9 Days Poly CL DxDP...Too Much Food???...Too Much Fun!!!...1600 Pictures

[HeyIt'sMe]

The early morning hours at the Polynesian were my very favorite. I got up before everyone else with camera in hand ready for the sun to rise. The splendor of the Poly during the morning is something everyone needs to experience once......

ITA! We stay at the Poly - never CL but it sure sounds tempting - and my favorite part of the day is really early in the morning. I get up before DH & DD and get ready. Then I head out while it's still dark & quiet and walk around the grounds waiting for the sun to come up. I L-O-V-E it!

I can't wait to get back to the Poly this October!

Thanks for writing a TR.

 

[hstrickland]

Joining in. Great report so far. Love the Poly pictures.

One quick question though. Did you like being on the first floor?

We actually requested 3rd floor, but got 1st...was a bit disappointed, but after a day or two I fell in love with the 1st!!! You can't beat opening the door and walking straight to the beach, or sitting on the patio while the kids play in the grass....kinda made the room feel larger. My parents room was right next door (connecting rooms) and at night when we were watching Wishes, we moved all the chairs to our patio/grass and sat together....was great.

 

[Disneymom3304]

Joining in from the poly thread. We stayed at the Poly for the first time last month and fell in love After reading just 3 days of your trip I am seriously thinking a CL visit is coming Even if its just once...you make it sound heavenly Can't wait to read more

 

[Aristocath]

I'm really enjoying your trip report. I love the early mornings at Disney too.

 

[hstrickland]

Here we go again.....more Dxdp!!!! You know we like to eat.....I know what some of you are thinking....really, I do. "How do you do all TS restaurants and still have time for the parks?" I know you are thinking that Here's my answer in a nut shell:

1. I'm a planner....everything is planned out in advance.
2. I use The Unofficial Guide for Tourning Plans (which rides to do first, etc.)
3. We are not park commandos. We have been to WDW before, so hitting every single thing is not important to us....usually.
4. We usually have 7-8 days in the parks, so it's no need for us to rush.

Once again......ONLY MY OPINION ....Now on to the important stuff...PICTURES! Where did we eat for lunch?.....

12:15 reservation

First up.....appetizers....yum!!!!!!!!!!! This is one of our favorite restaurants.

Dim Sum basket (or something like that??) VERY tasty!!

Another tasty treat!!! Fried green beans!!! I think Whatever it was...very good!

Next on the menu.....the main course......

Tempura Shrimp - Love-love-loved it!!!!

Mahi mahi - ANOTHER tasty dish!!!

Last but certainly not least....my favorite.....DESSERT!

OMG!!! Can you say?

NOTHING that we had here was bad...it was ALL great! Also, it was really nice to be able to sit down in aircondition....it was super duper hot on this day!!!

Several of us decided to retire early from AK, while others of the party decided to be park commandos....great shows at AK.....Nemo, Lion King, the Bird Show, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade....

GREAT day parade...one of the best IMO

And what child can pass up these two characters????.....

More to come on Day 3....stay tuned.....DINNER Pix

 

[SurfinTX]

Joining in from the Poly thread. We will be checking in Sunday so this is a great warmup.

Loving the TR so far!

 

[hstrickland]

Back at the Poly after a day at the AK....have I said how much I LOVE the Poly??!!!......dinner at......

6:45 reservation

This restaurant was not only super yummy, it was loads of fun!!! We had a 6:45 ressie, but we arrived early to get our name on the list. I was told that you might have a long wait.....not so We only waited around 15 minutes. While waiting, they gave us a pager that worked on the second floor. So, we strolled around making MORE pix. I know y'all are surprised....ME making pictures??!!

Looking up to second floor

DD wanted to dress up for Ohana's. She has had this hula skirt for months and could not wait to wear it!

One Disney tradition that our family has is "Crazy Hat" pictures while at Disney....okay...I know...a little cheesy, but fun! You can get away with this at Disney

We had a table right in the middle of the action. Our server Brandon was outstanding. The food is served family style and let me tell ya, there is plenty of it to go around!!!

The pot stickers were great, as well as the salad.

The servers brought the meat on big skewers around to the tables and put as little or as much as you wanted on the plates.....very tasty.

It was super cool to see the guys cooking right in the middle of the restaurant in a big fire pit.

While eating, they gathered all the kids for a walk around the restaurant. The servers gave the children leis and small noise makers, and they walked in a single file line singing and dancing to music. The kids loved it!!!

They guy below played and sang as he walked through the restaurant...very Hawaiian!

I did not make a picture of the dessert It was a bread pudding to die for!!!! We almost made ourselves sick eating so much of it!

On our way out, we walked around the Poly before retiring to our rooms....little did we know that Jesse, our 3 year old, had been given stickers at some point....this was the result!

More to come on Day 4....stay tuned

 

[mulley16]

Mind if I join in too? Loving your trip report so far - you are really selling me on CL and TPV as well! Reading your report is really getting me excited for our first stay at Poly at the end of August. I wonder if I could convice DH to upgrade from GV to CL????

Great pictures - especially enjoyed the ones from Ohana. I had us booked for dinner at Ohana then we changed our plans - I kind of regret giving those ADRs up now. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[MinnieGarden]

Loving in your trip report! We will be there staying CL in 11 days!

 

[hstrickland]

Here I go again with early morning pix!! Please forgive me if you have already seen these....I get a little over zealous with my scenic shots Once again, I exited my room.....

(this is where I spent many mornings, afternoons & evenings)

...from the sliding doors and stepped right out to the pathway that lead to the dock. Thought I would see what it looked like at 6:30am. Have I told you that I'm in love with the Poly??????

Remember...I told you the dock was under construction...couldn't sit on the benches.

SeaRaycers....wanted to rent these, but didn't find time this trip...next time.

Strolled out to the dock and got these shots. Once again, I sat down and took it all in while thanking God for such a wonderful trip.

Had a little breakfast at the CL lounge....and ya know what is sooooo nice about CL? You can go in, grab something to eat, sit down without masses of people, enjoy the fabulous view, then leave.....no standing in line, punching orders in, fighting for a table, etc. Relax & enjoy the moment!!!!

then easily boarded the monorail for a very short trip to MK....

We arrived at the MK around 8:30! One of the things that makes WDW so special are the simple activities that they offer for the children. While waiting for Rope Drop, Faith and Jesse were......

We had an up close and personal view of Mickey & Friends coming in on the train. I know I sound like a Disney Dork (actually quite proud of the fact) but Rope Drop really sets the mood for the day...very upbeat and magical....sooooo Disney!

Whilel walking to some of our favorite rides, we encountered these characters!....

They were fantastic....hilarious, too!! DH got a kick out of their comments.

When it was time for Mickey's Toontown to open, we were there! Better get there early if you want to see the Princesses. WOW....the lines get really long! DS3 loved the ladies!

Call me crazy, cheap....whatever...have been called worse, but we made pictures of pictures.....okay....call me cheap. Some of the "pictures of pictures" turned out good,....some not so good.

Stay tuned for lunch & dinner pix.........

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Your pics are filling my longing for WDW pining! Absolutely fabulous - thanks!! Great job!

 

[Dizneydawn]

Love all the pics!

 

[jdd]

We had an up close and personal view of Mickey & Friends coming in on the train. I know I sound like a Disney Dork (actually quite proud of the fact) but Rope Drop really sets the mood for the day...very upbeat and magical....sooooo Disney!

You're so not a dork!!! I tend to tear up when that train comes around the bend - it's just so magical and the kids faces are priceless!! I also get goose bumps when I hear the music from Soarin'. DW is just my happy place

 

[jdd]

Just got my email from IPO - woohoo!! I don't even think I'll use them to make any reservations - I'm a little obsessive about doing that myself , but it was just so exciting to get a welcoming email.

I think I'm going to like this club level thing....

 

[hstrickland]

Guess what? We are hungry again!!!!!! Time for lunch at....

Once again, WDW does it right by giving the kids a spot to color and kill time while waiting!!!!!

Now, don't flame me! Okay....no flaming...just my opinion...BUT the choices at MK for TS meals are slim to none. We have tried Liberty Tree Tavern....ummm....not for me. Very "out of the box" type of food. My kids aren't big Pooh fans, so Crystal palace won't do it either. ANYWAY....we like Tony's for lunch....probably wouldn't do it for dinner, but lunch, yes.

12pm reservation

Appetizers....

Bruchetta....okay...nothing special

Tomatos & Mozerrella.....YUM!

Fried Zucchini (I think....of course anything fried with sauce is good)

Main Course...

Salmon Salad (okay) and Shrimp Pasta (good)

The desserts were excellent...Pistachio Creme Brule...I would kill for this

After lunch, we hit a few more rides....took in the sights...and of course made 100's of pix of the castle. Can you REALLY have too many pictures of the castle???

After some time back at the Poly for afternoon snacks and drinks, a little R&R, we headed over to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner at....

Look!!!....Once again, Disney has given the children a great place to wait!!!

If you have never been to The Whispering Canyon, you must go at least once. Whispering is something they DON'T do....hilarious! It's funny to watch guest who have no clue what is about to happen. When the CMs start yelling, the guest get really weird looks on their faces.....quickly, they figure it out

We did a 5:15 reservation so we could get back over to the MK for the Spectro Magic Parade.

Now....the food is NOT impressive, but the atmosphere is great. This is why we go....for the kids. They think it is the best!

The CMs line the children up for Horsey Races around the restaurant while parents sit and wave their napkins.

This is the best trick ever....when you ask for ketchup, your waitress will yell across the room, "WE NEEEEEED KEEEEETCHUP!" Random guest from all over the restaurant start bringing ketchup to the table....I believe we ended up with 15 bottles

Main course....

Meatloaf & mashed potatos....DON'T get this...not horrible, but certainly have had much tastier meatloaf....was edible

Ribs and chicken were better...not too bad at all!

Kid's Rib plate

Will we return to Whispering Canyon? Oh yes....for the children and atmosphere....not for the food.

After dinner, we walked around the Wilderness Lodge and made a few pictures. We stayed here a couple of years ago and loved it....if only it was on the monorail line, we would be back!!!

Stay tuned for more nightly fun at the MK!

 

[hstrickland]

Just got my email from IPO - woohoo!! I don't even think I'll use them to make any reservations - I'm a little obsessive about doing that myself , but it was just so exciting to get a welcoming email.

I think I'm going to like this club level thing....

Glad to know there are other obsessive people in the world when it comes to Disney. Surprisingly enough, I let the IPO do 90% of my dinner ressies. I was really concerned about getting some of the "hard to get" ones like CRT, Fantasmic Package, Le Ceiler, etc. I made a detailed list, sent it to the IPO weeks in advance of my 180 day mark. Then a few days before the 180 days, I emailed them making sure they had everything. On my 180 day mark at 7:05am, I got an email from the Poly with confirmed ressies!!!! I was hysterical!!! If we ever stay CL again, I will totally allow them to do it. I certainly understand where you are coming from, though....I'm so like that myself, but was pleasantly surprised at how efficent the Poly IPOs were.

Good luck!!! Let us know how it turns out You are going to love CL!

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I love all your pictures! Just one question...did you let some TS credits go to waste or is the second half of your trip loaded with signature restaurants?

 

[jdd]

Glad to know there are other obsessive people in the world when it comes to Disney. Surprisingly enough, I let the IPO do 90% of my dinner ressies. I was really concerned about getting some of the "hard to get" ones like CRT, Fantasmic Package, Le Ceiler, etc. I made a detailed list, sent it to the IPO weeks in advance of my 180 day mark. Then a few days before the 180 days, I emailed them making sure they had everything. On my 180 day mark at 7:05am, I got an email from the Poly with confirmed ressies!!!! I was hysterical!!! If we ever stay CL again, I will totally allow them to do it. I certainly understand where you are coming from, though....I'm so like that myself, but was pleasantly surprised at how efficent the Poly IPOs were.

Good luck!!! Let us know how it turns out You are going to love CL!

I've received a second email now requesting my ressie #s so they can put it on my "personalized itinerary" . Oh, this is definitely going to spoil me

If we decide to do CL again, I probably will let them handle all the details - this time I actually had most of my ressies made before we decided to switch to the Poly.

 

[Angel16]

Joining in followed on over from the Official Grand Floridian Photo Thread. Great trip report and pictures!

We love the Poly, it was the first resort I stayed at with my parents as a kid. Then returned with my DH, most recently we stayed CL third floor TPV (it wasn't called that then) Loved the view, but I think the first floor might be nicer. On the third you had to stand to see over the railing (yes, I am a bit short, but not that short.) Had to lift the kids up to see anything. Thanks for sharing the first floor view and convience. I know we will stay at the Poly in the furture (not this year, but soon).

Enjoying all the food pictures too.



Angel16

 

[hstrickland]

I love all your pictures! Just one question...did you let some TS credits go to waste or is the second half of your trip loaded with signature restaurants?

Believe it or not, every single TS credit was used! We did do signature restaurants, as well as the HDDR, Luau, & CRT which are also 2 TSs. Most of our breakfast meals were CL lounge...loved that!!! Will definitely show reveiws and pix of the signatures, HDDR, Luau & CRT.....this TR is taking longer than I thought, but I am still having fun putting it together....reliving my trip each picture I post