ALOHA! The Poly FAQ~ Spring 2010 Edition

[kdunkle904]

Glad to hear about the larger cameras fitting in the safe. We have always taken our small one but since this is our daughters 1st trip, I'm bringing out the big guns!! :
Im a little nervous about carrying it around and trying to ride the rides with the camera though.

 

[mdrob214]

Glad to hear about the larger cameras fitting in the safe. We have always taken our small one but since this is our daughters 1st trip, I'm bringing out the big guns!! :
Im a little nervous about carrying it around and trying to ride the rides with the camera though.

I don't think you'll have a problem. I've carried mine in my Baggalini Messenger bag, wrapped in a washcloth from the room, the last 3 trips with no troubles. I also bring a gallon zip-top baggie for water rides(but I don't leave it in there).

 

[chicmommy]

another sept 1st timer! Been going to the poly to eat since i was 4 lets see thats since 1978..lol!
Im so excited im having a really hard time concentrating on work..im addicted to dis!

i feel like i am addicted to my disney trip!!!!

 

[bethclayton]

Ever so slightly OT, but you might be surprised about the DSLR. Our trip last month was my first taking it, and I thought I wouldn't use it that much, but the pics were so awesome that I decidedto try it a few park days. I got a really cute sherpani bag that just fit it, put my poncho at the bottom of the bag to cushion it, and I really didn't notice it when I wan't using it. Never felt to heavy or in the way. I'm definitely a convert to taking it with me, I'll never again do a trip without it- of course, ymmv. I did take my bags on all the rides with me, incl ToT, EE, SM, etc. it really didn't cause as much bother as I thought it would.

Sorry, back to the regularly scheduled thread.

I always say I don't want to take my DSLR with me every day, but I always do. I just know I'd regret not having it on the one day I left it behind. I did, however, leave the large zoom lens in the safe this whole trip. The safe had plenty of room.

i needed to hear this, because i have been honestly dreading dealing with the dslr in disney. i just got it a few weeks ago, and i love it, but the more i was thinking about schlepping it around disney, the more it seemed like it would be a chore. i'm glad to hear it's not.

right now i am so worried about basically putting anything else in the bag with it, i'm totally paranoid that something will happen to the lens. so far, i have mostly kept it in a separate bag when i'm out and about with it. do you keep a separate bag for it or throw in your other supplies in the same bag (minus water bottles, of course, lol!)?

 

[dizneechic]

I also schlepped around my DSLR when we went in Feb, as well as my Lumix ZS3 P&S. I have a quantaray black rectangle DSLR bag that I put the dividers in and had my camera in 1 side with my wallet and necessities in the other side. I swore I wouldn't bring it into the park every day, but did 9 out of 10 days because it wasn't bad to manage at all! This trip I plan on bringing it again (need fab poly shots!) but will also bring along my ZS3 and my new waterproof lumix to see if we can get some cool volcano slide action shots.

I haven't quite decided if the DSLR will be going into the parks since now we'll have 2 smaller P&S's with us (one for vid, one for stills) and they are both wonderful so I *may* be ok without. But I am sure I'll cave at least twice for a day in MK & EP...

 

[jetskigrl]

Thanks everyone for the input on the DSLRs. I will certainly leave open the possibility of bringing it with me to the parks more We will have three cameras with us on this trip (the DSLR, the P&S and the underwater P&S), LOL. I have no doubt that they will all be used ;-)

Now I have been looking at the little Flip video cameras, LOL.

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

Add us to the list who carried their DSLR into the park! We normally carried around one of our necks but when we rode rides we just put in in the backpack with our hoodies as cushioning. We also took a ziploc bag to keep it dry in case it rained. The one day it was pouring before we even left, we took our small digital camera!

 

[dizneechic]

Thanks everyone for the input on the DSLRs. I will certainly leave open the possibility of bringing it with me to the parks more We will have three cameras with us on this trip (the DSLR, the P&S and the underwater P&S), LOL. I have no doubt that they will all be used ;-)

Now I have been looking at the little Flip video cameras, LOL.

We have a Flip as well and NEVER use it. I much prefer the convenience of using the HD vid feature on my P&S, plus it's 1 less thing to carry around. Our flip has been forked over to the kids who rarely use it (well my 5 y/o likes taping her stuffed animals ), so IMO I would skip it if any of your other ones are capable of shooting decent vid.

SO since were all chatting cameras... how have you managed to deal with camera fog on the lenses in the morning? I know if your on a 2nd or 3rd floor room you can stick it on the balcony an hour before you head out to bring it up to outside temp, but if your on a 1st floor room with patio I would feel uneasy about popping it out there for any length of time. Any one have ideas how to ease the transition from AC to FL outside temps to get those fabulous sunrise shots fog free?

 

[weHEARTmickey]

SO since were all chatting cameras... how have you managed to deal with camera fog on the lenses in the morning? I know if your on a 2nd or 3rd floor room you can stick it on the balcony an hour before you head out to bring it up to outside temp, but if your on a 1st floor room with patio I would feel uneasy about popping it out there for any length of time. Any one have ideas how to ease the transition from AC to FL outside temps to get those fabulous sunrise shots fog free?

What a GREAT idea!! This will be our first trip with my new Canon T1i & I never even thought about the "fog" issue. Thanks for the info

 

[ireland_nicole]

i needed to hear this, because i have been honestly dreading dealing with the dslr in disney. i just got it a few weeks ago, and i love it, but the more i was thinking about schlepping it around disney, the more it seemed like it would be a chore. i'm glad to hear it's not.

right now i am so worried about basically putting anything else in the bag with it, i'm totally paranoid that something will happen to the lens. so far, i have mostly kept it in a separate bag when i'm out and about with it. do you keep a separate bag for it or throw in your other supplies in the same bag (minus water bottles, of course, lol!)?

I just kept seperate supplies in different pockets (I don't really need much). I kept the water on a carebeiner (sp?) hanging off the outside- (after I waterproofed the bag LOL). I always keep a clear filter on the end of my lens, and this trip I was very glad of it. DS knocked my camera off the table at Raglan Road, but all that broke was the outer filter, so I was out $20 instead of $500.

 

[Tess]

What a GREAT idea!! This will be our first trip with my new Canon T1i & I never even thought about the "fog" issue. Thanks for the info

That fogging lens issue is a royal pain. I had quite a few pictures go awry because of the fog from carrying the camera in and out of AC to humidity. Great idea about putting it outside an hour before, but I rarely take an hour before I'm out and about.

The camera was in its case while in the room and the second I took it out when we were out of the building in the a.m.--fogged lens. Thankfully, there were days where I was able to let it sit on a table around the pool while it came to even temperature.

 

[SeaSpray]

Hi everyone:

I finally got some pictures up on my website. Here's a link to the page: http://www.brownfamilyvacations.com/html/disney2010.htm It's not completed yet, and I'll add more tomorrow night.

I'm sorry to say that there are only a few pictures from the Polynesian, but there's a nice pic of the view from our room:

The thing is, we've stayed at the Polynesian before, and if I took new pics of the pool, buildings, grounds, etc, they'd look exactly the same as the pictures that are already on my web site. This is a GOOD thing, because that means that the Polynesian is consistently beautiful!

Here's a link to my page with a LOT of pictures of the resort, from 2007! http://www.brownfamilyvacations.com/html/polynesianjul2007.htm

 

[mirlow]

Love the view. It's nice to see what a LV room looks like since they started assigning the TPV. I think the palm trees add ambience

 

[scarlett24]

Great pics Seaspray. Thanks for sharing. I love looking at pictures of the Poly and WDW, a nice reminder of our recent WDW vacation, ahhh wonderful memories. Thanks again.

 

[kaffinito]

We just returned home after 10 days in Orlando. The first week off site at a 2 bedroom condo and then three days at the Poly. This was my first stay at the Poly since I was a kid in the early 70's when my parents took us there.

We had a tremendous 3 days. DD13, DD11 & DS8 loved the volcano pool and the entire Poly atmosphere (as did DW & I).

When we checked in we were initially assigned a GV 2 floor non balcony room. I inquired about the possibility of a balcony as with 5 of us and children going to bed earlier than DW & I a balcony would be a good place to relax for an hour or two before going to bed ourselves. Without any difficulty we were switched to FIJI 3302. This room faces the Grand Floridan and it was a beautiful view.

The weather Saturday was hot, humid and sunny. The pool was busy but not overwhelmingly so. We were able to get a table on the upper patio a very short distance from the pool without any great difficulty. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Saturday night we went to HDDR and returned just in time to watch the fireworks from the beach. Again, there were people around but it didn't seem overly crowded. We sat on the sand directly in front of the pool.

On Sunday we went to HS first thing. It was a planned short stay. We rode Toy Story, RocknRoll, TT, StarTours watched the 11:30 HSM3 show and left. Again it was hot, humid and the place was packed.

We had lunch at Capt Cooks. It was good, quick service with no waiting, although timing is everything. Just after we sat down with our food a very large group of 20 or so people seemed to be in line. I'm assuming they had all arrived on one of the buses from a Park.

Unfortunately intermittent thunder (with very little rain) interrupted our use of the pools. So after lunch and briefly wandering around the resort & the arcade room we headed to Downtown Disney for a couple of hours.

A quick dip in the pool on our return rejuvenated us enough for our final night dinner at O'hana's. This was our first dinner there, although we've been to the character breakfast in the past.

The food was good & servicewas good and i have no real complaints about it. For our family though it was probably not worth the $$. I knew going in it was family dining (we experienced that at the character breakfast). It wasn't until i saw the quantity of food being delivered to our table and how little of it our family was able to actually eat (especially DS8 & DD 10) that I realized this probably wasn't the best choice for our family. I liked the food, I liked the atmosphere and DS8 LOVED the audience participation entertainment. Having said all of that I'll wait until the kids a much older (with bigger appetites) before we'll go back to Ohanas for dinner.

All in all we loved the Poly and can't wait to go back. If I can figure out how to download pictures I'll post a view from Fiji3302

Thank you for your review!

 

[maxsmom]

Thanks everyone for the input on the DSLRs. I will certainly leave open the possibility of bringing it with me to the parks more We will have three cameras with us on this trip (the DSLR, the P&S and the underwater P&S), LOL. I have no doubt that they will all be used ;-)

Now I have been looking at the little Flip video cameras, LOL.

Glad to see that we aren't the only one's w/ a variety of camera's! We often alternate b/w p&s, DSLR, and video camera. But i've also acquired a new DSLR w/ video and a flip type camera. Who knows what I'll take each day!

 

[maiapapaya]

There's also a photography forum where you can find lots of info & tips!
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97

 

[maxsmom]

[QUOTE/]This is what we ran into w/ this trip coming up. We caved and are staying @ the POP for 4 nights as a compromise.

That's a compromise?

I might compromise for the WL (which I did for Dear Old Dad) or Carribean Beach (still tropical!) Oh well, at least you are staying in WDW![/QUOTE]

It's not even that I don't like the Pop. There's just 4 of us now w/ a stroller and small beds! We're planning lots of park days in the beginning so we can relax when we get to the Poly!


I always forget about camera lens fog until I get there. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[dtripli]

Hi Everyone

We are headed back to wdw the end of August into September, and I can't wait! It has been about 5 years since we've stayed at the poly. Since then my children have had the nerve to turn into teenagers! hee hee

Anyway, our two oldest are 13 and 16. I was wondering what the age was for taking out the searacers? They are both big watersport fans. The promise of some "activity" time is what is helping me to make this trip more "teen appealing" for them. My 11 year old is still happy to be visiting Disney and ofcourse our 2 1/2 year old will be thrilled.

I have a feeling this will be the last year our older guy will come with us :sad2 Anyway, I appreciate the info and any advice you parents of mixed age kids have for keeping everyone happy! My dh and I will be celebrating our 15/17 year aniversary this trip. It was one of my bribing points for my two oldest. Can you imagine NOT wanting to go to DW!!!! I guess I have to realize that everyone has their own preferences! I don't like it though!!!

 

[maiapapaya]

Hi Everyone

We are headed back to wdw the end of August into September, and I can't wait! It has been about 5 years since we've stayed at the poly. Since then my children have had the nerve to turn into teenagers! hee hee

Anyway, our two oldest are 13 and 16. I was wondering what the age was for taking out the searacers? They are both big watersport fans. The promise of some "activity" time is what is helping me to make this trip more "teen appealing" for them. My 11 year old is still happy to be visiting Disney and ofcourse our 2 1/2 year old will be thrilled.

I have a feeling this will be the last year our older guy will come with us :sad2 Anyway, I appreciate the info and any advice you parents of mixed age kids have for keeping everyone happy! My dh and I will be celebrating our 15/17 year aniversary this trip. It was one of my bribing points for my two oldest. Can you imagine NOT wanting to go to DW!!!! I guess I have to realize that everyone has their own preferences! I don't like it though!!!

Congrats on your upcoming vacation!
WRT the searaycers it's a bit uncertain (there was just some discussion about this last week). According to the tikiman website:
Sea Racer All kids must be with a licensed driver and you must be 12 years old and 5' tall to operate it with a licensed driver as a passenger. 2 passengers (320 lbs. max)

However, outahere was at the Poly in April and reported that the minimum age to drive a sea raycer was 15, with no licensed driver required. We're not sure if tikiman's info is not current or if the policy has changed since outahere was there. Maybe someone who has returned recently can clarify.