an update for this TR way before I even started it. I was subbing at my school one day months ago and knew that the kids would just be taking tests and such, so I brought my little netbook with me to write updates. I decided to start with the post about Captain Cook's, so that's why the timing is a bit strange because it starts with just arriving at the Poly! So use your brilliant minds and meld the pictures from the previous update with this one because we're going back in time!

Here we go!

When we arrived at the Polynesian, a large group of people were also getting off of the monorail. I wondered how many were actually staying there and how many were visiting like we were. I glanced around and a flood of memories came to mind regarding our February 2011 trip when we ate at 'Ohana with my cousins and then our May 2012 trip when Howard and I ate at Kona during our Disneymoon. It's interesting to know that now we have hit all the Poly eateries!

I moved towards the CMs nearby to check their pins, and I saw that the pin board was up! I think this is the greatest thing, even more so than the pin books behind the counters. It just looks like a whole world of possibilities even though the options aren't always the greatest, but at least there's more variety than the CM lanyards, which usually have the same pins over and over again (and a lot of scrappers as well).



We headed downstairs by the elevator to the front desk to ask about the pin book there too. I figured that a deluxe resort might have a great find since it's not as frequented as the park ones. Of course, the resort books might also not be refreshed as often because there was absolutely nothing in the book. Oh well. It doesn't hurt to try!

Since we had gotten lost on previous trips, we knew exactly where Captain Cook's was due to randomly coming across it in the past. We headed straight there, but once we stepped in, I had to take a look around and kind of get used to the layout. All I knew about the place was that they had a self-serve dole whip machine and they had ordering kiosks. Other than that, I hadn't actually seen pictures of it, and I admit that I get a little nervous doing something new. Thankfully, DIS prepared me just enough for this new counter service experience!



At the kiosk, we tried to put in an order for the Pork Nachos for $7.99, but I didn't see any option to modify it. As much as I would've liked to eat it the way it was initially planned, I had to have the pineapple removed. Sad, isn't it? I peeked above the glass partition to see if I could get anyone's attention, but everyone was busy and didn't notice. The only CMs I could approach were the ones at the registers.



There was a girl who didn't look very friendly, but afterwards I realized that she was being trained. I guess since it was January, there were a lot of new students from the College Program because we came across many with "Earning My Ears" on their name tags. An older man was standing right next to her, so I was kind of speaking to both of them when I explained that I needed to make a modification due to a pineapple allergy. The man told me to just order it on the kiosk and bring them the receipt to fix. When Howard and I went back to the kiosk, the man came up behind us and said, "Oh, I just realized you said you had an allergy; let me get the manager for you."

I'm glad that this was done through the manager. Not only was he efficient, he seemed genuinely concerned about my allergy. I don't think my allergy is too severe in comparison to others, but as he wrote out the ticket, he explained that different gloves would be used if the pineapple was touched. It was my first experience dealing with a food allergy on WDW property, and I really appreciated how it was handled. He gave us the ticket so we could pay and also handed us a pager.



Before we went to pay, I wanted to check out the refrigerated items since I knew they offered sushi as well. Haha, I kind of casually mentioned it to Howard that I wanted to just take a look, but I actually had a rather intense craving! The last time we had sushi was for Howard's birthday celebration with his family, but we didn't yet have our own sushi date for his birthday. We knew we wanted to save it for after the vacation so we'd have something to look forward to, but it was only day one and I wanted some! Thankfully, Howard is never one to say no to sushi, so we decided on one of the packaged items to share.



When we went to the register to pay, I put the sushi and our ticket down. The girl being trained just stared at it for so long that I couldn't help but think I was doing something incorrectly! Was I supposed to hand it to her? Should I have had a tray? Was I on the wrong side of the register? Finally she asked where our kiosk ticket was, and I explained to her that we placed the order with the manager. The trainer just told her to input it into the system as Pork Nachos. It was probably her first time seeing an allergy ticket. We paid using the $25 gift card that we got from Jennifer, so ...

SHOUT OUT to you, JENNIFER, for paying for our first official meal in Disney World!

Once we paid, we kind of stood around for a bit, but our pager went off rather quickly. If you think about it, all they had to do was toss everything on a plate and call it a day, so I didn't expect it to take so long anyway. The manager personally handed us the food and told us to enjoy. Oh, we definitely will!

We picked up what we needed in terms of napkins and such, and I pointed out that it was interesting that they offered chopsticks here. It was only when we found a seat outside that I realized we'd need some for the sushi, haha, so I went back to get some. Can I just say that WDW is rather awesome in having the GOOD disposable chopsticks? Our local sushi place has the ones that you need to snap apart, and every few meals, I'll get a scratch or a splinter. Yay Disney! Pulling out the red carpet for its guests by providing splinter-free chopsticks!



When we sat down, I did a quick look to see if there was anything scurrying around on the ground or in the bushes. I mentioned to Howard that this is where Marissa had her non-Mickey experience, and he couldn't remember what it was. He doesn't often read TRs unless he's enjoying the photography, but I did read to him the segment on mardgreen's report! Later on that night, I found it on DIS and took a screen shot to send to him.





With our hands properly Purell-ed, we dug into the nachos.



Oh man, they were absolutely delicious! Instead of using tortilla chips, they used the homemade potato chips, which I absolutely LOVE (I'm a chip girl, but I love homemade ones even more than bagged chips) and wonton chips. I was especially pleased with the latter. In real Chinese restaurants (as in, not the takeout places), I used to always see that anyone who came in to eat that wasn't actually Chinese got these little fried wonton strips in a bowl whereas we would get dishes of salted peanuts and pickled veggies. I thoroughly enjoyed those pickled veggies and would greedily snatch up the daikon, but I couldn't help but wonder about those wonton strips. I believe I tried them years later when I ordered takeout with my friends in high school, and they weren't anything special. However, they still have such an allure to them because of all the dinners we ate where I stared at other people's tables in wonderment. I think that's what I felt eating these Pork Nachos even though the wonton chips were NOTHING like the fried greasy strips from the takeout place.



The pork itself was a little bit on the dry side. It seemed as if they needed to work on a fresh batch. I don't know if we got the end of one or if it was just sitting under a heating lamp too long. Or maybe that's just how they do their pork! I'm so used to the pulled pork we make in our crockpot because it's so saucy with Sweet Baby Ray's, but this had an entirely different taste that fit the dish as a whole despite its dryness.



The toppings were good too though I admit I prefer the texture of nacho cheese instead of melted cheese. I think it's just for the ease of pulling up each individual chip. Nacho cheese would NOT be a good addition to these though! The tomatoes were also much appreciated since I like having flavors and textures in a bite. Since I couldn't eat the pineapple, I did eat a good amount of the tomatoes.



And that pineapple? Well, it was actually a pineapple salsa because it also had onions in it too. Howard actually apologized to me when he tried it for a perfectly composed bite. He said that the nachos were elevated even more with the acidity and tartness! Ahh, that's so sad to hear, but it's also a good thing as well because some might think the nachos are a little bit plain if it didn't have another topping available. I still wish I could taste it all at once, but since I never had it before, I guess I didn't know what I was missing. Plus, I was much too hungry to care about it too much as we devoured what was on the plate.



The dish is definitely enough to share. Neither of us were full, but I personally would have gotten a little "bored" just eating one thing. I know it sounds so wrong to say that, but I very much like variety! That's why the sushi was an extra special treat.

VIDEO: Eating at Captain Cook's

The sticker on the box said that our In House Hand Rolled Spicy Sushi was made upstairs at the Kona Island Sushi Bar, which I know can be kind of expensive, so the pricing of this is understood. I wouldn't necessarily do it again because $8.99 for just ONE roll is kind of a lot to pay. In NYC, that's the cost of a special roll, but most local places are $3 or less for regular rolls (well, not including the more "hip" sushi places that cost an arm and a leg just because it's a go to spot). However, this was the best dessert for the two of us on that night.



It had just the right amount of spice to it to provide a little kick without being too overpowering. It was unique enough for us too since we don't normally order sushi with shrimp because we tend to focus on raw salmon and tuna instead. The rice was clearly refrigerated for a while, but it wasn't long enough for it to get hard. Each bite was really hitting the spot!



The package came with low sodium soy sauce, which we didn't realize at first because we had grabbed a packet of regular soy sauce from the condiment station. My suggestion? Use the low sodium or none at all. We didn't really need that much anyway, and we both barely dipped it in there since it was flavorful enough, but it's definitely a habit of mine to use some on each piece.



It also came with the tiniest bit of seaweed salad and some pickled ginger. Though another package looked like it had more seaweed salad in it, the one we picked looked like it had more filling in the rolls, which is ultimately more important! It tasted just like the seaweed salad that you can get from buffets. I say buffets as opposed to sushi restaurants because it was a little bit on the runny side, and in my eyes, that's reminiscent of big dishes of seaweed at buffets, but I still like it anyway. Howard ate all the ginger as that's one of his favorite parts. I don't particularly care for it, but he told me that in his family, they all love it! When I first ate sushi with them, I noticed how they would all go for it! It was kind of entertaining because I was so used to leaving it on my plate.



I was really sad once we finished all our food because it was really good and eating is just so much fun! We weren't completely full, but we were satisfied. It was getting a little bit chilly sitting outside though, and there was also a family nearby that was being a little bit on the loud side because the teenagers just seemed very excited. It wasn't too bothersome, but it seemed a little bit like an intrusion in the quiet and peaceful ambiance of the Poly. I don't know if it's normally louder there when there are a lot of people in the pools or something.



We threw away our trash and decided that we'd walk around the property to get a taste of what the resort had to offer. ​

 

[JulieODC]

YUM! That dinner sounds really good! We've always enjoyed the sushi at Poly, and those pork nachos look delicious! So delicious, that I may just suggest to DH that we have nachos for dinner tonight!

 

[khertz]

I mean, kids these days will never know what it's like sitting by the stereo with a blank tape in there and a finger on record waiting for a favorite pop song to be played! Haha, no YouTube or iTunes! We just had to wait for it on the radio or until the CD was finally released!

I used to have my parents old, humongous stereo in my closet, and I can't tell you how many nights I sat in front of it waiting for my favorite songs to come on so I could make mix tape after mix tape. Kids have it so easy these days...

We don't have any real food allergies (Paxton is allergic to eggs, but it's not serious. He can eat things that are cooked with eggs, just can't eat them straight), but I'm so amazed by how well Disney handles food allergies and special diets. It's really great to know they are so careful not to cross-contaminate the food with the allergen so that both you & Howard could enjoy the nachos. I love all the pics at the Poly! Kind of strange to think that after the construction it will all be so different.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Yo Rachel!

I've been away forever! (long depressing irrelevant story) But I'm back now, and your honeymoon TR and this one have kept me entertained through stupid layovers and airline delays today, so for that I'm grateful.

Your TRs are fantastic as always, and make me laugh.

I totally agree with you on the sushi at Captain Cook/Kona Island. Though here in the middle of nowhere 1 roll at the grocery store is easily $10, so it doesn't seem so overpriced to me. But it's no better than what I can get here, and I feel like it should be.

I'm not a fan of the nachos at Captain Cook's. I think it's the chips, but then again, I never use the pineapple salsa either, so maybe that's it.

Anyway, just saying hi, and thanks for the entertainment!