WDW Poly Princess
Needs a Disney Fix
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2000
- Messages
- 4,873
*again, if you want the photo version, go to http://www.lovemanythings.net/disney/2002index.html
November 12th- Day One!
I woke up at 7:35am, ready to take on the World! Now, you have to understand that at home, I am anything BUT a morning person. I have to get up at 8am for work a few days out of the week, and thats next to impossible.
However, at 7:35 (6:35 at home, eep!) I was wide awake, and VERY ready for breakfast! I was SO hungry by this point that I had to fight to keep from buying $20 worth of breakfast, because everything looked so wonderful! I decided on an order of Biscuits & Gravy (Im a Southern girl 
) and carried it back to my room so I could watch the resort channels while I ate. (Youll notice throughout the report that I really prefer eating in my room to eating in the food courts. This is partially because Id rather be in my room watching the fun resort channels, but also because I have a stomach condition called gastroespohagael refulx that makes it hard for me to eat sometimes, as well as limiting what foods I can eat, so I prefer to be off where I can take my time eating if I need to. Just so you dont go thinking Im a hermit or something )
I went back to my room, which was only 4 rooms away from the elevator, which made it very convenient! I took a few pictures of the Jazz building from outside my door, and the early morning fog gave them a neat effect. It was already very warm out, so I was excited to get going! The room had a definite smell from the carpet cleaning (There had been a note in the room when I arrived stating that the carpet may still be a bit wet from cleaning, but I never noticecd any moisture). The smell was strong when you first walked in the room, but I didnt notice it much after that.
The biscuits were really good, they had a sort of buttery flavor. The gravy was ok, but left something to be desired. It was a good breakfast overall, and very filling.
I still had a long time before the 9am opening at MK, so I wandered the resort taking photos. The flowers near the Piano pool reminded me of the ones at the Poly.
Soon it was nearly 8:30, so I had my bags sent over to the Poly, made sure that I had everything, and then hopped on a bus to MK! The opening ceremony started while I was in the Guest Services line to get my new AP, and it was great! They sang Good Morning, which is a lovely way to start any Disney day. The dancers were great, and there were a lot of characters. This was the first time Ive actually made it to a park opening, and I decided I definitely needed to do it again!
The CM at guest services that helped me get my new AP was great! I didnt know that you could still get your pass for the renewal price, just having it still expire a year from the old date (if that makes sense..) In my case, mine would have expired in May instead of November, so I paid full price instead I decided to get the Premium AP this time, because I love Pleasure Island, and if I were to get an AP for just there, it would have been something like $50, so for just $50 more, I got to add Disney Quest and the water parks, too. The AP with tax was $518, for those of you interested 
Even though the crowd at opening had looked pretty big, MK was practically empty. I decided to follow my tradition and make Pirates my first ride of the trip. I was the 2nd person on that day, and there were only four people in sight total. I love Pirates, and it always puts me right into the Disney mood
After Pirates, I decided to take advantage of the lack of crowds and ride the Jungle Cruise. This was once again a walk on, but our boat was mostly full. I cracked up when the lady in front of me pointed to the big furry fake tarantula in the box in line and started asking her husband if it was real. Then she asked the CM that was helping load people into the boat, and of course he answered that it was real, and that they went out of their way to find one that looked fake. She believed him! Hee hee. I am absolutely convinced that I had the exact same Jungle skipper as on my last trip! How weird is that? Either that, or there is another guy who looks like him and delivers the lines the same way! (I kept an eye out for Safari Steve, but never saw him.)
I wandered in the direction of Hall of Presidents, but it didnt open until 10am, so I set off for my beloved Haunted Mansion instead.
Again, there was no wait, so I got to walk right in, pausing to check out the new Leota tombstone on the way. I made a point, as always, of swinging around the last bat in the line- the one that has been touched so much as people round the corner that his face is rubbed off. I love him, and if Disney ever replaces him, I will be ever so sad! The mansion was as wonderful as ever, and I had fun singing along with Grim Grinning Ghosts, and trying to spot new things. (Nothing new this time!) I made a point of checking out the pet cemetery at the end, though, which I had never paid attention to, because of a question on the Parks Game on the Theme Parks board that I dont think anyone ever answered (It was ERIC the snake!!)
After the Mansion, it was STILL too early for Presidents (Its amazing how much you can get done in a short time with no crowds!), so I went to Fantasyland for Peter Pan. By the time Pan was finished, the Hall of Presidents was not only open, but I had missed getting in to the first show by about a minute- drat! I decided to sit inside and jot down a few notes while I waited for the 10:30 one, and spent some time checking out the paintings and artifacts they have on display.
Ive only done H of P once before, and when I did, I decided that I really wanted to sit up front the next time I went, so thats what I did this time! I also pulled out the AP scavenger hunt I had printed out from the Net so I could answer the question about the H of P on there during the show J I liked this one much more from up front, since you can see a lot more of the details on the presidents. I decided to try out my digital camera in the dark and see if I could get any decent pictures with no flash. My zoomed out one of all the presidents almost came out, but any that I tried to zoom in for didnt work at all. Oh well!
My next stop was going to be my favorite gift shop- the one inside the castle, but I walked up to find that Cinderellas Surprise Celebration was going in, so I found a shady spot to watch from. This was a really cute show, with just about every character you can think of! Plus, most of them come down for autographs afterwards, which is really great for those of you who have kids that are autograph collectors. J I worked my way through the crowd of people over to Tomorrowland for a ride on the TTA. I love the little foot massage you get on the walkway going up! I pulled out my scavenger hunt partway through the ride, only to find that I had just missed the answers to the questions! I didnt mind though, since I knew I couldnt make it through a trip without riding the TTA more than once!
By this time, I was just chomping at the bit to get to my beloved Polynesian, so it was off to the monorail! I arrived just after one left, so I had a few minutes to take pictures of the Grand Floridian across the water. Very pretty!
A few minutes later, I found myself stepping off the monorail and through the doors of the Poly! The Poly Princess had returned! I took the elevator downstairs to check in (Princesses dont do stairs ), where I met a wonderful man named Fili, who checked me in. He let me know that I was in Ae
Areo
Ah yes, Aotearoa. (I always have to look up how to spell that one ) I told him that made me very happy, since the Unspellable, Unpronouncable building was my favorite! (Anyone know how to pronounce it? Tikiman?) I had been lucky enough to get a free upgrade last year, and found myself in Aotearoa with a view of the castle, and able to hear the luau at night!
Aotearoa (Im hoping if I type that enough, I will actually remember how to spell it someday) is only a minute or two away from the Great Ceremonial House, which is another reason its my favorite. Location, location, location! My room was on the 2nd floor, and just a few doors down from the elevator, which made me happy (sadly, I forgot to write down the room number!) I went in and set my things aside so I could take a few pictures before I messed things up. My first order of business in a new room is always to open the curtains and check out my view. I was disappointed to see that I had no balcony, and considered going back downstairs to have it changed, but I felt bad after Fili had been so nice checking me in, so I decided I would be ok with no balcony. I snapped pictures of my room, as well as the view from my door-that-doesnt-open (trees, plants, a path, and the monorail).
Craving something sweet, I went down to Captain Cooks for something to eat, and decided on their wonderful chocolate cake with some milk. I also saw a slice of cheesecake that came with toppings to put on yourself that I decided I absolutely had to have later Im a sucker for cheesecake, and this one looked REALLY good!
After my (yum!) chocolate cake and a bit of time getting reacquainted with my home resort, it was back to the MK!
My first stop was the Haunted Mansion for another spin in the doombuggies. There was a 20 minute wait, but it was, of course, worth it Outside the HM, I browsed the little cart of merchandise, and found a REALLY cute HM pin, and a postcard. Im glad to see they are finally making some new merchandise for the Mansion!
Noticing that it was almost time for the afternoon parade, I decided Id just stick around. I walked up just five minutes before it was supposed to start, and found a great spot sitting on the wall in Frontierland across from Liberty Tree Tavern.
This was my first time seeing the new snow globe parade, and it was great! Im not really sure if I prefer this one or the Magical Moments parade. I liked that there was still a lot of interaction with the characters for the kids, even though the main ones were stuck in the globes. After the parade, I decided to catch the show at the Diamond Horseshoe, as I had never seen it before. I arrived a bit after it started, so there were no seats left, but I found a good spot to stand in the back. Now Im not sure if the show is always so funny, but the little girl from the audience who they used in the show was absolutely hilarious! Im sad to hear that this show is being changed, because it was certainly one of the funniest things on my trip!
On my way from Frontierland to Tomorrowland, I stopped to take a picture of the shack near the bridge to Liberty Square, known to people in the Parks Game over in the Theme Parks forum as The Love Shack. Long live the love shack!
Over in Tomorrowland, I settled in for another relaxing ride on the TTA, keeping an eye and ear out for the answers to the scavenger hunt questions this time, and got most of them. I decided that I was in the mood for the Wilderness Lodge- I needed a Lodge brownie! I hopped a boat over, and felt like I was transported to another world when I stepped off on the other side. I had forgotten how much I love the lodge- its atmosphere alone is so relaxing! I picked up a brownie from Roaring Forks- they have the best brownies in the world! They are my biggest WDW food addiction. I curled up on my favorite couch up on the fourth floor with my brownie, wondering if I could figure out some way to bring some WL brownies home. I caught up on my trip notes while soaking up the Lodge atmosphere and listening to the peaceful music they play in the lobby- I wish they sold a cd of that! I had to admit, at the moment, the Lodge felt more like home to me than the Polynesian did. I decided I had to ask if I could switch rooms when I got back, because not having a balcony was bothering me more than I had expected.
I took some time to wander the Lodge and snap a few photos around the lobby, and from the balconies. The sun was setting, which meant not only some lovely pictures of the courtyard, but that it was almost time for the torch lighting over at the Poly! A boat and a monorail later, I was back home at the Polynesian. I stopped in at Guest Services, where I asked the CM (whose name I seem to have forgotten to write down- Oops!) if there was any way I could switch rooms in the morning. He said that he had one on the third floor of Aotearoa, complete with balcony, ready right now! He gave me my new key, and told me that my old one would still work long enough for me to move my things. Since I hadnt had my luggage brought up from when they transferred it from ASMu, so I didnt have much to move.
After the Great Move, and a celebratory dance around my brand new balcony, I ran back downstairs to the Great Ceremonial House for the Torch Lighting Ceremony. I really had no idea what to expect here. There were only about ten people in the lobby, and we were met by a Hawaiian woman who I recognized from the booth where they give you leis when you check in. She was singing some Hawaiian music while we waited for the ceremony to start, and then told us a bit about Hawaiian culture. Then we moved outside for the actual lighting of the torches, where we had the joy of meeting Good Looking Hawaiian Guy In A Loincloth.
Im sure that Loincloth man had a name, but who has time to remember such details when you have a good looking man in a loincloth twirling fire in front of you? Certainly not me! Loincloth Man did a bit of fire twirling, sort of similar to what you see in the Festival of the Lion King show, and then lit the torches outside of the GCH. I managed to get a few pictures, but given the lighting conditions, they didnt come out very well. As much as I wanted to follow my new love and convince him to take me to Hawaii with him, it was getting close to the time for the MK Fireworks, which I had plans to watch from the beach near my room. I stopped back in the room for my notebook and a jacket to counter the evening chill, and to drop off my camera, and then found a comfortable lounge chair under one of those little cabana things, where I settled in to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the waves, and the music from the nearby luau. I watched the castle change colors, and noticed how beautiful the Grand Floridian and Wedding Pavilion look by night. I was wishing I hadnt left my camera in my room so that I could take some nighttime pics of the Poly and GF, but theres always next time!
I passed the minutes before the fireworks started by drawing things in the sand. I finally left a mickey head in the sand next to my chair, next to the words have a magical day!. It takes little to amuse me I was so enchanted by how much magic there was in this wonderful place, that I wished I could go back out to the parks or something- the idea of even going to sleep and missing precious Disney hours was not sounding so good!
The fireworks were fantastic as always. Absolutely beautiful! Only a few seconds after the fireworks started, so did the rain. By the time they were over, it had turned into a major downpour. I was glad to be under cover in my chair, but had to get back to my room! I made a mad dash across the beach, and back into my building. The Luau had also ended right after the rain started, so there was a herd of wet Luau guests behind me. In my room, I immediately hopped in bed to warm up, and flipped through the channels, finally settling on the Disney cartoon channel. This may seem obvious to most of you, but really, do you know how much fun nit is just to lay in bed and watch cartoons after a long day?
I called Bell Services to bring up my luggage, feeling really bad to make them get out in the rain, but I really needed my stuff! When they arrived, they said it had stopped raining, so their trip over hadnt been as bad as I thought. I decided to venture out to the Great Ceremonial House for a bit of shopping. I really wanted an Aloha shirt from the gift shop, but they are $40, which is a bit out of my budget! After my shopping, it was back to the room for some Disney tv, and the rest of my Wilderness Lodge brownie.
I was SO happy and relaxed! So relaxed in fact, that I fell asleep at 9:30 with my clothes on!
November 12th- Day One!
I woke up at 7:35am, ready to take on the World! Now, you have to understand that at home, I am anything BUT a morning person. I have to get up at 8am for work a few days out of the week, and thats next to impossible.
) and carried it back to my room so I could watch the resort channels while I ate. (Youll notice throughout the report that I really prefer eating in my room to eating in the food courts. This is partially because Id rather be in my room watching the fun resort channels, but also because I have a stomach condition called gastroespohagael refulx that makes it hard for me to eat sometimes, as well as limiting what foods I can eat, so I prefer to be off where I can take my time eating if I need to. Just so you dont go thinking Im a hermit or something ) I went back to my room, which was only 4 rooms away from the elevator, which made it very convenient! I took a few pictures of the Jazz building from outside my door, and the early morning fog gave them a neat effect. It was already very warm out, so I was excited to get going! The room had a definite smell from the carpet cleaning (There had been a note in the room when I arrived stating that the carpet may still be a bit wet from cleaning, but I never noticecd any moisture). The smell was strong when you first walked in the room, but I didnt notice it much after that.
The biscuits were really good, they had a sort of buttery flavor. The gravy was ok, but left something to be desired. It was a good breakfast overall, and very filling.
I still had a long time before the 9am opening at MK, so I wandered the resort taking photos. The flowers near the Piano pool reminded me of the ones at the Poly.
Soon it was nearly 8:30, so I had my bags sent over to the Poly, made sure that I had everything, and then hopped on a bus to MK! The opening ceremony started while I was in the Guest Services line to get my new AP, and it was great! They sang Good Morning, which is a lovely way to start any Disney day. The dancers were great, and there were a lot of characters. This was the first time Ive actually made it to a park opening, and I decided I definitely needed to do it again!
The CM at guest services that helped me get my new AP was great! I didnt know that you could still get your pass for the renewal price, just having it still expire a year from the old date (if that makes sense..) In my case, mine would have expired in May instead of November, so I paid full price instead
I decided to get the Premium AP this time, because I love Pleasure Island, and if I were to get an AP for just there, it would have been something like $50, so for just $50 more, I got to add Disney Quest and the water parks, too. The AP with tax was $518, for those of you interested Even though the crowd at opening had looked pretty big, MK was practically empty. I decided to follow my tradition and make Pirates my first ride of the trip. I was the 2nd person on that day, and there were only four people in sight total. I love Pirates, and it always puts me right into the Disney mood
I wandered in the direction of Hall of Presidents, but it didnt open until 10am, so I set off for my beloved Haunted Mansion instead.
After the Mansion, it was STILL too early for Presidents (Its amazing how much you can get done in a short time with no crowds!), so I went to Fantasyland for Peter Pan. By the time Pan was finished, the Hall of Presidents was not only open, but I had missed getting in to the first show by about a minute- drat! I decided to sit inside and jot down a few notes while I waited for the 10:30 one, and spent some time checking out the paintings and artifacts they have on display.
Ive only done H of P once before, and when I did, I decided that I really wanted to sit up front the next time I went, so thats what I did this time! I also pulled out the AP scavenger hunt I had printed out from the Net so I could answer the question about the H of P on there during the show J I liked this one much more from up front, since you can see a lot more of the details on the presidents. I decided to try out my digital camera in the dark and see if I could get any decent pictures with no flash. My zoomed out one of all the presidents almost came out, but any that I tried to zoom in for didnt work at all. Oh well!
My next stop was going to be my favorite gift shop- the one inside the castle, but I walked up to find that Cinderellas Surprise Celebration was going in, so I found a shady spot to watch from. This was a really cute show, with just about every character you can think of! Plus, most of them come down for autographs afterwards, which is really great for those of you who have kids that are autograph collectors. J I worked my way through the crowd of people over to Tomorrowland for a ride on the TTA. I love the little foot massage you get on the walkway going up! I pulled out my scavenger hunt partway through the ride, only to find that I had just missed the answers to the questions! I didnt mind though, since I knew I couldnt make it through a trip without riding the TTA more than once!
By this time, I was just chomping at the bit to get to my beloved Polynesian, so it was off to the monorail! I arrived just after one left, so I had a few minutes to take pictures of the Grand Floridian across the water. Very pretty!
A few minutes later, I found myself stepping off the monorail and through the doors of the Poly! The Poly Princess had returned!
I took the elevator downstairs to check in (Princesses dont do stairs ), where I met a wonderful man named Fili, who checked me in. He let me know that I was in Ae
Areo
Ah yes, Aotearoa. (I always have to look up how to spell that one ) I told him that made me very happy, since the Unspellable, Unpronouncable building was my favorite! (Anyone know how to pronounce it? Tikiman?) I had been lucky enough to get a free upgrade last year, and found myself in Aotearoa with a view of the castle, and able to hear the luau at night! Aotearoa (Im hoping if I type that enough, I will actually remember how to spell it someday) is only a minute or two away from the Great Ceremonial House, which is another reason its my favorite. Location, location, location! My room was on the 2nd floor, and just a few doors down from the elevator, which made me happy (sadly, I forgot to write down the room number!) I went in and set my things aside so I could take a few pictures before I messed things up. My first order of business in a new room is always to open the curtains and check out my view. I was disappointed to see that I had no balcony, and considered going back downstairs to have it changed, but I felt bad after Fili had been so nice checking me in, so I decided I would be ok with no balcony. I snapped pictures of my room, as well as the view from my door-that-doesnt-open (trees, plants, a path, and the monorail).
Craving something sweet, I went down to Captain Cooks for something to eat, and decided on their wonderful chocolate cake with some milk. I also saw a slice of cheesecake that came with toppings to put on yourself that I decided I absolutely had to have later Im a sucker for cheesecake, and this one looked REALLY good!
After my (yum!) chocolate cake and a bit of time getting reacquainted with my home resort, it was back to the MK!
My first stop was the Haunted Mansion for another spin in the doombuggies. There was a 20 minute wait, but it was, of course, worth it
Outside the HM, I browsed the little cart of merchandise, and found a REALLY cute HM pin, and a postcard. Im glad to see they are finally making some new merchandise for the Mansion! Noticing that it was almost time for the afternoon parade, I decided Id just stick around. I walked up just five minutes before it was supposed to start, and found a great spot sitting on the wall in Frontierland across from Liberty Tree Tavern.
This was my first time seeing the new snow globe parade, and it was great! Im not really sure if I prefer this one or the Magical Moments parade. I liked that there was still a lot of interaction with the characters for the kids, even though the main ones were stuck in the globes. After the parade, I decided to catch the show at the Diamond Horseshoe, as I had never seen it before. I arrived a bit after it started, so there were no seats left, but I found a good spot to stand in the back. Now Im not sure if the show is always so funny, but the little girl from the audience who they used in the show was absolutely hilarious! Im sad to hear that this show is being changed, because it was certainly one of the funniest things on my trip!
On my way from Frontierland to Tomorrowland, I stopped to take a picture of the shack near the bridge to Liberty Square, known to people in the Parks Game over in the Theme Parks forum as The Love Shack. Long live the love shack!
Over in Tomorrowland, I settled in for another relaxing ride on the TTA, keeping an eye and ear out for the answers to the scavenger hunt questions this time, and got most of them. I decided that I was in the mood for the Wilderness Lodge- I needed a Lodge brownie! I hopped a boat over, and felt like I was transported to another world when I stepped off on the other side. I had forgotten how much I love the lodge- its atmosphere alone is so relaxing! I picked up a brownie from Roaring Forks- they have the best brownies in the world! They are my biggest WDW food addiction. I curled up on my favorite couch up on the fourth floor with my brownie, wondering if I could figure out some way to bring some WL brownies home. I caught up on my trip notes while soaking up the Lodge atmosphere and listening to the peaceful music they play in the lobby- I wish they sold a cd of that! I had to admit, at the moment, the Lodge felt more like home to me than the Polynesian did. I decided I had to ask if I could switch rooms when I got back, because not having a balcony was bothering me more than I had expected.
I took some time to wander the Lodge and snap a few photos around the lobby, and from the balconies. The sun was setting, which meant not only some lovely pictures of the courtyard, but that it was almost time for the torch lighting over at the Poly! A boat and a monorail later, I was back home at the Polynesian. I stopped in at Guest Services, where I asked the CM (whose name I seem to have forgotten to write down- Oops!) if there was any way I could switch rooms in the morning. He said that he had one on the third floor of Aotearoa, complete with balcony, ready right now! He gave me my new key, and told me that my old one would still work long enough for me to move my things. Since I hadnt had my luggage brought up from when they transferred it from ASMu, so I didnt have much to move.
After the Great Move, and a celebratory dance around my brand new balcony, I ran back downstairs to the Great Ceremonial House for the Torch Lighting Ceremony. I really had no idea what to expect here. There were only about ten people in the lobby, and we were met by a Hawaiian woman who I recognized from the booth where they give you leis when you check in. She was singing some Hawaiian music while we waited for the ceremony to start, and then told us a bit about Hawaiian culture. Then we moved outside for the actual lighting of the torches, where we had the joy of meeting Good Looking Hawaiian Guy In A Loincloth.
I passed the minutes before the fireworks started by drawing things in the sand. I finally left a mickey head in the sand next to my chair, next to the words have a magical day!. It takes little to amuse me
I was so enchanted by how much magic there was in this wonderful place, that I wished I could go back out to the parks or something- the idea of even going to sleep and missing precious Disney hours was not sounding so good!The fireworks were fantastic as always. Absolutely beautiful! Only a few seconds after the fireworks started, so did the rain. By the time they were over, it had turned into a major downpour. I was glad to be under cover in my chair, but had to get back to my room! I made a mad dash across the beach, and back into my building. The Luau had also ended right after the rain started, so there was a herd of wet Luau guests behind me. In my room, I immediately hopped in bed to warm up, and flipped through the channels, finally settling on the Disney cartoon channel. This may seem obvious to most of you, but really, do you know how much fun nit is just to lay in bed and watch cartoons after a long day?
I called Bell Services to bring up my luggage, feeling really bad to make them get out in the rain, but I really needed my stuff! When they arrived, they said it had stopped raining, so their trip over hadnt been as bad as I thought. I decided to venture out to the Great Ceremonial House for a bit of shopping. I really wanted an Aloha shirt from the gift shop, but they are $40, which is a bit out of my budget! After my shopping, it was back to the room for some Disney tv, and the rest of my Wilderness Lodge brownie.
I was SO happy and relaxed! So relaxed in fact, that I fell asleep at 9:30 with my clothes on!
