Just back 9/2 - 9/12

[peteykirch]

Originally intended on leaving on 9/9, Hurricane Irma made sure that didn't happen.

Spent the 1st night at a refurbed Pop Century Room, then moved to the Poly for the rest of the trip.

Will say room quality of the refurbed Pop rooms blows away pretty much everything in your standard Poly room.

Crowds were a little heavy to start 9/2-9-3, but then it got lower and lower to the point of it being a ghost town by Friday when the hurricane was imminent.

CMs were great sans for one grumpy CM handling the Poly Front Desk. Went down on 9/7 to ask what the procedure was to extend a room a reservation if we couldn't leave early or on time because of the storm. Got berated saying "Disney isn't in the handout business, and don't expect to stay here for free." We didn't even ask to remain at the Poly nor to get the room for free or a discount.

Biggest tip I can give is to always keep checking the MDE App and refresh FP+ all the time.Was able to find FP+ for Flight of Passage three additional times throughout our trip.

Best meal we had was at Artist Point hands down.

Really enjoyed the sweets at Amorette's Patisserie, really great value for the amount of work and care that goes into making each and everyone of them. Don't know how people think it's overpriced.

At full price that's 14$, if you're an AP holder it's $11.20 for 2 great desserts.

Was happy we were finally at Disney when they released a Parks Exclusive Pop, got up super early on 9/8 to get one. Really shocked to see Disney makes no attempt to curb resellers letting people buy 10 at a clip.

Overall a great trip, very hot, but very fun. Was kind of lame being stuck in our resort rooms for all day Sunday and most of Monday but it is what it is. As much as I liked the Poly, we'll most likely stick with Wilderness Lodge for our deluxe trips.

 

[Jennasis]

Out of curiosity...was the grumpy Poly CM a middle aged guy?

 

[peteykirch]

Out of curiosity...was the grumpy Poly CM a middle aged guy?

Nope it was a middle aged woman from Manchester, England.

 

[focusondisney]

Sorry, what is a Park's Exclusive "Pop"?

 

[peteykirch]

Sorry, what is a Park's Exclusive "Pop"?

Disney has a few Pops that they sell in limited numbers, only at Disney Park locations.

Previous versions include;

3 Hitchhiking Ghosts
Indiana Jones
Mr. Toad
Jolly Roger
Abominable Snowman

 

[peteykirch]

Three other small observations;

People who don't listen to CMs giving clear as crystal instructions. There were numerous times we're waiting to board the boat, and we'll be behind someone with a GIANT stroller, not break the stroller down at all. Like I get it, you don't have to do it until the boat is getting there, but when you can see the boat approaching the pier, tell your kid to get up, stand, and then break the stroller down. Nope, at least three or four times we had parents try to roll the stroller onto the boat (Note not the friendship style that you can roll right into)

The other is the amount of women who tour the parks in sports bras or bikini tops. I'm not a prude at all, but seriously I get it, Florida is hot and humid, that doesn't mean you get to dress like you're at a waterpark when you're not.

We noticed a few line cutters as well, and wish they would use both FP+ touchpoints because at least 4 times we saw someone jump from the standby to FP+ queue.

 

[focusondisney]

Disney has a few Pops that they sell in limited numbers, only at Disney Park locations.

Previous versions include;

3 Hitchhiking Ghosts
Indiana Jones
Mr. Toad
Jolly Roger
Abominable Snowman

Oh, "Funko Pop things"! I know what those are! Didn't realize Disney does park exclusives tho. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Thanks!

 

[mamamelody2]

Disney has a few Pops that they sell in limited numbers, only at Disney Park locations.

Previous versions include;

3 Hitchhiking Ghosts
Indiana Jones
Mr. Toad
Jolly Roger
Abominable Snowman

Okay, those are awesome!

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

We noticed a few line cutters as well, and wish they would use both FP+ touchpoints because at least 4 times we saw someone jump from the standby to FP+ queue.

We noticed this too. It's especially easy to do at rides where there are breaks in the rope between FP and standby, so people just cross over and then aren't checked once they reach the ride...it's irritating, since there's a solution in place which not used for some reason

 

[Davey Jones II]

Three other small observations;

People who don't listen to CMs giving clear as crystal instructions. There were numerous times we're waiting to board the boat, and we'll be behind someone with a GIANT stroller, not break the stroller down at all. Like I get it, you don't have to do it until the boat is getting there, but when you can see the boat approaching the pier, tell your kid to get up, stand, and then break the stroller down. Nope, at least three or four times we had parents try to roll the stroller onto the boat (Note not the friendship style that you can roll right into)

The other is the amount of women who tour the parks in sports bras or bikini tops. I'm not a prude at all, but seriously I get it, Florida is hot and humid, that doesn't mean you get to dress like you're at a waterpark when you're not.

We noticed a few line cutters as well, and wish they would use both FP+ touchpoints because at least 4 times we saw someone jump from the standby to FP+ queue.

Time for Disney to start evicting those people, and other persistent rule breakers.

 

[peteykirch]

We noticed this too. It's especially easy to do at rides where there are breaks in the rope between FP and standby, so people just cross over and then aren't checked once they reach the ride...it's irritating, since there's a solution in place which not used for some reason

If I remember correctly there might only be 3 rides left that use both touch points. Flight of Passage, Navi River Journey, and Mine Train.

I don't know if they stopped doing both touch points on everything else since they feel it slows down the ride, but there is a CM right there at the merge point with the touch points. I don't know if it's worth to stop a handful of people a day to turn both back on, but it's annoying when you see it happen.

 

[vinotinto]

If I remember correctly there might only be 3 rides left that use both touch points. Flight of Passage, Navi River Journey, and Mine Train.

I don't know if they stopped doing both touch points on everything else since they feel it slows down the ride, but there is a CM right there at the merge point with the touch points. I don't know if it's worth to stop a handful of people a day to turn both back on, but it's annoying when you see it happen.

We were there at the same time you were (Sept 1-6) and had the second touch point at other e-ticket attractions, besides FOP, NRJ and 7DMT. We had a second touch point at BTMR, Space Mountain, TSMM, TOT,

I think Soarin, EE, and Star Tours also had a second touch point too.

 

[peteykirch]

We were there at the same time you were (Sept 1-6) and had the second touch point at other e-ticket attractions, besides FOP, NRJ and 7DMT. We had a second touch point at BTMR, Space Mountain, TSMM, TOT,

I think Soarin, EE, and Star Tours also had a second touch point too.

Lines were so short we didn't even us FP+ for Soarin, Star Tours, or TSMM.

 

[xjillianpaige]

I think they use the second touch point on the most popular rides/rides where the line jumping is easiest. When I was there in June 2016, two women and a little girl jumped in front of us from the regular line (we had FP+) and made it to the second turnstile where they were turned away. Their magic band didn't scan, so the CM asked for a paper ticket, and they handed him some receipt. They were removed from the line and didn't get to ride. When I was there in February 2017, BTMRR had the second turnstile going as well.

 

[mousefan73]

If I remember correctly there might only be 3 rides left that use both touch points. Flight of Passage, Navi River Journey, and Mine Train.

I don't know if they stopped doing both touch points on everything else since they feel it slows down the ride, but there is a CM right there at the merge point with the touch points. I don't know if it's worth to stop a handful of people a day to turn both back on, but it's annoying when you see it happen.

Kali rapids does too....
we saw kids trying to jump the single rider line at Everest into the FP line... A CM caught them.... sent them back to standby.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Will say room quality of the refurbed Pop rooms blows away pretty much everything in your standard Poly room.

In what ways? More details would be interesting.

 

[peteykirch]

In what ways? More details would be interesting.

I will say the only thing that Poly rooms have on the new Pop rooms are the following;

Size
Location (Depending on what room location you select)
2 Sinks
Minifridge actually having storage on the door (At the Pop it's a clear glass front so there is no storage on the fridge door)

People say the new Pop rooms aren't "Disney-fied" but they are sleek, modern, and not throw up in your face Disney.

There are just the right amount of accent color with pops of orange and yellows in the room.

I enjoy the laminate hardwood floor, much easier to clean and look better than carpet over time.

If you're a techie there are charging ports and outlets everywhere.

The shower, having a waterfall shower head, but also a handheld shower wand is a nice bit of luxury.

There is a ton of storage in the room with nooks and cubbies everywhere.