A Polynesian Birthday: March 6th - 12th! *Updated and completed 6/10*

[paradesintherain]

Following along. I adore your TRs especially with your dad because I’m besties with my dad! Yay for your trip to June and your planning details!

Aww that's so nice, thank you! Dads are so wonderful!

For some reason I'm more excited for the June trip than I was for the March trip. I thought maybe it was because there was a longer amount of time between our March/June trip than there was between November/March, but it's actually LESS time.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of both. I’m hoping to book my adr tomorrow for the brunch! My family loves breakfast and will eat their weight in bacon at least so I’m hoping that will justify the high cost. We did sci fi drive in last June but I did not get to order an actual meal because I was too busy wrangling my two kids to actually eat. I always hear their burgers and shakes are awesome though.

I'll be sure to report back! Were you able to get the ADR?

A parent's job is never done! Maybe someday you'll actually get to eat there!

A bit late to the party, but joining in! The DAH looks awesome! We're going to the one in September, and your report on it has me so excited!

DAH was really great, I hope you have a good experience with it too!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot



Before I jump into our Epcot day I wanted to share this photo I forgot to include from the Disney After Hours. It's not the best ever, but I like it, and you can see how weighted down my purse was with bottled drinks, plus we were carrying some!

I have no notes for the rest of the vacation, except some monorail transit times, so I'm going by memory! This could get interesting.

So I have that we left the room at 9:48 and walked to the TTC. The beautiful pathways at the Polynesian never got old, and our room was such a perfect location. Close to the action of the Grand Ceremonial House, but also a short walk to the TTC.

The TTC signs are the cutest!

We boarded monorail blue at 10:07. I forgot how great the views are from the Epcot monorail!

How do palm trees make everything look better?

We arrived at the park at 10:26, so from room to park it was about 40 minutes. The monorail is fun, but maybe not all it's cracked up to be. And from the other monorail resorts I think it would be such a hassle to board a monorail to the TTC, then transfer to the Epcot line. Maybe I'm wrong, and it works out better than I imagine.


Once inside the park it looks like we headed straight for The Land to use our coveted FP! This was the line for Living With The Land.

If you guessed our coveted FP was for Soarin' you were very wrong. We jumped on LWTL, bypassing that absurdly long line.

My favorite vegetable grows so strangely.

That's actually the extent of the photos I took on that ride, which is very surprising for me. We quickly peaced out of the madhouse that was The Land when our ride was finished.



Next post: Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 2
​

 

[RLGNC]

Once inside the park it looks like we headed straight for The Land to use our coveted FP! This was the line for Living With The Land.

That's crazy! I don't think I've ever seen the line for LWTL that long!

 

[MiracleCream]

I'll be sure to report back! Were you able to get the ADR?

A parent's job is never done! Maybe someday you'll actually get to eat there!

ADR day was today but noooo California grill brunch slots available I set up alerts and gonna keep trying. My back up plan is homecoming brunch since it starts in July. Hopefully that will be a solid back up plan. I did get a sci fi diner ADr for round two of “will momma get to eat her food?”

 

[missangelalexis]

What a great afternoon at DHS! Glad you enjoyed your lunch and indulged in some other bday treats The sunset pics are gorgeous!

Even if it wasn't the best viewing spot, at least you got to end the night with fireworks!

Love the photos from your monorail ride to Epcot!

 

[suse66]

Who's excited for Star Wars land?!

Cute picture!!

I just realized that Groot is trying to plug in the speaker, just like at the start of Guardians 2. And speaking of the Guardians of the Galaxy, I'm really looking forward to their dance party at Epcot this summer. Maybe Guardians isn't the best fit for Epcot, but oh well. There's no denying Future World needs some sort of change (though I'm pretty sure this dance party is at the American pavilion).

I love the music from Guardians so know I would love the dance party. I hope it is on in August too!

Since it was my birthday I wanted to ride Tower of Terror again, so I grabbed a FP for 6:10.

Nothing better than ToT!

Dad ordered the nachos because everyone raves about them. The chips were delicious - a mix of wonton chips and homemade potato chips, but neither of us were fans of the sweet pineapple salsa.

I definitely want to try these in August. I wonder if they would put the salsa on the side?

Look at this perfect Moana swirl!

It is perfect!

That's impressive! My dad doesn't understand the draw of the bread service so he suggested we skip it next time. Absolutely not! haha

Sanaa without bread service is just wrong!

Does it end just before your trip? It starts the day I leave in June so I'm missing it too. So sad!

my trip is the middle of the two August dates.

• Sci-Fi Drive In - I've only been here once way back in 2005, and people keep saying how much they love the atmosphere and enjoy the food, so why not give it a shot again?

I love Sci-Fi! It is always a must do for our family.

• Try for Boma breakfast one morning? (We've been to all the AKL restaurants, but never breakfast at Boma)

I ate at Boma for breakfast last summer and it was AMAZING! I don't think I really ate again for the rest of the day.....

• Swim in AKL pool. This will be my third time staying there, and I worked there, and I've never swam in the pool.

The pool is great. There is a really nice, shady, secluded to the left of the slide that is good to hang out at . The pool drinks are good too!

This was the line for Living With The Land.

That is crazy.....I do love LWTL so much though.

 

[disneyAndi14]

We love the muppets! Your salad at Brown Derby looks really yummy! I’m glad they opened up a little piece of Streets of America

FP+ ruined LwtL in my opinion, it was such a fun filler ride, now it is packed all the time, ugh!!

Love your “fun” list for your June trip.

 

[paradesintherain]

That's crazy! I don't think I've ever seen the line for LWTL that long!

I know! It was so crazy

ADR day was today but noooo California grill brunch slots available I set up alerts and gonna keep trying. My back up plan is homecoming brunch since it starts in July. Hopefully that will be a solid back up plan. I did get a sci fi diner ADr for round two of “will momma get to eat her food?”

Oh no! I think it's only available on certain days of the week (but you probably already know that), and I think I didn't find openings until after the 180 day mark... maybe they release it later? I hope you find an availability, but Homecoming brunch sounds really great too.

Yay! Glad you at least got the Sci-Fi ADR! The kids will be a little bit older this time so maybe they'll give you a break and let you actually try the food I didn't realize Sci-Fi was so hard to get!

What a great afternoon at DHS! Glad you enjoyed your lunch and indulged in some other bday treats The sunset pics are gorgeous!

Even if it wasn't the best viewing spot, at least you got to end the night with fireworks!

Love the photos from your monorail ride to Epcot!

Thank you! Sunset is my favorite at DHS.

The monorail ride was one of my favorite parts, even if it isn't that speedy!

Cute picture!!

Thank you!

I love the music from Guardians so know I would love the dance party. I hope it is on in August too!

The soundtracks are killer for those films, so I agree that it sounds like a lot of fun!

I read that it will run from June 9 - August 19!

Nothing better than ToT!

Agreed! Except maybe Splash Mountain. Can never decide which I love more.

I definitely want to try these in August. I wonder if they would put the salsa on the side?

I bet they would! They're worth trying - my brother and his GF raved about them in November so that's why Dad had to try them. Hopefully you enjoy them more than he and I did!

It is perfect!

I was very impressed, the fireworks shapes can be very hit or miss

Sanaa without bread service is just wrong!

YES! Even if I have to eat it myself, I will be ordering it!

my trip is the middle of the two August dates.

Ugh, that is such a bummer

I love Sci-Fi! It is always a must do for our family.

I've really only heard positive things about it recently!

I ate at Boma for breakfast last summer and it was AMAZING! I don't think I really ate again for the rest of the day.....

Is it worth the money? It always seems a little pricy for a breakfast but then again, I've never heard anyone say anything negative about it.

The pool is great. There is a really nice, shady, secluded to the left of the slide that is good to hang out at . The pool drinks are good too!

Oooh the slide! Must do the slide too! And then reward myself with a pool drink

That is crazy.....I do love LWTL so much though.

I do too, kinda disappointing with FP+ has done to some of the lines, but oh well.

We love the muppets! Your salad at Brown Derby looks really yummy! I’m glad they opened up a little piece of Streets of America

FP+ ruined LwtL in my opinion, it was such a fun filler ride, now it is packed all the time, ugh!!

Love your “fun” list for your June trip.

Muppets are so fun!

My salad was really yummy - and it's nice to eat something that ~feels a little lighter than most of the food at Disney.

Yeah, FP+ has bumped up waits for a lot of rides that used to be easy walk-ons. I remember never having to wait for Spaceship Earth. On the plus side, I've had good luck finding same day FPs for most attractions so I guess it balances out.

Thanks! It's been fun thinking up new things to do (or things that I haven't done in a long time).

 

[richmo]

...Is it [Boma breakfast] worth the money? It always seems a little pricy for a breakfast but then again, I've never heard anyone say anything negative about it...

I think it is worth the money. What we've done is have a relatively late breakfast, have a pretty big meal, then not really have lunch that day...maybe a mid-afternoon snack.

 

[paradesintherain]

I think it is worth the money. What we've done is have a relatively late breakfast, have a pretty big meal, then not really have lunch that day...maybe a mid-afternoon snack.

Thanks for sharing! It looks like the only day we could do it is the day I have a Sci-Fi ADR... but it's at 2:45 so maybe if it was an earlier breakfast?

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 2



So we had just gotten of Living with the Land and exited The Land pavilion. The butterfly garden was calling my name!

Always have to get weird angles on the topiaries since people are always in front getting their picture taken.

We quickly made it to the Butterfly Garden, and there were a lot of butterflies flying around. Last year when I went it was only the first or second day so there weren't many butterflies. My camera was being awful and wouldn't focus so I couldn't really get any good pictures of the butterflies.

When we left we stumbled upon the Flower and Garden merchandise area. I really missed the Wonders of Life pavilion as the festival center; but I was able to find the ears I wanted and quickly purchased them. Now I see that they have lace ears with flowers that I like a little more, but oh well.

We were on the way to the World Showcase since our next FP was at Frozen Ever After. The orchid trail next to the Mexico pavilion is one of my favorite parts of the Flower and Garden festival.

We made our way to the Norway pavilion, and then I decided I wanted nachos for lunch, so we backtracked to Mexico.

There were beautiful Coco exhibits up that seemed new since I had been there in November. The ofrenda was so realistic. I think we went in they pyramid to determine if La Cava del Tequila was an option, but the line was too long.

It was fine with me because I knew I wanted La Cantina de San Angel anyway. I know it doesn't always get high praise, but their nachos definitely hit the spot when that's what you're craving. Dad was skeptical but he agreed they were much better than he was imagining!

Nachos - Tortilla Chips topped with Ground Beef, Nacho Cheese, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Beans and Sour Cream


Now that I was less hangry we were able to head back to Norway to use our Frozen Ever After FP.

Our wait in the FP line was short. Maybe someday I'll do standby to see the rest of the queue.

I tried taking a few photos on the ride, and got a few that are about a degree less than terrible.

Sven is my favorite!

After our 30 second ride I saw this troll. Aw, Maelstrom!

Up next was China!

I decided we should try something new/old so we got in line for Reflections of China. Man, is that one dated film! It was also a little bit cheesy with the dead poet narrator, but I'm glad we did it.

I'll continue our tour of the world in the next post!



Next post: Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 3​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 3



After our stop in China we marched onward, and ran into some Lion King characters!

We stopped in Germany; Dad had his eye on a treat that had been well-received at the start of Flower and Garden.

Toasted Pretzel Bread - topped with Black Forest ham and melted gruyere cheese

We were sadly misled by the initial positive reviews. The cheese wasn't melty, it was hard and unappetizing. Dad ate it all, but he wasn't impressed.

He was much more impressed with his beer flight.

It was a very grey day.

We checked out the rest of the Germany pavilion before we moved on. I had thought I might want something at the caramel store that I won't attempt to spell, but the line was too long for me to bother with.

Next up was Italy! I was fond of these potted flowers.

Italy is a nice looking pavilion, but I never find much to do there. This time I saw something that sparked my interest!

I've recently realized that I really enjoy tiramisu so when I saw this dessert I couldn't pass it up. I imagined it'd be like regular tiramisu in a pop form, because my reading comprehension skills are lacking. If yours aren't, you'll see that it says it's tiramisu gelato. It was fine, but not what I was expecting. I did like the ladyfingers part, though. Probably wouldn't repeat this treat.


We spent a short amount of time in Japan perusing the store, though I didn't make any purchases.

Morocco was next, and I consider it one of the most visually pleasing pavilions, and I love exploring the alleyways.

I found a PP photographer back there and had to try it out, so, without further ado, I present a picture with WAY too much pattern.

It probably would have been a really cute picture if I had been wearing a solid color, and maybe didn't have on busy ears as well. There was also a magic shot with Iago there, but it's really bad and I can't bring myself to share it. But if you like magic shots be on the look out in Morocco!


Beside Morocco there was a really cute garden that had some unique things growing like these peanuts!

I *think* these are teeny tiny olives. Regardless of what they were I thought they were adorable.

We made it to France. I had to very strategically take this photo so there weren't strangers in it.

Even though it seems like I just had that tiramisu, I decided I wanted another dessert because I was dying to try the macaron ice cream sandwich! It was pretty good, but they scoop the ice cream between the cookies and then freeze the whole thing so the cookies are pretty hard. I think it'd be a lot better if they cookies were room temperature and the ice cream was freshly scooped, but I understand that would be rather time consuming.

Onward to the UK pavilion! The Peter Pan topiaries are cute, but I liked it when Peter was on the roof.

It seems we didn't stop at the Rose and Crown pub this time, which is pretty unusual! We'll continue our tour around the showcase in the next post!



Next post: Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 4​

 

[richmo]

Thanks for sharing! It looks like the only day we could do it is the day I have a Sci-Fi ADR... but it's at 2:45 so maybe if it was an earlier breakfast?

That's not a bad idea, plus it gets you into the park earlier. That's the drawback with doing the late breakfast -- late park arrival. If you have your Boma breakfast early, a late lunch/early dinner at Sci-Fi works pretty well, I would think.

 

[missangelalexis]

Love all your topiary pics! And your new ears are so cute! Sounds like a great time exploring the countries

 

[disneyAndi14]

Love your ears, I always want ears but I never like wearing them I wear Andi’s once in awhile, she has many!

The nachos look so delicious, we have been impressed with the QS in Mexico

I heard the same things about the ham and cheese dish at F&G, it was only good when The bloggers were there

 

[paradesintherain]

That's not a bad idea, plus it gets you into the park earlier. That's the drawback with doing the late breakfast -- late park arrival. If you have your Boma breakfast early, a late lunch/early dinner at Sci-Fi works pretty well, I would think.

It's the only way to do it so hopefully it's not too much food! Might keep looking for a later Sci-FI, though.

Love all your topiary pics! And your new ears are so cute! Sounds like a great time exploring the countries

Thank you!

I notice you have a ton of ears when I read your Sugies part 2 trip report. How many do you have? I only have 4 right now, but I'll probably buy some more on my next trip.

Love your ears, I always want ears but I never like wearing them I wear Andi’s once in awhile, she has many!

The nachos look so delicious, we have been impressed with the QS in Mexico

I heard the same things about the ham and cheese dish at F&G, it was only good when The bloggers were there

There's certain ears I can wear ok, and unfortunately the coveted rose gold ears are not one of them! They're tight and the sequins snag my hair. It's very sad

The nachos are good! Might try some different options in Mexico next time!

The ham and cheese was such a bummer for my dad. His only must try!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Epcot, part 4



We continued on our way around the World Showcase.

At the Northern Bloom kitchen I spotted something I wanted to try!

Seared scallops with French green beans, butter potatoes, brown butter vinaigrette, and applewood smoked bacon

I really enjoyed this dish! The scallops were cooked well and the brown butter vinaigrette complemented them nicely. It was also nice to get some vegetables.


We made it to the Honey Bee-stro area which was such a cute area! It makes me crave honeycomb just thinking about it.

I didn't actually get anything at those kitchens, and we kept walking toward the front of the park because I wanted to see if we could pick up our AP magnets.

Along the way we ran into a person handing out Go-Go Squeez, which started an obsession for me. Before these I can't remember the last time I had applesauce, but these were so good I buy them all the time now. That was some really effective advertising on their part.

We were able to quickly grab our AP magnets, I didn't take a picture but they're very cute and I like collecting magnets for my fridge.

We rode Spaceship Earth with a FP. Have I mentioned that I miss the Jeremy Irons narration? Cause I do.

So, I really don't remember what happened next and my pictures are confusing. We walked over to the Test Track area and checked out the topiaries and gardens.

And then it appears we walked back to Mexico? That makes no sense. Maybe we wanted a margarita, but were thwarted due to long lines. Maybe we were passing time before a Test Track FP?

But we didn't get margaritas there; instead we turned around and walked to the other entrance of World Showcase and I got a Bloody Mary at Refreshment Port?

The Bloody Mary was really good - like a meal in a cup! Classic Disney nuggets, and they were hot and fresh. It seems they changed the drink now to include jerky and jumbo shrimp instead.

After a Bloody Mary we apparently walked to the other side of the park and got on Test Track. I make very impractical cars. For some reason I don't have the PP picture from this ride.

After all that walking back and forth we decided to make our way out of the park, but first I spotted a hat that I thought Dad needed, and he actually did end up purchasing it! I took this picture so he could see how it looked.

When I went to the locker to pick up our jackets I noticed some people sleeping in that building. It was surprising, but who can blame them? Disney is tiring!

Up next - evening at the Polynesian!
Next post: Day 5 - Saturday, March 10th - Monorail Resort tour​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 5 - Saturday March 10th - Monorail Resort tour



We left Epcot, and my very last note is that we boarded the monorail at 6:07, and were back at our room by 6:26. A much better transit time than the morning! The Polynesian grounds are so lovely so I really enjoyed the walk back from the TTC.

Back in our room we sat on the patio and decided what we wanted to do.

I decided it was high time that I tried a Dole Whip, so off I went.

With a detour to check out Trader Sam's Terrace.

I made me way to the Pineapple Lanai and ordered a pineapple swirl soft serve.

I brought my Dole Whip back to the patio to enjoy.

...But, enjoy it, I did not. I'm a fan of pineapple, and I love ice cream, but this tasted incredibly artificial to me. It seemed to coat my mouth with chemical ickiness. Man, I really wanted to like this dessert, but I disliked it so much I couldn't even finish it.


After I threw my Dole Whip away we decided to hop on the Monorail and check out the other two monorail resorts.

Our first stop was, obviously, the Grand Floridian.

We checked out Basin and I made my dad wash his hands with one of their scrubs because it was amazing, and made my hands feel so smooth. He said it made his hands feel slimy . I had never been to Gasparilla Island Grill -- after asking for directions because I had no clue where it was. We hadn't eaten dinner yet so I thought we might find something interesting there. Spoiler alert: we didn't. But I did spot this rose gold unicorn cupcake. Disney was over the top with the rose gold!

Having found nothing to eat at the Grand, we jumped back on the monorail and checked out the Contemporary.

We checked out the Contemporary's food options, and this mini cake was so cute! None of the food options really caught my interest, though.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Contemporary. The hustle and bustle of the tower is kind of exciting, but it's pretty devoid of any theme or real charm. The rooms are nice and large. Guess I'll be able to form my opinion better in June when we stay there again.

In the BVG store I did find a birthday cake Mickey scone! I had seen this before the vacation and wanted to get it, but also forgot about it, so it was really just luck that I stumbled upon it. It was enjoyable, but not quite the scone texture I'm used to and the flavor was a little one note. I probably wouldn't repeat it, but it was fun to try once.

Since we struck out at both resorts, we ended up back at Capt Cook's and ordered some food to take back to the room.

Aloha Pork Sandwich - Pulled Pork on a Brioche Bun with Cheddar, Asian Slaw, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes served with choice of French Fries, House-made Chips, Asian Slaw or Steamed Vegetables

I liked this sandwich pretty well. It had a lot of unique flavors that worked surprisingly well together, and I liked the crunch of the slaw and other vegetables in contrast with the pulled pork. Again, I probably wouldn't repeat it, but I was satisfied!

We spent the rest of the night in our room relaxing. We definitely spent a lot more time at the resort this trip and it was a nice change of pace!



Next Post: Day 6 - Sunday, March 11th - Animal Kingdom​

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love resort hopping when staying at one of the monorail resorts. We have stayed at all 3 and GF was my favorite stay, followed by Poly, then Contemporary (we were in Garden wing). My DVC fave is BLT so go figure!

I tried the blueberry Mickey scone from that same shop and it was just fair.

I’m sorry you didn’t like a dole whip. I like the swirl but do not like the plain dole whip. The upside down pineapple cake with the vanilla on it is yummy!

The hat looks great on your dad and your Bloody Mary yum!

People will sleep anywhere, I guess

 

[jacksdadcan]

That hat your dad got looks great!