First let me say that there are so many variables with a WDW vacation (i.e. weather, personal preferences, the individual CMs you encounter, if the chef is having an off or on day, etc.) that our experiences cannot be depended upon to provide an accurate prediction of the experiences that others may have. However, hopefully some of the info in this report will be useful to someone.
THE TRIP: 7 day land/sea package w/ 1 add-on night.
5 nights at the Poly, 3 nights on the Wonder. (See the Cruise Line Report Board for the cruise trip report.)
DATES: Sunday, May 19, 2001 - Sunday May 27.
OUR GANG: Me, DH, DD (12), DS (3), & DS (turned 1 during our WDW vacation!)
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Free upgrade to concierge at the Poly!!
(They booked us in concierge for the add-on night in error. I asked them to downgrade me so that we wouldn't have to change rooms. Instead, they upgraded me!!!)
2. Cirque del Sol. Whole family loved it - even the baby!!
3. Taking the little ones on the rides in Fantasyland. They loved the Pooh ride, Peter Pan, Dumbo, the Carousel, Small World, even Snow White!
LOWLIGHTS:
1. DD got a stomach virus and was in bed all day the 3rd day and missed out on breakfast at Cindy's
.
2. DS(1) was terrified of the characters. He would shriek in horror every time they came near him.
3. Choked by smoke at MGM on day 2. It didn't bother us any other time, but that day it was awful.
MINI REVIEWS (Grade scale: A=Excellent; B=Good; C=Fair; D=Poor; F=Failure.)
Resort :
Poly Concierge = A. Excellent service, extremely convenient, beautiful landscaping. Kids loved the new pool. Not the most luxurious resort I've ever stayed at, but lovely and comfortable. Would definately stay there again. Don't know if I'd pay the extra $90 per day for concierge or not. Would depend on our budget.
Restaurants:
Chef Mickey's (dinner) = C-. $120 and food was bad and Mickey was a jerk to our children. Almost made the lowlights list, but DS(3) had a good time, so that made up for some of the negatives.
50s Prime Time (lunch) = B. DH had really good fried chicken. Our waitress was low key compared to some of the others. Fun time.
House of Blues (dinner) = C. Food just okay. Didn't get to stay for desert - that might have brought the grade up.
Cindy's (breakfast) = B+. Good food and great character interaction. Would have been more fun if DD had made it.
Rainforest Cafe (lunch) = C. Food not great and service slow. Crowded but visually interesting environment.
Liberty Tree Tavern (dinner) = B. Food okay (a bit bland), good character interaction but, again, one of the characters (Dale) was a jerk. Can't explain it. I'm sure it's a stressful job. Maybe I should have reported him.
Crystal Palace (lunch) = A. Excellent food & character interaction. A borderline highlight. Beautiful restaurant.
Chefs de France (dinner) = A. A bit fancy for my little ones. Would have been more fun there w/ just me & DH.
Parks:
MGM = A. Did EE and hopped right on Rockin Rollercoaster and TOT. Kids loved the Bear show, Lil Mermaid, and Great Movie Ride. Smoke was a bummer. Line to see Buzz & Woody was rediculous.
MK = A. Did EE. Longest wait in line was about 10 minutes. Left by noon cause park was getting crowded. Did E nights and LOVED it! We jumped right on our favorite rides and rode again and again!
AK (day 4) = A-. Family loved It's Tough to be a Bug. 1/2 day there was enough. Lion King show was too hot and crowded and me and the baby got kicked out (which is why it gets the -) because the baby wouldn't sit still and they wouldn't let me stand up in the back of the auditorium with him.
Epcot (day 5) = A. Didn't get to spend enough time there due to fussy kids. LOVED the Tapestry of Nations parade! Illuminations was pretty but the crowds were pushy and the fireworkds were too loud for DS(1).
Other Reviews:
Crowd manageabilty = B+. No complaints about crowds on this trip.
CM Hospitality = A-. Would have been A+ had it not been for Psycho Mickey & Dale and a couple of grouchy CMs at AK.
EE = A. We were a little late on EE day. Probably would have gotten even more done if we had been there at rope drop.
Weather = B. A little hot for us mountain folks, but not near as hot as it can get in Fla. A little shower one afternoon, otherwise lots of sun!
Disney efficiency and control = A. Systems they have in place are excellent and convenient. Keys to the World are great. Only had to check in once at the hotel and that checked us in for the cruise.
Disney Transportation = B. Wish the monorail went to MGM and AK. We rented a car and used in on those days. Trains came with good frequency.
OVERALL WDW VACATION - LAND = A
OVERALL WDW VACATION - SEA = A
Hope this is useful. Next year it's Hawaii for me and DH, 2003 it's a Mediterranian cruise for me and DH, in 2004 it's back to WDW for the same land/sea trip!! Counting the days!!!!
THE TRIP: 7 day land/sea package w/ 1 add-on night.
5 nights at the Poly, 3 nights on the Wonder. (See the Cruise Line Report Board for the cruise trip report.)
DATES: Sunday, May 19, 2001 - Sunday May 27.
OUR GANG: Me, DH, DD (12), DS (3), & DS (turned 1 during our WDW vacation!)
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Free upgrade to concierge at the Poly!!
(They booked us in concierge for the add-on night in error. I asked them to downgrade me so that we wouldn't have to change rooms. Instead, they upgraded me!!!)2. Cirque del Sol. Whole family loved it - even the baby!!
3. Taking the little ones on the rides in Fantasyland. They loved the Pooh ride, Peter Pan, Dumbo, the Carousel, Small World, even Snow White!
LOWLIGHTS:
1. DD got a stomach virus and was in bed all day the 3rd day and missed out on breakfast at Cindy's
.2. DS(1) was terrified of the characters. He would shriek in horror every time they came near him.
3. Choked by smoke at MGM on day 2. It didn't bother us any other time, but that day it was awful.
MINI REVIEWS (Grade scale: A=Excellent; B=Good; C=Fair; D=Poor; F=Failure.)
Resort :
Poly Concierge = A. Excellent service, extremely convenient, beautiful landscaping. Kids loved the new pool. Not the most luxurious resort I've ever stayed at, but lovely and comfortable. Would definately stay there again. Don't know if I'd pay the extra $90 per day for concierge or not. Would depend on our budget.
Restaurants:
Chef Mickey's (dinner) = C-. $120 and food was bad and Mickey was a jerk to our children. Almost made the lowlights list, but DS(3) had a good time, so that made up for some of the negatives.
50s Prime Time (lunch) = B. DH had really good fried chicken. Our waitress was low key compared to some of the others. Fun time.
House of Blues (dinner) = C. Food just okay. Didn't get to stay for desert - that might have brought the grade up.
Cindy's (breakfast) = B+. Good food and great character interaction. Would have been more fun if DD had made it.
Rainforest Cafe (lunch) = C. Food not great and service slow. Crowded but visually interesting environment.
Liberty Tree Tavern (dinner) = B. Food okay (a bit bland), good character interaction but, again, one of the characters (Dale) was a jerk. Can't explain it. I'm sure it's a stressful job. Maybe I should have reported him.
Crystal Palace (lunch) = A. Excellent food & character interaction. A borderline highlight. Beautiful restaurant.
Chefs de France (dinner) = A. A bit fancy for my little ones. Would have been more fun there w/ just me & DH.
Parks:
MGM = A. Did EE and hopped right on Rockin Rollercoaster and TOT. Kids loved the Bear show, Lil Mermaid, and Great Movie Ride. Smoke was a bummer. Line to see Buzz & Woody was rediculous.
MK = A. Did EE. Longest wait in line was about 10 minutes. Left by noon cause park was getting crowded. Did E nights and LOVED it! We jumped right on our favorite rides and rode again and again!
AK (day 4) = A-. Family loved It's Tough to be a Bug. 1/2 day there was enough. Lion King show was too hot and crowded and me and the baby got kicked out (which is why it gets the -) because the baby wouldn't sit still and they wouldn't let me stand up in the back of the auditorium with him.
Epcot (day 5) = A. Didn't get to spend enough time there due to fussy kids. LOVED the Tapestry of Nations parade! Illuminations was pretty but the crowds were pushy and the fireworkds were too loud for DS(1).
Other Reviews:
Crowd manageabilty = B+. No complaints about crowds on this trip.
CM Hospitality = A-. Would have been A+ had it not been for Psycho Mickey & Dale and a couple of grouchy CMs at AK.
EE = A. We were a little late on EE day. Probably would have gotten even more done if we had been there at rope drop.
Weather = B. A little hot for us mountain folks, but not near as hot as it can get in Fla. A little shower one afternoon, otherwise lots of sun!
Disney efficiency and control = A. Systems they have in place are excellent and convenient. Keys to the World are great. Only had to check in once at the hotel and that checked us in for the cruise.
Disney Transportation = B. Wish the monorail went to MGM and AK. We rented a car and used in on those days. Trains came with good frequency.
OVERALL WDW VACATION - LAND = A
OVERALL WDW VACATION - SEA = A
Hope this is useful. Next year it's Hawaii for me and DH, 2003 it's a Mediterranian cruise for me and DH, in 2004 it's back to WDW for the same land/sea trip!! Counting the days!!!!
Your trip sounded good, otherwise, and I'm glad you enjoyed Polynesian concierge. I'm staying there for 2 days on my upcoming trip. 
