"Can I Get A Hangover Steak, Please?" An Adults-Only, Irma-Rific TR! - NEW PTR Link 4/11

[Lesley Wake]

I’m starting to come to terms that we don’t have any plans to go to WDW in 2018, but I am ok with that! I’ve been to Disney World a lot these past 2 years, and this year we have some other priorities that just don’t make a WDW trip feasible.

You know...if you can't go to WDW, you could always plan a short trip to Disneyland - hint, hint!

 

[Mollydolly334]

What awesome finds!

Even though no Disney in 2018, you still have so many exciting things to look forward to!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Definitely!! And thank you Hope yours was great as well!

These lithographs used to come with the movies when you pre-ordered them at the Disney Store. I have that exact Pocahontas one framed and on the wall of my Pluto room! I also have five or six more framed and about 20 more of them tucked away in a closet somewhere so I probably have the Hercules one too.



Yep! I've got quite a few of those. My favorite is the Jonas Brothers version of Pirates.



Got this one too! I can't remember when or where I got it from though.

Ahhh, gotcha! Wow, you have so many, that's awesome! I'm pretty sure we had a Lion King one at some point that was hanging up in Haley's room. It had Simba and Mufasa looking up at the starts!

Ahhh, the Jonas Brothers Haley got to meet them back when they were super popular, and I was so jealous!

I love Our Town but never realized it was James Taylor! I enjoy his music. I also enjoy The Cleaner. It’s one of the catchiest little tunes I’ve ever heard. That CD was a great find.

Enjoy your thanksgiving!

Haha, as I was listening to it, I was like "This guy sounds so familiar!" Once I looked it up it made perfect sense! I love James Taylor too, his music is so relaxing and peaceful.

Thank you! Hope you enjoyed yours too (back in October )

Story of my life We got to the point where no one in my family would play against my brother because he could drive all of the courses with his eyes closed!



AGH MY HEART! #RIPWishes

Such a bummer about Splash, too!



Ouch.



YES! I was really worried that I wouldn't love HEA the way I loved Wishes, but the more I listen to the soundtrack, the more I love it!



Oh my stars. That looks AMAZING.



YES YES YES! So glad I am not the only one who knows what this is. I still listen to these LOL

Having Wishes and Splash Mountain gone was such a bummer, but we tried to make the most of it! I knew that HEA was the perfect Wishes replacement when Mom and I hunkered down in the living room to watch the live stream of it's first performance back in May. At the end where they started singing "You Can Fly" and Tink comes out, I started to cry

Disney Mania is amazing! My favorite CDs are 1 and 4!

What a fun update. You scored some nice things at the flea market. You will definitely be very busy in 2018.

Thanks We will be so busy, I'm so looking forward to exploring Hilton Head and doing all of the fun wedding planning stuff!

OH DISNEY MANIA! I have that on my ipod LOL! I love it!

Disney Mania is the best! I'm pretty sure I have 1, 2, and 3 in my car CD player right now

You know...if you can't go to WDW, you could always plan a short trip to Disneyland - hint, hint!

UGH GIRL I WISH. Someday.... Someday...

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 2: Part 5- “Where Troubles Melt Like Lemondrops, High Above The Chimney Tops... That’s Where You’ll Find Me!”



Hi Disfriends! Final update of Day 2 commencing...now!


Where I last left off, we were just leaving Magic Kingdom to embark on the long journey to… Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort!


My dad wanted to take the boat over for a scenic route, so we headed that way. However, our hopes were quickly dashed when a boat pulled away as soon as we got in line So, we opted for the monorail instead!


We boarded almost immediately and shared our car with a family who had young kids. All throughout the monorail ride, I was hardcore CONVINCED that we had to change monorails in order to get to the Polynesian. Not sure how that happened… I had just stayed at the GF the year before so you’d think I would remember how the resort monorail works? My mom was trying to convince me that I wasn’t right, but I was dead set on getting my way, haha!





Well, good thing we listened to the little announcement before exiting at the TTC, because I was totally wrong! My family was relishing in the fact that Molly- The Disney Expert wasn’t right! When we were nearing the Poly, I announced to my family, “Ok guys, THIS is our stop.” The dad from the family next to us said, “Are you sure?” Even I had to laugh at that one!


Finally, we arrived at the Polynesian!





Tom was instantly smitten I looooove this resort so much. It has always been my favorite resort on Disney property (it still is, but now it’s tied with the GF- I just can’t choose!). I have VERY vivid memories of this resort. Even though I first went to WDW in 2000, our second trip in 2002 is what I consider my first real trip. I was tall enough to ride all of the rides, I wasn’t as easily overwhelmed by everything, and I remember so much more than I did in 2000. Haley and I share a lot of fond memories at the Poly- playing tag on the beach, getting to ride in the front of the monorail, getting hair wraps, going down the volcano slide at night, unlimited pink lemonade at Captain Cook’s…. It goes on and on





Haley and I at the Poly in 2002.


We still had a good hour before our 7:25 ADR at O’hana, so Mom and I decided to show the family Trader Sam’s! We had gotten drinks here in 2016 and knew that it was a must-do for the family trip.





I saw this Hula Minnie statue and HAD to take a picture of it. She is so cute Just wait a few days… I just might find a souvenir with her on it


Luckily, Trader Sam’s wasn’t too crowded and we were all able to find a spot together. In a cool twist, we got the same server that Mom and I had last year! Mom and Tom both decided on a HippopotoMai- Tai (try saying that 3 times fast), I got a Tahitian Torch, Dad got a Schweitzer Falls, and Haley and Ryan decided to share an Uh-Oa!





Disney light fixtures give me life.


If you haven’t been to Trader Sam’s before, their whole schtick is that every time you order a drink, something in the bar happens! For the HippopotoMai-Tai, a CM drags a little toy hippo around on a string, and everyone has to shout “Two Shots of Rum!” Well, there must have been 10 people in the bar who ordered this drink tonight, because we literally had to shout this about every 5 minutes By the end, we all couldn’t stop laughing! It was THIS close to being my TR title!


But the real show came when they brought out Haley and Ryan’s Uh-Oa!





(click on the video to play!)


It was awesome!! The whole family agreed that this place was a Disney gem. I had redeemed my tour guide status after the earlier monorail debacle!


Here’s my Tahitian Torch:





It was very unique and delicious! I wanted to take a risk and try something different; our CM said that it was a spicy drink, but the spiciness came as a cinnamon, Fireball-like taste. I gave it a shot because I love cinnamon, and it was so worth it! The spice gave it lots of flavor, but wasn’t overpowering. Plus, you couldn’t taste the alcohol in this whatsoever, so it was a winner in my book However, I wouldn't drink more than one; I think that having a few of these would have given me some heartburn. I had the Krakatoa Punch here last year and loved it as well, so I’m 2 for 2 at Trader Sam’s!


We all were sitting and enjoying our drinks, when suddenly, I hear Haley say, “Have I always been this short?”





Apparently, the bartenders have buttons behind the bar where they can make guest’s chairs shrink! We of course thought that this was the funniest thing ever! There was another guy in the bar as well who had this same problem. Since Haley was sitting so low, she had to use some improvisation skills for her drink…





Eventually after about 15 minutes, we heard a “whoosh!” and Haley’s chair shot back up Overall, our experience at Trader Sam’s was SO fun, this was one of the most talked about moments of the trip and everyone had a blast


It was starting to near our ADR time, so we headed out of Trader Sam’s. We checked in a little early over at O’hana, and they said that it would be a bit of a wait. So, we decided to wander around the Poly and enjoy the scenery!





They had fire dancers on one of the lawns, so we stopped and watched them for a bit.





Our longhouse when we stayed at the Poly in 2002- Samoa!


We also took a peek in BouTiki! “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” by Jump 5 was playing in the gift shop (another Disney Mania song ). I had heard this exact song playing in here on my girl’s trip in March, so it is now a song I will forever associate with the Poly


Remember how I mentioned earlier that I decided not to do mystery pins this trip? Well, I had noticed on my March 2017 girl’s trip that there are not many more mystery pin packs that I can buy because I have them all! #firstworldproblems. I don’t want to risk getting the same pin twice, and I can still buy the 2-pin packs, but these get to be a little bit expensive.


So, this trip, I decided to try something different; I would try to get a pin for every Disney resort I’ve stayed at I took this tip from @TheLittleKatie ; she does the same thing and it’s so fun to have little souvenirs of the Disney resorts! So, of course, I bought my ceremonial first resort pin at Boutiki. (Spoiler alert- I wasn’t able to get a pin for every resort this trip, so I will be continuing this the next time I’m in Disney!).





I love it’s vintage feel, and it was the perfect pin to start out my collection!


Right around this time, our pager went off for O’hana, so we headed on up! Once again, we were excited for the whole family to experience O’hana. Mom and I ate here for the first time last year, and the first thing that came out of Mom’s mouth was “Your dad would love this place!”


We were sat at a big, round table towards the back of the restaurant. We started off with our drinks, and almost all of us got the same thing: the Lapu Lapu! You can’t just go to the Polynesian and NOT get a drink in a pineapple





The girlies!





While we were waiting for our food, the subject of Irma came up. And continued..throughout the first few courses Haley and Ryan were starting to get alarmed and were talking about renting a car and driving up to Nashville. It was a good idea in theory, but we talked them out of it and said that we should all stick together. Frankly, it made me a little sad that Irma was looming over our trip I was trying to stay positive, because there had been no official announcements of any closings/cancellations and the path was constantly changing.


After we ate our delicious pineapple bread and salad, I ordered a change in topic to something a bit lighter. Thankfully, everyone agreed The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because just then, a CM came around the corner and started playing the ukulele He was playing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (the version by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole), and it brought the peaceful atmosphere I was hoping for! I was a little disappointed not to see Lipoa, but this man was great as well! I was just taking in the beauty of the music, but Tom and my dad couldn’t stop laughing because the song reminded them of “50 First Dates”





The only picture of our food that I got was of the next course; AKA- all of the good stuff!





Everyone dug into this, and we ordered lots of extras! After our meat skewers came, we were sooooo full. But, we of course forced some extra room for the amazing bread pudding! Hey, it’s not O’hana unless you leave in a food coma





O’hana was a big hit with the family. It ended up being Tom’s favorite restaurant of the entire trip! The food was amazing as usual- my favorite is the noodles and the honey chicken wings, mmmm!


Since it was just Thanksgiving, I thought I’d ask a fun question: if you could eat Thanksgiving dinner on Disney property (or have in the past), where would you eat and why? I was just thinking that O’hana would be an amazing Thanksgiving dinner! I would have to say O’hana, or probably Liberty Tree Tavern for the theming Let me know what your perfect Disney Thanksgiving would be in the comments!


We were hoping to stay at the Poly a bit longer to catch HalloWishes from the beach, but sadly, the family was tired and wanted to head out. In retrospect, I wish that Tom and I would have stayed to see the fireworks. I love watching the MK fireworks from the Polynesian, and I’ve never seen HalloWishes before so it would have been fun. Hey, you live and you learn! Overall, Tom loved the Polynesian and gave his seal of approval for a future Honeymoon spot If you noticed in his little survey on my intro post, he named the Poly as his favorite Disney resort!


We boarded the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom. The extra security was a bit of a pain, especially because Mom broke her purse when trying to open it for the security guards This resulted in some very un-Disney language, haha!


We all caught a glimpse of the MNSSHP decorations at the entrance of Magic Kingdom!





A bus for AKL was pulling up right as we were walking, so we sprinted and made it just in time. Note to self- don’t run directly after O’hana EVER. AGAIN. According to my phone, we were entering Jambo House at 9:35!


It had been a crazy long day, so we just wandered around the lobby a bit and headed up to our respective rooms. After nice, warm showers, we flipped through the channels a bit before settling on “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” The last time I had seen this movie was when it was in the theaters and I had barely remembered it, so it was interesting getting to re-watch it. Ahhhh.. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are my favorites


I also took a picture of this painting hanging in our room, because I must have thought it was interesting





We managed to make it to the end of the movie, then promptly passed out at 11:30! We had a crazy day full of park-hopping and thrill rides to look forward to tomorrow!


Coming Soon- Day 3: Part 1- “I Bless The Rains Down In Africa!”


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[oceanmarina]

Joining in here, am really enjoying your trip report!

I love all the pictures from when you and your sister were little,so cute! I always try to take a moment to get some good pics each trip, as time passes so quickly! And there are certain shots i love to get each trip, like the gardens in front of le cellier.

Yes it's very scary to be in the path of close to or Even Near the path of a hurricane. We always go in August and the threat of a hurricane is there. We stayed during hurricane Irene years ago which was nothing compared to irma, it passed by Orlando and I think made landfall in the Carolinas . But the outer bands gave us a ton of rain. The only August trip where I only got to swim in the pool once!

Anyways, can't wait to read more! marina

 

[paradesintherain]

Mom and Tom both decided on a HippopotoMai- Tai (try saying that 3 times fast)

That's what I got on my last trip! It was waaay too sweet for me (I finished it anyway - can't waste alcohol!)

CM drags a little toy hippo around on a string, and everyone has to shout “Two Shots of Rum!”

But they didn't drag a hippo for me! That sounds so fun!

Beautiful shot! Really captures the ambiance of the Poly and makes me excited for my first stay there

I would try to get a pin for every Disney resort I’ve stayed at

This is what I do! Extra fun when they release the holiday pins for the resorts because it kind of commemorates the season as well!

the Lapu Lapu! You can’t just go to the Polynesian and NOT get a drink in a pineapple

Absolutely!

Let me know what your perfect Disney Thanksgiving would be in the comments!

Great question... I was thinking of something like Hoop Dee Doo - pretty classic food, and it's a family experience that brings everyone together, in my mind.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Trader Sams seems like so much fun! I think I will absolutely be trying to get there next year!

I would try to get a pin for every Disney resort I’ve stayed at I took this tip from @TheLittleKatie ; she does the same thing and it’s so fun to have little souvenirs of the Disney resorts!

I do the same thing! Well, I only have 2 so far-should add another 3 next year! I also get ornaments from every resort!

 

[westcoastfldisneygirl]

Yayyyyyyyyy an update! I love the Poly too, we are staying there when my family comes down to FL (they come down 4x a year) and I CAN'T wait!

What a fun update! I love all the food and drink photos

I live in the path (direct path) of Irma, and it wasn't fun. I am glad you guys decided to stick together!

Thanksgiving dinner at Disney??! Hmmm....not sure....maybe just eating and drinking around the world? That is my favorite things ever, but I'm more of a snacker then a meal person at Disney

 

[Neverland_Girl]

What does the Polynesian candle smell like?! I was debating on getting that one from Spireside, but I've come to realize that the Poly doesn't have as strong of a smell as some of the other resorts. It more or less just smells like tropical flowers!

It smells like tropical fruits and coconut and I think a little vanilla.

Apparently, the bartenders have buttons behind the bar where they can make guest’s chairs shrink! We of course thought that this was the funniest thing ever! There was another guy in the bar as well who had this same problem. Since Haley was sitting so low, she had to use some improvisation skills for her drink…

So, this trip, I decided to try something different; I would try to get a pin for every Disney resort I’ve stayed at I took this tip from @TheLittleKatie ; she does the same thing and it’s so fun to have little souvenirs of the Disney resorts! So, of course, I bought my ceremonial first resort pin at Boutiki. (Spoiler alert- I wasn’t able to get a pin for every resort this trip, so I will be continuing this the next time I’m in Disney!).

I think I'm going to start this tradition on our next trip. I always love pins but I never want to wear them on a lanyard or trade them.

After we ate our delicious pineapple bread and salad, I ordered a change in topic to something a bit lighter. Thankfully, everyone agreed The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because just then, a CM came around the corner and started playing the ukulele He was playing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (the version by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole), and it brought the peaceful atmosphere I was hoping for!

If that doesn't put you into a good mood IDK what will.

Since it was just Thanksgiving, I thought I’d ask a fun question: if you could eat Thanksgiving dinner on Disney property (or have in the past), where would you eat and why? I was just thinking that O’hana would be an amazing Thanksgiving dinner! I would have to say O’hana, or probably Liberty Tree Tavern for the theming Let me know what your perfect Disney Thanksgiving would be in the comments!

Liberty Tree is definitely a good choice! I think a signature like California Grill or Citrico's would also be a nice alternative to traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

 

[Raeven]

but Tom and my dad couldn’t stop laughing because the song reminded them of “50 First Dates”

I used to watch that movie all the time

if you could eat Thanksgiving dinner on Disney property (or have in the past), where would you eat and why?

I asked Josh this the other day! There's so many places that all have special Thanksgiving meals I don't know if I could choose.

It had been a crazy long day, so we just wandered around the lobby a bit and headed up to our respective rooms. After nice, warm showers, we flipped through the channels a bit before settling on “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”

That movie is ALWAYS playing like every night we're on vacation I think back in May it was on every night and we ended up watching part of it. I saw it in theaters, but every time it was on tv it was already halfway in when we turned the tv on.

 

[thumper*]

probably Liberty Tree Tavern for the theming

Yes my choice would be this. Loved your update and thee mono rail story. LOL

 

[kittylady1972]

What a fun day! One of these days we need to try to make it to Trader Sams also!

Our choice for Thanksgiving Dinner the last few times has actually been Boma. They have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with traditional stuff as well as a variety of other foods. It's worked out well and we will probably eat there next year!

 

[missangelalexis]

Your time at Trader Sams sounds SO fun! I really need to make it over there one day!

I'm glad everyone enjoyed Ohana! I agree that it would make a great Thanksgiving meal

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Trader Sams is on my list for March!!!!

 

[hjeick]

Great trip report! Definitely following .

 

[AV007]

I'm excited that we've booked Ohana for dinner for our upcoming trip! Maybe we can sneak in a visit to Trader Sam's too! Your trip looks amazing so far. Can't wait for more!!

 

[Stasieki]

Remind me what day of the week this day was? I was there same time and drove home to Nashville right before Irma. So just trying to compare our days.

I would say Liberty Tree Tavern would be my choice for a Thanksgiving meal. I have to have Turkey on Thanksgiving.

 

[annie170]

Trader Sam's is such a fun place! Glad everyone enjoyed it.

I haven't been to any of Disney's signature restaurants, so Ohana still tops the list of my favorites. We ate there this past January with two of our daughters and their families. We were seated at a large round table near the windows with a fabulous view of the castle. It was one of those moments in life where you stop and think, "It doesn't get much better than this!"

I think Ohana would be a great place for Thanksgiving dinner, but considering Liberty Tree Tavern has turkey on the menu, I would probably try to go there.

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love The Poly and Ohana, I have yet to see Trader Sam’s, looks like a great place. We just got back from Disney and we had Thanksgiving dinner at Yak and Yeti, we loved it and AK was so fun on the holiday.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

What a great update. All the drinks at Trader Sam's looked so delicious. Top the evening off at O'hana's I mean it doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Princess JJ]

Day 2: Part 5- “Where Troubles Melt Like Lemondrops, High Above The Chimney Tops... That’s Where You’ll Find Me!”
That is my absolute most favorite song in the world!!!









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