Hold my umbrella while I find your poncho! A May 2012 TR-- NEW-FINALLY! 1/17; pg. 29

[wakica]

WOW!! You really crammed ALOT into that day!!

and i can't beleive how much I've missed on your tr already. I'm ashamed of how little I've done on mine but I blame it on busy work schedule and DD's grade 8 grad and all the craziness that comes with a graduation.

I agree with you - the new fast pass enforement makes for ALOT more criss crossing and sore sore feet That sucks but if you know how to tour the park you can still get the best out of it we found.

Glad you got to ride EE so many times - it's our FAVE in that park and you got front without even asking!!!

Can't wait to hear more.

 

[wdwgirl03]

YEAH for getting to see the lions awake! Though now every other safari you take will seem lame because that's how I felt after seeing them last year. haha So cool to see them!

Wow, Wishes and the Water Pageant. I'll say that was a pretty good first day!

 

[kansasdisneygal]

Hi!!! I'm here! Sorry for being so late in joining

It sounds like you guys had a great first day at AK! I love the picture you got from the safari with the giraffe with its head in the tree stump! Too cute! I wonder if there was food in there??

Also, love the picture of the 4 of you on EE that Kevin was able to get! Awesome!

You guys had a MUCH clearer day in AK than we did. I see from your TR title Beryl made you use your ponchos A LOT too! Can't wait to read more!!!!

 

[natebenma]

WOW!!! GREAT AK Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn't sound like there is anything you missed on that day.

I love that you got to ride Kali twice without facing the consequences. It would have been brutal watching Nemo if you were all wet- I remember that theatre being really cold.

A.MA.ZING photo of you all on EE! But give up the secret- did Kevin take a picture of every train that came by until yours???

That is aweseome that the lions were up and about during your safari. The photo of "Simba" is fantastic.

Thanks for sharing your room photos. Do you know if all of the rooms at the Poly have daybeds?

I was surprised to see the EWP in the same shot as fireworks. Were the shows at the same time?

 

[MeMom]

Compare the kids in row four to the two on the left in the last two rows.

I would definitely recommend riding the last safari to everyone. In fact, from now on, I think I will not stress about getting on an early one, and just wait for the last one.

We've been on many first and last safaris. They can be some of the best. We've seen elephants walking over a bridge to go in for the night, which was cool. The chance you take with the last one, though, is that some of the animals have already been taken in, and you see pretty much nothing, and we've had that happen, too. It is always exciting when lions are up and moving!

It was a perfect ending to our first day!

So nice to be able to walk to the beach, enjoy Wishes, and then walk back to the room.

 

[Lidian]

I totally agree on the late safari! We always would hit the first one and grab FPs to use later, so we've always rode several times on our visit. It wasn't until last May when we were the very last safari to depart when I found out there were LIONS on the ride! I had NEVER seen one before! Sure, I've seen the lioness, but never a lion!

Can't believe you were lucky on KRR! I hate getting wet on rides, and after my first experience with KRR, I'm not ready to repeat the drenched-omg-you'll-never-dry scenario.

You got a TON done on your AK day! Absolutely amazing!

 

[MissLiz]

We may have to try a late safari sometime. We always try to get on one of the first ones. So much so that I booked the Sunrise Safari for our November trip! It was my main reason for booking club level at AKL.

We usually leave AK right after lunch. We planned on staying longer this trip, but the rain kind of did us in on that one.

Love the lion pictures! They are my first favorite animal...followed closely by giraffes. One of these days, I'm going to get a good picture of those stinking lions, dang it!

 

[Moodyzblu]

Ok doing the safari at night is now on my "to do" list !

I can't believe the great shots of the lions that you got !!

I love the pic of you guys on EE too .. nice shot !

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Love this update!! That EE pic is terrific! And your room at Poly looks fabulous! I am trying to decide which longhouse to request!

 

[PixieMama]

You know, I can't recall if we've ever ridden the last safari of the day… I know we've always ridden the first. We're early-risers, get-to-the-park-at-rope-drop, kind of people. And when we go to AK, the safari is our 1st stop. Hmmm, I'll have to make sure we ride the last safari at least once on our next trip.

Great update! Thanks for the pics of your Poly room.

 

[MHTeacher]

We do live in that area! My DH actually went to FHU for a semester his freshman year before he transferred to our alma mater, up the road in Jackson, TN (Lambuth, now University of Memphis at Lambuth )
!

Always a small world. We actually lived in Carroll County just a little bit out of Jackson for three years in the late 90's. Oh, and just remembered, that our new minister at church came from Jackson.

What a great update, Michelle. I definitely want to try the safari at the end of the night (maybe we should go in the afternoon rather than the morning). I can't believe you saw the lions up and walking..

Kathy-You should try the evening safari. I was surprised by how many animals we saw, and there was NO crowd to fight our way through!

I was on the beach (close to the ferry) watching Wishes! too that night!!! It was wonderful
Looking forward to the next installment!!!

Y'all must have been over there on that side of the resort. We walked around in front of the Hawaii building.

i can't beleive how much I've missed on your tr already. I'm ashamed of how little I've done on mine but I blame it on busy work schedule and DD's grade 8 grad and all the craziness that comes with a graduation.
.

I completely understand how a graduation takes over everything at your home---just went through DD's high school grad! I thought it would be easier when it was over, but with everything to do to be ready to head to college on August 18, I think I may lose my mind!

YEAH for getting to see the lions awake! Though now every other safari you take will seem lame because that's how I felt after seeing them last year. haha So cool to see them!
!

That could be true, Sarah! I hadn't thought of that. Maybe not, because while I like the lions, they aren't the most exciting part to me. Probably because the university here in the city where we live has two live lion mascots--male and female. They have a really nice enclosure area that's fun to visit anytime.

You guys had a MUCH clearer day in AK than we did. I see from your TR title Beryl made you use your ponchos A LOT too! Can't wait to read more!!!!

It did cloud up and even had a "summer shower", as I like to call it.

We did get a little rain, didn't we?

 

[MHTeacher]

A.MA.ZING photo of you all on EE! But give up the secret- did Kevin take a picture of every train that came by until yours???

Thanks for sharing your room photos. Do you know if all of the rooms at the Poly have daybeds?

Thank you! You know, I honestly don't know! I do remember that he saw us go up the hill, and then just started waiting . I'll have to ask him what he did!

I believe all the Poly rooms have the daybed.

BTW, I have to admit that I forgot to take pictures that night of Wishes, so I pulled those from a 2007 trip when we were at the Poly!

We've been on many first and last safaris. They can be some of the best. We've seen elephants walking over a bridge to go in for the night, which was cool. The chance you take with the last one, though, is that some of the animals have already been taken in, and you see pretty much nothing, and we've had that happen, too. It is always exciting when lions are up and moving!

Well, that's some information I like to have! Thanks for pointing that out to me, MeMom!

It wasn't until last May when we were the very last safari to depart when I found out there were LIONS on the ride! I had NEVER seen one before! Sure, I've seen the lioness, but never a lion!

I love this story!

We may have to try a late safari sometime. We always try to get on one of the first ones. So much so that I booked the Sunrise Safari for our November trip! It was my main reason for booking club level at AKL.

Don't get in line yet. Make sure you read what MeMom had to say about the evening safari. She's far wiser than I on this matter!

I can't believe the great shots of the lions that you got !!

I love the pic of you guys on EE too .. nice shot !

Thanks!

Love this update!! That EE pic is terrific! And your room at Poly looks fabulous! I am trying to decide which longhouse to request!

Have you ever looked at Tikiman's website? He really has some great information about the particular longhouses-the pros and cons of each. I can't give you the link because he was banned from these boards several years ago, apparently. You can just google it, though!

We're early-risers, get-to-the-park-at-rope-drop, kind of people. And when we go to AK, the safari is our 1st stop. Hmmm, I'll have to make sure we ride the last safari at least once on our next trip.

Great update! Thanks for the pics of your Poly room.

I'm always jealous of you early-risers, get to the park at rope drop, sort of people! I want to be one of you!

 

[cinderella crazy]

What a fun time in AK! We've never ridden the last Safari either. I might have to try to convince Mike to let us do that next trip! Oh the Poly! Such a beautiful place.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Hi Michelle! Sorry I'm late, I've just started catching up on the DIS these last few weeks and I totally missed the start of your TR!

Congrats on getting the room location you requested! The Poly is definitely on my short list of resorts to try, but I will say, I would be nervous of snakes on the 1st floor too....

I love that Kevin was able to get a shot of you guys on EE, what a great photo!

So cool that you were able to see the lions up and moving around!! I'm going to have to remember that last ride of the day tip

 

[MeMom]

All this Poly talk has me wondering - have you heard any rumors of it being totally redone? I read, and I do not recall where, that it might actually be leveled and rebuilt as a more modern version and more stories high. It was even said that big shots had been spotted out there with surveyors. I wish I could remember where I read this, but it hasn't been too long ago - maybe within the last 6-8 months. It seems like there was a cast member confirming the spotting of the surveyors and Disney executives, yet he/she could not confirm what they were actually doing. It was mentioned that the main house was having some codes compliance issues. The gist of the article was saying they wanted to get more rooms available at that location, so they were building up. I have no idea if it is true, but if it is, I hope they will be able to preserve the tropical island feel and not modernize it up so much that it changes the essence of what the Polynesian has always been. If you do hear anything about this, would you try to think to let me know, please? I am curious.


Back a few minutes later to say I went ahead and got curioser. I checked a certain website, and it looks like the big shots and surveyors were probably there for some DVC preparation. Off to read more!

 

[Nermel9]

Great update! Glad you didn't get soaked on Kali!

OMG I love your safari pics! The lions!!! I love that boy lion, with his fluffy mane...I'm kind of obsessed with lions, don't mind me, and I never see them up and moving around!

Ooh, your room at the Poly is so pretty! Watching Wishes sounds like a great ending to your day!

 

[Lisa29]

Glad you're here and caught up!

Had to laugh at the mental picture of you walking around city centre trying to avoid the pigeons. I even embellished it by having you shriek every time one flew near you!

This is sooo true, I actually do this!!!!

Great picture of the lion - I don't remember the last time I stayed at AK all day.

Glad to hear that you didn't get wet. The picture of EE has freaked me out - I was all for going on it but that pic makes it look like a real steep drop. I will have many yes I am, no I'm not in the next year and a bit!

 

[MHTeacher]

Oh the Poly! Such a beautiful place.

I know you love the Poly, Alicia--So do I. So, I'm pretty curious to see how you liked the BC! I think there are some definite pros to each resort!

Hi Michelle! Sorry I'm late, I've just started catching up on the DIS these last few weeks and I totally missed the start of your TR!

Congrats on getting the room location you requested! The Poly is definitely on my short list of resorts to try, but I will say, I would be nervous of snakes on the 1st floor too....

Glad you're here, Michelle! You haven't missed much---I've only covered day 1!

Ever since I saw that picture of the snake in the Contemporary room, it crosses my mind every time!

All this Poly talk has me wondering - have you heard any rumors of it being totally redone?


Back a few minutes later to say I went ahead and got curioser. I checked a certain website, and it looks like the big shots and surveyors were probably there for some DVC preparation. Off to read more!

So glad you answered this question for yourself (and for me!)

I think I had heard that the GCH was getting a major overhaul. I think Tikiman has some info over on his website about just that.

I would love to own some DVC at the Poly!

I love your safari pics! The lions!!! I love that boy lion, with his fluffy mane...I'm kind of obsessed with lions, don't mind me, and I never see them up and moving around!

Ooh, your room at the Poly is so pretty! Watching Wishes sounds like a great ending to your day!

That's ok Jen, to be slightly obsessed with the lions. They're amazing creatures, aren't they? Kind of resemble real men to me---they let the women do the cooking (hunting)-they eat-and then they sleep!

Great picture of the lion - I don't remember the last time I stayed at AK all day.

The picture of EE has freaked me out - I was all for going on it but that pic makes it look like a real steep drop. I will have many yes I am, no I'm not in the next year and a bit!

AK is actually much more enjoyable to me in the late afternoon/evening. The majority of people leave around 4-5, so the park really empties out.

You have to ride EE at least once! It's so much fun!

 

[JDUB]

Great TR. don't think i would risk the dslr on EE but love the pics .... Like mother, like daughter. What Nikon lens did you bring to WDW?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I can't believe that you rode Kali River Rapids twice and didn't get soaked. We've skipped it the last two or three trips simply because I don't want to walk around in dripping wet clothes. You were lucky!

Wow! Your pictures from the safari and fantastic! Just look at the lion posing for his picture. I've never seen him standing up like that.