A grand adventure of a lifetime! May 2014 ( THE FINAL)

[Guatemommy]

Subbing! Enjoying your report! Reminds me of our first family trip with our DD 4 years ago - it was all about the magic and the princesses! Seeing it thru her eyes was a womderful mommy moment!

 

[horse11]

Subbing! Enjoying your report! Reminds me of our first family trip with our DD 4 years ago - it was all about the magic and the princesses! Seeing it thru her eyes was a womderful mommy moment!

Now I will have to admit that I enjoyed WDW as much as the kids but what REALLY makes it SPECICAL is watching how our boys responded to everything! That was truly magical and rewarding as a parent.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad you made it to rope drop and got some of those Disney "Feelings" right away - though sorry to hear of the issues your husband had - hope he made it back to participate in some of the fun

If the Magic Kingdom is just for little kids - just call me a little kid then

 

[horse11]

Glad you made it to rope drop and got some of those Disney "Feelings" right away - though sorry to hear of the issues your husband had - hope he made it back to participate in some of the fun

If the Magic Kingdom is just for little kids - just call me a little kid then

Isn't that the truth! that is what is so great about Disney, it brings the kid out in every one!

 

[tazdev3225]

I am trying to get caught up on TR's, including my own, so I took notes.

I understand the anxiety your DH gets. My DH and DS were both Correctional Officers, we don't ever call them prison guards here. My DH spent 12 or 13 years at one of the worst city prisons and had been through riots, injuries, spit on, etc. It is a really hard but necessary job. He carried a weapon with him everywhere, even bowling. Thankfully they took a transfer to the sheriff's department.

Caribbean Beach is one of my favorite resorts on property. I have read about people smelling an odor there but honestly I have never noticed it.

The airport troubles had me laugh. It reminded me of the TV show the Middle or Home Alone with everyone running to get there before the door closes. I am so obsessive about checking gates and cities that hopefully I will never have that issue. Glad you made the plane.

That water fountain at DTD always brings a smile to my face. I love watching the kids play there, even in December. I can see how your poor DS fell asleep. That first day can be a long one and tiring.

Too bad the crowds got to your DH. I can see how they would. I solved that at MK by doing an early morning ADR at Crystal Palace. I love the food and still get the effect of rope drop plus the bonus of walking in to an almost empty park.

I totally understand the picture issues. I have turned some of the rides into my personal challenge to get good dark pictures. Peter Pan is one I usually give up on.

OK I think I am caught up. Off to check my TR now.

 

[horse11]

I am trying to get caught up on TR's, including my own, so I took notes.

I understand the anxiety your DH gets. My DH and DS were both Correctional Officers, we don't ever call them prison guards here. My DH spent 12 or 13 years at one of the worst city prisons and had been through riots, injuries, spit on, etc. It is a really hard but necessary job. He carried a weapon with him everywhere, even bowling. Thankfully they took a transfer to the sheriff's department.

Caribbean Beach is one of my favorite resorts on property. I have read about people smelling an odor there but honestly I have never noticed it.

The airport troubles had me laugh. It reminded me of the TV show the Middle or Home Alone with everyone running to get there before the door closes. I am so obsessive about checking gates and cities that hopefully I will never have that issue. Glad you made the plane.

That water fountain at DTD always brings a smile to my face. I love watching the kids play there, even in December. I can see how your poor DS fell asleep. That first day can be a long one and tiring.

Too bad the crowds got to your DH. I can see how they would. I solved that at MK by doing an early morning ADR at Crystal Palace. I love the food and still get the effect of rope drop plus the bonus of walking in to an almost empty park.

I totally understand the picture issues. I have turned some of the rides into my personal challenge to get good dark pictures. Peter Pan is one I usually give up on.

OK I think I am caught up. Off to check my TR now.

Wow sounds like your husband knows what my husband had been through 1st hand. Glad he get the transfer.
I did not catch on to the Crystal Palace early ADR until very close to our trip and by that time it was too late. I think that is a fantastic idea and well use that the next time. I heard of others also getting the castle breakfast early ADR's as well. One other advantage to that ADR that I had never thought about was that you can also get a grreat picture of the Castle without the crowds around it. Wow that in itself would be worth it. I will have to check out your trip report. Thanks for following along

 

[DrTiger]

I remember being afraid of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland when I was Noah's age. Now as an adult, I can appreciate how brilliant my father was that he got me through it by pointing out how the ghosts were funny, not scary.

If you are Halloween people, you HAVE to try to get to MNSSHP during your October work trip!

I'm sorry rope drop was too much for your husband. Good for you to recognize that and go with plan B.

 

[horse11]

I remember being afraid of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland when I was Noah's age. Now as an adult, I can appreciate how brilliant my father was that he got me through it by pointing out how the ghosts were funny, not scary.

If you are Halloween people, you HAVE to try to get to MNSSHP during your October work trip!

I'm sorry rope drop was too much for your husband. Good for you to recognize that and go with plan B.

I did manage to get Noah to look at most of the scenes on the ride by telling him to look and see if there is anything that would be cool to add to our haunted house. He looked and did point out things he found intresting but I had to promise to not let him go. It did bring me back to the days of my youth when dad was always there to hold me tight as we went on the roller coaster rides. I was actually honored that Noah chose me to go on the ride with him and wanted me to be the one to protect him.

I am seriously working out a time to add MNSSHP to my trip. It should be easier to add it verses a full day at MK so I think it should be a very strong possibility.

It is all about working together and being flexible. Some things are trial and error other things can be adjusted as we go. We did adjust a bit on this trip which ended up working out quite well.

 

[horse11]

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I was very excited to head to Tony's for lunch! During the planning stages I came across the pictures below and found them interesting. I loved the decor of this restraunt as well as the Lady and the Tramp theme.

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Check out the beautiful stained glass windows.

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I checked my phone to see if there were any messages from my husband Bill but there was none. I had hoped that once inside he would be waiting there for us yet there was no sign of him. If my intution was correct rope drop would have scarred him off from returning to the park period. It became apparent that I would be Lady without Tramp.

Once we went inside I instantly fell in love with this restraunt. Since we had the opening ADR we were treated to the opening performance which to us was a bonus.

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The waiters were as chaming as the decor.

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We got to sit by the window.

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I loved how pretty the room looked and having a table near the window over looking the porch was perfect! I f you look closely you will see that there is even a Lady and the Tramp stained glass over the window.

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Now I have to say that by the end of our trip this restraunt was my all time favorite! We had eaten at signature restraunts and some big theme restraunts as well and yet this topped ALL of them. I just loved the decor and the food was fantastic and by far my favorite dish.

For some reason I did not think to take pictures of the food we ate so I had to download these. After taking our drink order bread was brought to our table and served with olive oil and special italian seasonings for dipping.

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I had the Shrimp Scampi which was accented by choped asperagus. This was by far the best Shrimp Scampi I have ever tasted in my life!

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I had the seasoned zuccini fries which were served with sun dried tomato dressing for dipping. They were far better than any french fries from any restraunt. I even had to share them with Alex who is a typically a french fri lover.

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For desert I had the Pistachio Creme Brulee. It was outstanding! It tasted as good as it looked! Honestly everything tasted and looked like Signature quality IMOP!

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Mom and dad ordered the flatbreads prepared with Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Carmelized Onions, topped with Mozzerella and Roasted Red Peper Sauce. These were just as good as my Scampi! The kids ordered the pizza but Alex wanted his without cheese. At first the waiter did not think we could order it without cheese since the childrens pizza's are premade. To our surprise that waiter got the chef to make Alex a special pizza just like mom and dad's flat breads but with pepperoni and sauce on it and minus the cheese! We made sure to tell the waiter to inform the chef that he made one little boy very happy!!!

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I had to make mention that mom ordered the tomato and mozzerella cheese served with Basil and Balsamic Dressing as an appetizer which was also outstanding!

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For dessert dad ordered the Chocolate Cake which IMOP was death by chocolate. After sampling a taste I felt as if I died and went directly to heaven!It was a layered Chocolate Cake with Hazenut Filling. OMG was that ASSUME!!!

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The boys each got the ice cream sundays.If you look closely you will see the Mickey Mouse shapped sprinkles. It made a really nice touch.

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With our belly full it was time to head for our first Fast Pass of the day, Buzz Light Year Space Range Spin. I was excited to get moving since right after that Noah and I would head to our meet and greet with Elsa and Anna which had been the HOTTEST FP+ known to man. We would also get to see them in the afternoon parade which we had managed to grab a Fast Pass for it as well. There would be plenty of "Frozen" in the air so why all the rain? Would the rain wash away our chances for seeing the parade?

 

[debsters41]

Great update, and it foreshadows how great your A&E outfits are going to be because we can see your 'Frozen' look. Gorgeous. I think Tony's comes in under the radar for most people but you sure do make it look good! I am seriously considering a shrimp scampi with the Dapper Dans

 

[horse11]

Completely content with the meal we headed to our Fast Past for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. It would be our first Fast Pass ever and wondered how it would all work. Once we had arrived we imediately felt like royalty as we were shown the quick route to the front of the line. WOW! Now that is living!!!

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We are a some what of a competitive family and by the looks of our ride pictures you can tell we were very determined to be the winner!

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Dad and Jaden ended up winning but Alex and I were very close behind him!

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After the ride, for the very first time I was greatful that Bill was NOT with us! It had decided to rain while we were on the ride. Actually it down poured! We were traped at the exit of the ride as people were stuck like sardines in a can. There was no where to go and people were jam packed against each other. We were stuck for twenty minutes like that. I just knew that if Bill was with us he would have been miserable. Finally a break in the rain and everyone was off. We had come to an area were there was drainage on the ground. I wish I would have taken a picture. The rain had come down so fast and so hard that it looked like a swimming pool! Of course the boys took advantage of it. There was no wait at all for Stitch and even though being told the ride was not worth it we decided to go for it! I am really glad we did because the kids loved it. Alex was giggling the whole time! It was then time to seperate. Noah and I headed to our meet and great with Elsa and Anna while the rest of the gang headed toward Tomorrowland Speedway. I could not believe it ! Even with the down pour the wait for Elsa and Anna was 140 minutes!!!! We found the Fast Pass entrance and honestly we were the third group in line! Anna was PERFECT!!1 She played the part to a T.

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They spent time talking with Noah whom at that moment became very shy. Noah had hoped that Sven and Olaf would be there but of course Anna has a reason why they were not. Noah was very excited to get everyones autograph and I was greatful to have bought the Photo Pass Plus.

My first attempt at performing Elsa's magic.

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While leaving Elsa and Anna poor Aurora was practically begging people to visit with her. I was glad we did and got a very nice picture with her. Noah also managed to get another autograph.

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When had left to go back outside Noah and I noticed how dark the sky had become. We barely made it to cover before it decided to down pour once again. This time we made it to the bathrooms and we waited with several others. Once again we were smashed up against many many people until the rain had come to a halt. Once the area cleared I took advantage of the situation, went in to the bathroom, and quickly changed into the out fit I had prepared for our evening Luau. I then texted mom only to find out their Fast Past for Tomorrow Land Speed Way was a complete wash out. The ride had closed and they were left seeking shelter. They had decided to head to the tents by Circus World in Fantasy Land. It is amazing how positive things can come out of a negative situation if you are patient and willing to adjust.
Once Noah and I arrived at the tents to meet mom and the rest of the family we found the cloud with the siliver lining. The rain had stoped and the rides reopened. We were now standing right in front of The Barnstormer with no wait! This was a ride we did not even think we would have time to ride since most likely it would be too long of a line by the time we would have ever managed to get there. Not only were we able to ride it but managed to ride it back to back! Jaden had thrown up his arms in sweet victory!

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Our luck did not stop there. We were also able to get on Dumbo a few times with very little wait at all!

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In fact we were having so much fun I did not realize how late it was getting. We had a Fast Pass for the Festival of Fantasy Parade which allowed us to arrive later and not have to fight for a great spot to see the parade. This would be a huge help for mom who could not stand for very long. I knew we could arrive later but looking at the time I realized we only had about 12 minutes before the parade was to start! I gathered the troops and we were then on a mission to get to our spot in time. I was hoping they would still let us in. When we arrived the CM was still checking people in. I was sooooo happy we made it! We even still made it in time to get pretty much right in front and as a bonus would have the Castle in the background of our pictures. How cool is that! Now mind you it was quite over cast and if it had been a sunny day we would have roasted in that spot. As we waited for the parade to head our way I realized it was well after 3:00pm. What was going on? An announcement was made on the loud speaker saying the Parade would be delayed due to the weather. Sure enough all around the sky was once again getting dark. We had come so close to not making it to the spot but succeeded in doing so and know there was a huge chance we would not see the parade at all. Not only was veiwing the parade at stake but we also had ADR's for the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show right after. We we have to regroup and change our plans?
There was nothing left to do but hang tight. It was then a waiting game. Just when we were about to give up the CM told us the parade had started moving and was heading this way but would it get to us before the weather did? The dark clouds around us were moving pretty quickly. It had become a race between the parade and the storm. Who would win?
I knew the Frozen girls were scheduled to be in a parade and Noah and I were really looking forward to seeing if Olaf would be on it. "Frozen' was on its way but so was the rain.
Then like magic we heard the music and saw the bright colored floats around the corner big as life! Can any one guess what I did? Well I burst into tears for the thrird time on this trip!!!! It was the most beautiful parade I had ever saw! The costumes were outstanding and the characters were so theatrical! It was unbelieveable!!!!

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Of course the Frozen girls mad their appearance along with Olaf!

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The expressions were priceless and made even an adult believe they were the real deal!

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It was so cool how this float would swing from side to side!

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The little Mermaid float with all the fish dancers was just assume!

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I just loved having the Castle as the background for a few of my shots.

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I was even able to capture the Dragon breathing fire!

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Little did we know that many of the dancers had skiped out before they had reached us which we did not find out about until days later. The last float was making it way towards us when once again it began to down pour. Only lasting about 10 minutes but long enough for us to wonder what we should do next. Would the Poly still go on with tonights show? At this point we were not sure what to do. I attempted to call but there was no way to call the hotel directly to get a straight answer. I did call the regular Disney line and was told they had not heard about any cancelations. Unfortunitly they are not that reliable. During the planning stages it appeared that the people on these boards had more information then the CM themselves. What should we do? If we went to the Poly and the show was canceled it would be a while before we could get to a place to eat yet if the show was to go on we sure would not want to miss it. It was decided that we would take a chance but would it be all for nothing? I sent Bill a quick text explaining the situation and that we were going to attempt it. Would we recieve a bit of Disney Magic? Would we finally meet up with my husband Bill?

 

[nutz2notz]

I am just loving your trip report.

I have to say your Elsa Disneybounding is perfectly magical I am thinking to try and get my daughters to Disneybound with me when we go next year, but not sure if I can convince them.

Looking forward to more.

 

[horse11]

Great update, and it foreshadows how great your A&E outfits are going to be because we can see your 'Frozen' look. Gorgeous. I think Tony's comes in under the radar for most people but you sure do make it look good! I am seriously considering a shrimp scampi with the Dapper Dans

I have heard that about Tony's but it really was my favorite and it would be the first restraunt I would definitely go back to.

 

[horse11]

I am just loving your trip report.

I have to say your Elsa Disneybounding is perfectly magical I am thinking to try and get my daughters to Disneybound with me when we go next year, but not sure if I can convince them.


Looking forward to more.

My Elsa Disney Bounding outfit was the one I was most proud of and the one I had the most fun putting together. You really should Disneybound even if your daughters do not want to do it. It is soooo much fun! It would be their loss if they choose not to do it. However if they did the possibilities for you guys doing a group Disneybounding would be endless!

 

[horse11]

I will be needing to back track a bit but will not have time until this evening. Please be sure to check back on The Magic of the Kingdom Part 4 for additions.

 

[horse11]

Just wanted every one to know I am caught up with The Magic of the Kingdom Part 4.

 

[debsters41]

Great update yet again! Cliffhangers and all . Those clouds do look ominous. But I must say, I have never seen better pictures of the parade. That FP was really worth it. I hate to imagine how long the 'other' people who were sitting around the hub had been waiting. Nice that the sun wasn't blazing down on you and your family.

I can't wait to see your luau outfit because I am hoping that it wasn't cancelled.

 

[horse11]

Great update yet again! Cliffhangers and all . Those clouds do look ominous. But I must say, I have never seen better pictures of the parade. That FP was really worth it. I hate to imagine how long the 'other' people who were sitting around the hub had been waiting. Nice that the sun wasn't blazing down on you and your family.

I can't wait to see your luau outfit because I am hoping that it wasn't cancelled.

So glad you are enjoying my TR! I love writting it but it makes it even more fun when some one like you enjoys reading it! I do have to say it was very nice to have the castle in the background of the parade and to just be able to walk up to a great spot like that so close to the start of the parade makes the FP worth while! I would do it again in a heart beat!

 

[horse11]

I was really wanting to give the boys a taste of Hawaii and the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show sorrounded by the the beautiful grounds of the Poly sounded like the next best thing to being on the islands themselves. As a group we decided to chance it. After all hopefully the waterfall would still be in operation and we could at least get a family picture next to it before it would be removed for ever. I really wanted to wear my beautiful hawaiian style dress to the luau but since we had planned on going straight there it just did not seem to be a good idea to carry my dress through the park all day. I instead decided to go casual and choose a pair of hawaiian board shorts with a top that would match the boys. I did dress it up with a hawaiian flower in my hair and a hawaiian flower necklass I had brought back from our Hawaiian vacation. It was much easier carring it in the park since it fit nicely in my mini back back. Wow was I glad I wore the board shorts. Since we had gotten caught in the downpour after the parade at least my shorts dried pretty quickly. Being wet did not stop us from getting a group shot infront of the castle on our way out of the park.

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I was really hoping to catch the boat ride to the Poly and thought it would be a relaxing way to get to the Luau but the boys wanted to ride the monorail. On our way there I had hoped we would get some and the waterfall would be in operation. It would be a historical moment since they had plans on removing it. Once we got to the Poly I was amazed at how beautiful the resort really was. As we walked into the lobby following the signs to the Luau I was pleasently surprised with a flower lei greeting right next to the beautiful waterfall! Even better yet we had the chance to take a family picture right next to it by a Disney Photographer! I was very pleased at how well our photo had come out especially after all we had been through that day.

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As pleased as I was seeing the waterfall and finding out the Luau was not canceled I was a bit disappointed I did not see my husband. However the boys found this character and just had to have their picture taken by him.

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As we headed out of the lobby it felt as if we had some how been transported to the Hawaiian Islands. Even the two younger boys were more than willing to have their pictures taken next to the lush surroundings of the Poly. Noah wanted to show off his photo book every chance he got.

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Alex just loved the flowers and kept telling my how beautiful they were.

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I wanted to show the boys in person what my favorite Hawaiian flower was and I definitely got my chance.

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I made sure I got a nice shot of the Volcano Pool since it too will be gone.

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We started our way toward the path that led to the Luau when we came accoss this guy.

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Shortly after we came to the entrance of the Luau.

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I have to say that the Poly really knew what it was doing when it planned on leading the guests of the Luau around the pathways of it's grounds. They were just so beautiful!

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As we approached the seating area it apeared as if the clouds had vanished and the sun began to shine. I could not help but think how fortunate we were that our entire day had worked out so well. I was not really expecting much from the Luau especially since My husband and I had had experienced a fantastic Luau in Hawaii. While the food was being served I thought to myself that this Luau was at least off to a great start. I just loved the special touches the Poly had such as the leaf plates.

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Our waitress insisted we relax and enjoy ourselves. Dad attempted to hand her his plate when he was done and she gently reminded him he was on vacation and to leave the clean up to her. Mom certainly seemed to be enjoying herself.

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When our meal was complete we were pampered once again with hot lemon towels for clean up. I really could get use to this! I was very pleased with way the food was displayed as well as how delicious everything was but was prepared to not be impressed with the show thinking it would be more theatrical in nature. I wondered if it would meet my expectations or completly blow me away.

 

[horse11]

As the show started it began as if it was a play with a theatrical feel to it just as I had anticipated. as the show went on I was completely caught off guard and how good this show really was! This was as good as the Luau my husband I had experienced on the Islands! I was very impresed! The boys seemed to be mesmerized by it's charm.

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Even my father seemed to be in a trance.

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One of the many things I have come to love about the Hawaiian culture is how expressive they are with there hands. It seems to be such a sensual way of story telling and I find it fascinating. These dancers were very skilled and expressed such a work of art.

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The costumes the dancers had displayed were very vibrant and very simular to the ones worn by the Hawaiian dancers of the Islands.

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Mom really came alive when these guys made it to the stage. She wanted to make sure she got a nice close up spot to get a good view.

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My favorite was the fire dancer adding a bit of danger to the atmosphere.

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The great thing about still having the old Photo Pass Plus which was before Memory Maker is that you still got a print of your dinning pictures and they put it in a nice package for you.

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Included was a picture of all the performers.

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When the show was over my family left totally amazed. We all loved the show. I highly recommend it if you have never seen it before. On our way out we hit the beach to enjoy the beautiful view. I had set up a photography session at the Poly for our last full day at Disney and our second MK day. I knew that this would be the area I would request to have our family photos taken.

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The Polynesian Resort has such a beautiful beach area near the Luau that you would never know there was any construction being done further down the beach. You could pretty much seclude your self away from any signs of construction what so ever.

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While my parents and I enjoyed the veiw the boys enjoyed other asppects of the beach.

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Our attempt to get a beach shot

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Of course mom and dad also had to get in on the action.

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On our walk back I was completly taken back by the beauty of this resort and feeling completely satisfied by how well our day had gone.

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I was really looking forward to getting back to our resort and seeing my husband. While heading to our room I had a look around our resort. I really had not even had the time to see what our resort had to offer. As much as I had fallen in love with the Polynesian Resort I was really impressed with ours. I found it very beautiful with the warm glow of the lights at night and was really looking forward to checking the rest of this resort out. Tomorrow would a more relaxing day since we had Animal Kingdom planned with an early dinner at Rainforest Cafe. I could only hope all would go well and that we could come back to our resort to relax by the pool in the evening. May be then I could really get a glimpse of what this resort was like.

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