No Request was too Extreme: A Post-Deployment Disney Trip *Completed

[amazingact21]

Exploration and Dinner:



This was my first time at Disney during late winter/early spring time, and I couldn’t help but notice how gray and cloudy it was all the time. I really missed my bright Florida sunshine, but I’m not gonna lie, the cooler weather was a nice change. It also was pretty neat to see the resort area in a new light.


I walked out of our longhouse with camera in hand, ready to see what the monorail resort areas looked light without their signature blue skies.



Since there was construction going on near the lobby and center of the resort, Alex and I steered Landon to the left and let him start running down what turned out to be the running path.


As soon as we passed the longhouse located in front of ours, we got a clear view of the lagoon.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


The castle’s best friend – Sir Crane – was making his bi-annual visit to the Magic Kingdom this month.



f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Probably best that we weren’t here during the summer months. I would have spent my morning sitting on one of those lawn chairs with a cup of coffee and a good paperback. Alex and Landon would’ve had to go on to the park without me.


I’d have waved to them as they went past on the boat…






It didn’t take long for Landon to realize that he could run and play on the pathway.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Fortunately, we only had to tell him once or twice to stay out of the sand. That wouldn’t work now. I started taking him to the beach on a regular basis the summer following this trip, and the boy fell in love with all things sand and water related. Nowadays, he’d jump into that mess with no regard to footwear or attire.

Run, Landon, run!

And guess what? It’s Dad who has to keep up with you for a change!




It didn’t take us long at all to near the Grand Floridian and end up next to the monorail line. It shocked me how close the two resorts are to each other. I knew they made up the big circle that is the monorail loop, but I didn’t realize the walk from one to the other was less than a quarter mile.

They were so close, in fact, that Poly guests get to use the GF gym if they want to work out.

(This was another reason we chose to go down this walkway; Alex wanted to scope out the fitness center.)



f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Not sure who enjoyed watching the monorails drive past us more, Landon or Alex…






We came near the Wedding Pavilion. Alex sneaked up to it and saw the gate was opened.

He tried to get me to go in and take some pictures, but I am such a rule follower the mere idea of going somewhere I wasn’t supposed to made me panic.


I was so afraid of getting in trouble that I signaled to Landon to come to me and started making my way back to the Polynesian.


If Alex was going to get in trouble I didn’t want to be associated with him.

(Like the Mini Me next to me wasn’t a dead giveaway.)


f6 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



I can’t be positive, but I think Landon would happily endure another 7 hour ride stuck in his seat if it meant he got such free reign to run and play in a new environment.


He was having a blast.




Alex eventually rejoined us, and we all took our sweet time going back to the Polynesian.

No need to rush.





I don’t think this time was anything special to Alex, but it meant a lot to me. Not my favorite part of the trip, but certainly one I appreciated and am grateful to have gotten to do. We rarely spend time at our home resort; typically we go to Epcot for dinner and some quick shopping. I always swear I’m going to take time and really look around the place I’m staying at, but Alex’s excitement to hit the parks and check out the new merchandise always wins out. Therefore, getting to check out more than our room, the lobby, the scenery to and from the food court was a real treat for me.


I felt like I had a better feel of the Polynesian. I was getting my money’s worth out of the place.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

So gray and dreary out.


f7 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr





We made it back to the longhouses and passed ours:



No time to stop. It was almost dinnertime!





Word to the wise…when taking a 1 year old to Disney, plan an extra five minutes of travel time to wherever you need to go due to your kiddo wanting to climb every staircase known to man.




We were walking, walking, jogging (have to keep up with the kid) walking, stopping.


Stopping.


Up one step.


Stopping.


Up another step.


Stopping.


Apologizing to the guests having to go around our kid.


Up another step.


Stopping.


Anddddddd then we were walking again…




At the time of our trip, the lobby had just completed its refurb, and I was anxious to see it for myself because the pictures I’d seen online had been underwhelming. During check-in, I wasn’t blown away by the new look compared to the old one, but I figured some more time spent in there was what I needed to form a better opinion.


No more waterfall, the main focus were the decorative lights hanging from the ceiling.




I asked Alex if we could sit for a bit and let Landon roam around. I had always spent some time in this particular lobby, and I wanted to see how this time compared to the past.











I was and still am kind of torn on how I feel about the new lobby.

As far as looks go, I love the new style much better than the old one. Everything is brighter, cooler (temp wise) and airier. The lobby feels much bigger now, and it’s easier to hold a conversation without the constant running water. I think the design fits the present time; I always felt the waterfall was very 1970s.


However, I hated how it was just one giant open space. The thing I loved the most about the old lobby was that I could go and sit by the back doors and be completely separated from the check in guests. There were four distinct sides to the lobby, and it made the place feel homier. It was easier for me to feel relaxed and separated from the hustle and bustle of the shops and front doors when there was a waterfall separating it all.



Now, I understand that my favorite parts about the old and the new lobby are not mutually exclusive. In order to have the area feel bigger and brighter, they had to get rid of the giant centerpiece.


So I guess I have a love/hate relationship with it.


(I will add, though, that my mom and I had Landon finish out a nap in the Poly lobby this last July, and I grew fonder of the place. There were outlets along the benches and plenty of room in front of the little seating square sections to park a stroller and still use the center table. Made it VERY convenient to let Landon nap and use the resort wifi while I simultaneously charged and used my phone. Points against the place, though: the openness caused it to be louder which led to it be harder for Landon to nap due to all the noise.)





When our ADR time finally drew near, Alex and I led Landon upstairs.



Oh good, more stairs.




I got in line to sign us in for dinner and took another photo of the lights.






They looked much prettier from the second floor.



Alex took Landon down to the pin kiosk near the monorail entrance. The shop historically has a good pin board that we like to check out whenever we’re near it.

(In July, when Alex and his brother took Landon to it, Landon spotted a Buzz Lightyear pin and fell in love with it. The awesome Cast Member working at the time gave it to Landon without making anyone do a trade.)






Continued in Next Post:

 

[amazingact21]

Continued from Previous Post:




I checked us all in and barely stepped away with our buzzer when it went off, signaling us to our restaurant.


Naturally, our meal for that evening was going to be at O’hana’s.

I love Kona Café. I really do.


But now that Alex has eaten at O’hana’s, the place gets pushed to the bottom of our meal list every trip. I’m sure one day we’ll make our way back to there.


Maybe if we ever do a longer stay at the Polynesian…

Hey, a girl can dream.






We were seated at a four topper in the back of the restaurant, not next to the windows but pretty darn close to them.

The view ended up being spectacular.





The picture doesn’t do it justice. Cinderella’s Castle was in plain view, and we had the privilege of watching it transition to its twilight look. As the sky got darker the castle shone brighter in pinks and purples. It was amazing to watch.




Dinner started with bread.


And Puffs for the picky eater in the family.



Then it was on to the good stuff. Pot stickers, noodles, chicken wings…


Landon dined on the edamame included in the salad.




The meal tasted fantastic and everything was cooked perfectly, but I noticed that the courses were being brought out slower than ever before.


The past 3 times I had eaten at O’hana’s, my dinner party was in and out in about an hour and a half. Max. Closer to an hour, actually. But, we’d always eaten before 6pm.


Our reservation that night was right after 6 o’clock, and I felt like the restaurant had fallen way behind in that first hour of opening.

It was nearing 7:30 before the dessert was on its way.


Landon is normally really good at restaurants, but even he has his limits. By that time, he was done with the meal. He’d sat and ate his food, listened and danced to the ukulele performer and flipped through the provided drink booklet a million times. There was nothing else to keep him occupied.

I tried sitting him in my lap for a bit.



But that, too, lost its appeal after awhile.



Alex and I were just about to Rock, Paper, Scissors who would have to take Landon out to the lobby and let him walk around when finally our bread pudding was set before us.


Along with a tasty treat for Landon.



(Alex had actually pulled scissors on my rock and was just getting up with him seconds before the food arrived. Hence why the kiddo was in his lap and not mine.)





The great thing about dessert is its magical properties that enable a small child to want to go back in their high chair.





What was five minutes ago an evil restraint suddenly became a vehicle for sweets. Landon was all too willing to go back in the seat once he realized he couldn’t have any more whipped cream until he did.

And once he did it was happy kid, happy parents.





By the time Alex and I had finished up our bread pudding, paid the bill, and wasted approximately 10 baby wipes on Landon’s chocolate-smeared face and hands, it was just shy of 8pm.


Two hours for that dinner.

TWO HOURS.


It was then that I became adamant that so long as my kids were young, we’d always eat between 5 and 5:30 at O’hana’s. Once they fall behind they never catch up and what should be a small timeout in your evening turns into an all-night event.


That being said, I don’t regret eating there at all. I couldn’t have asked for a better arrival day. It enabled me to keep the plans open and easy going. No having to rush out the door and catch a bus by a certain time, no need to rush at all.

And the best part?


We didn’t need to worry about a stroller or a lot of items. Just our diaper bag and MagicBands.

I don’t think I could even properly describe how wonderful it was to be able to finish up with our meal and head back to our room really fast to drop off the leis we were given and grab our jackets.





Since the parks were still just barely open, Alex and I thought it’d be a good idea to walk to the TTC and activate our 4 day hoppers.

Besides, stretching our legs wouldn’t be a horrible idea after such a huge meal.


From our room to the TTC it took about ten minutes. Not too long, but admittedly confusing due to the construction zones. We both agreed that when the refurb was finished the walk would be a breeze, but for the time it was more hassle than it was worth.


Landon loved it, though, because it gave him another opportunity to run.




When we got to the center, Alex and I noticed that all the windows were closed and shuttered. There was nobody working.


Alex flagged down a Cast Member and asked where we could activate our tickets since nobody was there.

Apparently, that close to closing time, the TTC shuts down for the night and guests have to go to the park entrance if they want to do anything.




So that long and zigzaggy walk was pointless.

Oops.



I really didn’t want to walk all the way back home when we accomplished nothing, so Alex suggested we hop on the monorail and go to the MK and activate our tickets there.


I wasn’t completely thrilled with the idea for a particular reason, but I also really didn’t want to have to go through the ordeal the following morning when everyone else was trying to do it as well.



So on to the MK entrance we went.

Our first monorail ride!

With zero pictures to commemorate it!




Once we got to the correct ticket window there were no issues and we officially had working tickets in no time.


Our whole detour to the TTC and then to the correct location ate up about another twenty minutes of our time.

By that point, my family and I had 2 options. Hop back aboard the monorail and beat the park closing rush.


Or go into the Magic Kingdom just in time to see Celebrate the Magic and Wishes.

A great idea, in theory, but that would mean we’d eat up a whole day’s worth of ticket for one firework's show.


That’d be nuts.

To anyone and everyone but Alex, that is.



This was the whole reason I dreaded going to the MK to get our tickets sorted out. I knew my husband wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of Main Street and the nighttime shows.


We had 3 full days at Disney, but we had to leave early on our 4th day to get to his parent’s by a certain time, meaning no chance to go into a park for a few hours.

Sure, there was the offhand chance we’d could make it back down to Orlando before September to use that remaining day on our tickets, but since we discovered I was pregnant the chances of that were slim. What pregnant person wants to do Disney in the summer? They’d be crazy.

(That statement is coming from someone who ended up going back in July at 24 weeks.)



We couldn’t just waste a whole day. Not when we were RIGHT THERE.

All right, all right. Let’s go!



Alex and I carried Landon (we hadn’t brought the stroller because, remember, this was supposed to have been a quick walk to and from and the TTC) under the tunnel and out onto Main Street. The MSEP had already concluded, so the sidewalks were clear, and the three of us were able to walk right up to an open spot on the street.



It was barely crowded.




The other guests who were around us were spread out, and for the first time at Disney, I didn’t feel squished or blocked in.

It felt like everyone had a very mellow attitude in the MK that night; nobody seemed to be a in bad mood or was acting rude. It was an anomaly.






I share this oh so lovely photo of myself not to brag about my mastery of the “tired mom” face but to highlight the couple behind us. These two were a grandfather/grandmother couple who were so nice and sweet to us. We’d put Landon down for a minute, and he’d begun dancing and getting in their personal bubble. Rather than become annoyed, the grandfather joined in and started acting so silly with Landon. They told us how they had grandkids and almost admonished me for trying to put a damper on the kid’s fun. I can’t recall their exact words, but they said something along the lines of, “If he can’t have fun here, then where can he?”

The interaction was how you hope all run ins with strangers go in the parks. Everyone in the party was polite and accommodating and refusing to allow little things to stamp out their good time.

Such a nice experience.




Within minutes the Celebrate the Magic show came on.






And then there was a brief reprieve between shows where I took an extremely sideways view of the castle.
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

You’re welcome.



And then.

Then it was Wishes o’clock.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


When the big finale came and went, Alex asked if we could go run into his favorite pin store. That way the small crowd that was gathered on Main Street could dissipate.


Walk around the Magic Kingdom?

You won’t hear me say no to that.


f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Alex went inside while I stayed back and let Landon jump off the small step that separated the store from the street. When he was done, I steered us in the direction of Adventureland. We were headed back to the Polynesian, but I wanted to go through my favorite land to do so.


I don’t know how it was still open (maybe there was EMH this night) but Aloha Isle had its lights on and a relatively short line.

“Alex, I’ve never tried the pineapple and vanilla swirl before.”

“Okay.”

“Maybe I should. For taste testing purposes.”

“Okay.”


But should I? We’d JUST eaten at O’hana’s.


f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Yes, yes I should.

And this, folks, is why I got gestational diabetes…


This trip was all about doing the ridiculous and most indulgent things we could imagine. Use a ticket for thirty minutes in the park? Have 2 desserts in one night?

All things that I did and would never do again. Only on this trip.




Our arrival day wasn’t too shabby, if I do say so myself. Checked into the Poly, explored the resort, ate at O’hana, watched Wishes from Main Street, and capped the night off with a Dole Whip.

The following days had a lot to live up to.






Up Next..Our First Full Day

 

[natebenma]

GREAT updates!!!

How fun to see Landon just loving that walkway. I have never been on that and had no idea the walk to the GF was so quick.

I totally see what you mean about him being a mini-you in that picture.

Wicked cute Monster's Inc sweatshirt! I love the story about the Buzz Lightyear pin. Disney magic!

That really is a great view from Ohana's. I once watched the castle at dusk from the Poly beach and I was just mesmerized with the changing colors.

That is awesome that you went into the Magic Kingdom and watched Celebrate the Magic (didn't Landon ask to see that again during an earlier trip) and to watch Wishes. And look at the pin store. And have a Dole Whip.

What a fantastic day and night!!!

You guys deserve it.

 

[cindianne320]

What a wonderful night! Though now I'm nervous about our 6:30 'Ohana reservation!

 

[afwdwfan]

Fortunately, we only had to tell him once or twice to stay out of the sand. That wouldn’t work now. I started taking him to the beach on a regular basis the summer following this trip, and the boy fell in love with all things sand and water related. Nowadays, he’d jump into that mess with no regard to footwear or attire.

Oh no... I'm still dealing with glitter, so I can only imagine how bad sand is!

Not sure who enjoyed watching the monorails drive past us more, Landon or Alex…

I'm sure it was pretty much equal.

If Alex was going to get in trouble I didn’t want to be associated with him.


(Like the Mini Me next to me wasn’t a dead giveaway.)

We were walking, walking, jogging (have to keep up with the kid) walking, stopping.



Stopping.




Up one step.




Stopping.




Up another step.




Stopping.




Apologizing to the guests having to go around our kid.




Up another step.




Stopping.

Wait a minute. You're missing one key element of the step exploration process.

Where's "Jumping off the steps?"

So I guess I have a love/hate relationship with it.

I kind of agree. I thought it was nice, and as you mentioned, seems more open and spacious. But I kind of liked how the waterfall made it feel like you were escaping from everything, in a way. It's like you said, actually. You could sit behind that waterfall, not see the bus traffic and really feel like you were in some tropical place, far removed from everything.

But now that Alex has eaten at O’hana’s, the place gets pushed to the bottom of our meal list every trip. I’m sure one day we’ll make our way back to there.




Maybe if we ever do a longer stay at the Polynesian…




Hey, a girl can dream.

Hey, you never know. A big, special trip might be in order when you return from Germany!

Landon is normally really good at restaurants, but even he has his limits. By that time, he was done with the meal. He’d sat and ate his food, listened and danced to the ukulele performer and flipped through the provided drink booklet a million times. There was nothing else to keep him occupied.

We tend to enjoy Disney restaurants because they seem to try to speed things along. Our kids do alright up to a point, but even an hour can be pushing it for them. These long meals just grind on the nerves of a parent and I completely feel your pain.

(Alex had actually pulled scissors on my rock and was just getting up with him seconds before the food arrived. Hence why the kiddo was in his lap and not mine.)

Whew, saved by the dessert.

By the time Alex and I had finished up our bread pudding, paid the bill, and wasted approximately 10 baby wipes on Landon’s chocolate-smeared face and hands, it was just shy of 8pm.

Only 10 wipes???

Alex flagged down a Cast Member and asked where we could activate our tickets since nobody was there.


Apparently, that close to closing time, the TTC shuts down for the night and guests have to go to the park entrance if they want to do anything.

Then why do they even have that first "T" in TTC???

That’d be nuts.






To anyone and everyone but Alex, that is.






This was the whole reason I dreaded going to the MK to get our tickets sorted out. I knew my husband wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of Main Street and the nighttime shows.

Wow... a full park day for fireworks that you can watch from the Poly???

We had 3 full days at Disney, but we had to leave early on our 4th day to get to his parent’s by a certain time, meaning no chance to go into a park for a few hours.

Well, when you put it that way, Alex is right! There's nothing to even think about, get in there!

What pregnant person wants to do Disney in the summer? They’d be crazy.




(That statement is coming from someone who ended up going back in July at 24 weeks.)

It felt like everyone had a very mellow attitude in the MK that night; nobody seemed to be a in bad mood or was acting rude. It was an anomaly.

That's nice. It seems rare sometimes, but it is nice!

The interaction was how you hope all run ins with strangers go in the parks. Everyone in the party was polite and accommodating and refusing to allow little things to stamp out their good time.

Again, that's just really cool! These kinds of things should really be more frequent at Disney World than they are. We always hear about, and have to tolerate, the less enjoyable experiences so it is always nice to hear about these.

And then there was a brief reprieve between shows where I took an extremely sideways view of the castle.

And we can't even blame a lapu lapu for this one.

But should I? We’d JUST eaten at O’hana’s.

They say there's no such thing as a stupid question. But this is testing that theory.

And this, folks, is why I got gestational diabetes…

Our arrival day wasn’t too shabby, if I do say so myself. Checked into the Poly, explored the resort, ate at O’hana, watched Wishes from Main Street, and capped the night off with a Dole Whip.

It looks like it was a perfect way to start the trip. The rest of the days definitely do have a lot to live up to!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Stop the music! Stop the music!

How in the heavens did I not know about this trip?? Well, I'm not going to cry about it now, but instead be totally over the moon excited that I stumbled upon your report. You know that I have always LOVED reading about your adventures, so I cannot wait for more! And honestly, reading about Landon's adventures makes me so excited to take our Butterbean for the first time!

 

[amazingact21]

Wicked cute Monster's Inc sweatshirt!

I loved that shirt, too. I think he got to wear it about 5 times, though. Between our warm FL weather and his lovely growth spurts, he was too big for it in no time. I'm so glad he's slowed down some and has been in the same size for 6 months or so.

That really is a great view from Ohana's. I once watched the castle at dusk from the Poly beach and I was just mesmerized with the changing colors.

I had never thought to watch the castle during that time before. It really was a pretty sight to see. Just another one of those little Disney things you can experience that doesn't involve rides or shows.

That is awesome that you went into the Magic Kingdom and watched Celebrate the Magic (didn't Landon ask to see that again during an earlier trip) and to watch Wishes. And look at the pin store. And have a Dole Whip.

He did! I think on this night he was a little restless so he didn't watch it as intently. But when we went in July he danced and sang along to the Frozen part. I can't wait to see what his reaction to the show will be next month.

What a wonderful night! Though now I'm nervous about our 6:30 'Ohana reservation!

Hopefully, the restaurant won't have fallen far behind when you go. I'm sure it varies night to night. And I will say that the downside to going at 5pm is that all the food comes out at once. There's not really "courses" it's just a long processional of foods.
I would just bring some activities for the kids to keep them occupied in case they run behind. I think if I'd have some of Landon's books, we'd have had an easier time. Something - anything - for him to do.

Oh no... I'm still dealing with glitter, so I can only imagine how bad sand is!

Alex hates the beach for that exact reason. I'm just used to it. When I used to live in Central FL it was a fact of life. We had to sweep it up every day and replace vacuums every year or so due to the sand ruining the machines.
At least the part of FL I live in has powdery sand, so it doesn't stick to you as bad. It'll get in the car and on the clothes and shoes, but a good shaking of everything once you get home gets 95% of it off before things get to the washer.


I'd take sand over glitter any day of the week...
(Random note...I bought Evie a 12 month size Disney shirt the other day. And it had glitter on it. A baby's shirt! That's just absurd.)

Where's "Jumping off the steps?"

Landon was pretty good at that age about not wanting to jump steps.
Now though...I caught him jumping and flying off the back of my sofa.
Like, really son? AFTER you've already been through the ordeal of breaking your leg????

Hey, you never know. A big, special trip might be in order when you return from Germany!

We have our suspicions that one of Alex's sisters might be getting married during the 3 years we're in Germany. And if that's the case we'll have to come back home to FL to attend. We see no reason not to take a couple extra days and go visit Disney.
Because 3 years is a LONG time to go without a trip.
(Not that we won't have other places to explore.)

And we can't even blame a lapu lapu for this one.

They say there's no such thing as a stupid question. But this is testing that theory.



It looks like it was a perfect way to start the trip. The rest of the days definitely do have a lot to live up to!

Imagine if the stories I'd end up with if we DID have a lapu lapu to blame.


Fortunately, the following days did not disappoint.

Stop the music! Stop the music!

How in the heavens did I not know about this trip?? Well, I'm not going to cry about it now, but instead be totally over the moon excited that I stumbled upon your report. You know that I have always LOVED reading about your adventures, so I cannot wait for more! And honestly, reading about Landon's adventures makes me so excited to take our Butterbean for the first time!

Hi Missy! Alex and I didn't post about this trip on facebook or talk about it, because we kept it a secret from the rest of the family. We didn't want hurt feelings that we weren't visiting with anyone. Which made us so sad, because SO many amazing things happened that we couldn't share.


I am so, so, SO excited to hear about your future adventures with a little boy(yay!) of your own. Even if you don't write a trip report, please post lots of photos on your facebook and status updates.
(And yes, I know the little one isn't here yet, but I'm sure you're like an good Disney fan and have thought about their first trip.)


Speaking of, I hope your pregnancy is going well! I'm glad the majority of your pregnancy is happening in the springtime. Hopefully, it won't get too hot before you have them.

I saw you guys were headed back down to Disney in a few months. Be sure and take it easy and drink lots of water!!! You'll be amazed how much water you'll drink at Disney when you're pregnant.

 

[UGAFan0829]

Hi Missy! Alex and I didn't post about this trip on facebook or talk about it, because we kept it a secret from the rest of the family. We didn't want hurt feelings that we weren't visiting with anyone. Which made us so sad, because SO many amazing things happened that we couldn't share.


I am so, so, SO excited to hear about your future adventures with a little boy(yay!) of your own. Even if you don't write a trip report, please post lots of photos on your facebook and status updates.
(And yes, I know the little one isn't here yet, but I'm sure you're like an good Disney fan and have thought about their first trip.)


Speaking of, I hope your pregnancy is going well! I'm glad the majority of your pregnancy is happening in the springtime. Hopefully, it won't get too hot before you have them.

I saw you guys were headed back down to Disney in a few months. Be sure and take it easy and drink lots of water!!! You'll be amazed how much water you'll drink at Disney when you're pregnant.

Hi! It stinks that you didn't get to tell family, but I COMPLETELY understand! You certainly shouldn't have to miss out on the magic just because of that. I am so into reading about Landon and how he reacts to everything. It's so cool to read about it all!

I will definitely be posting lots of pictures and updates once he's here. It's so weird...July seems like forever away, but at the same time it doesn't seem like I've been pregnant that long and I'm alrady 3 1/2 months! His nursery is going to be Pooh themed, so I'm super excited about that!

We do have a trip planned for April--we're taking my niece and nephew back again. Originally, we planned to take them in June after they got out of school for the summer, and then I found out the great news and realized that June was way too close to be traveling, so thankfully I was able to move it back to April, which will be their Spring Break. I'm sad that I won't be able to ride everything, but am SO excited to finally be taking them back! I can only imagine what it's going to be like!

As far as his first trip, we were tossing around the idea of January 2017, but that's not definite yet...it certainly won't be too long!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Joining in! Your little guy is absolutely adorable!!!! Looking forward to hearing more about this trip. Poly is on our dream resort list too (we've only done the values to moderates so far). We have a trip coming up next month and booked a breakfast ADR at Kona -- just so we can finally experience a snipit of what Poly has to offer

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Hi! All caught up here. Landon is getting so big!! Still such a cutie but man they grow too fast!

I have such respect for military families. I cannot imagine how hard those deployments must be on all of you.

Your trip seems to have started out wonderfully! I haven't stayed at the Poly since I was a kid, but I'd love to stay again as an adult, so I understand your excitement.

I don't think I like the new lobby as much. There are things about it that I like, but I did really love that fountain

 

[Vernie822]

Yay for staying at the Poly!! I love it. Ohana is our favorite meal too, but we can never seem to get anything earlier than 7:30ish. Usually after 8. And you're right, once they get behind, it will be a long meal. We're headed there in April and I found out last week that they're opening at 3 or 3:30 starting in March or April so we were able to grab an even earlier ADR. So heads up for your trip in March!

 

[amazingact21]

I will definitely be posting lots of pictures and updates once he's here. It's so weird...July seems like forever away, but at the same time it doesn't seem like I've been pregnant that long and I'm alrady 3 1/2 months! His nursery is going to be Pooh themed, so I'm super excited about that!

We do have a trip planned for April--we're taking my niece and nephew back again. Originally, we planned to take them in June after they got out of school for the summer, and then I found out the great news and realized that June was way too close to be traveling, so thankfully I was able to move it back to April, which will be their Spring Break. I'm sad that I won't be able to ride everything, but am SO excited to finally be taking them back! I can only imagine what it's going to be like!

As far as his first trip, we were tossing around the idea of January 2017, but that's not definite yet...it certainly won't be too long!

Aw, a Pooh themed nursery sounds really cute! I'm sure you already can't wait to take him to his first Crystal Palace breakfast.
Time will really start to crawl once you hit the last trimester. You'll wander if your due date will ever arrive...


I wandered if you would ever take your niece and nephew back to Disney. They had a lot of fun on their first trip. Imagine how crazy it'll be to see them on this trip, because they've grown and changed so much since the last time they went.



January is a good time. It won't be hot and the little one will be around 6 months or so. That's a good age. (Landon was 7 turning 8 months when we took him.) I'm sure you will figure out an exact date and start planning for it. A baby's first visit is a big deal!

Joining in! Your little guy is absolutely adorable!!!! Looking forward to hearing more about this trip. Poly is on our dream resort list too (we've only done the values to moderates so far). We have a trip coming up next month and booked a breakfast ADR at Kona -- just so we can finally experience a snipit of what Poly has to offer

Thanks for joining in!
The Poly is beautiful, and eating at one of the restaurants is a great way to experience a little bit of the resort. I try to do that on every trip just to be able to take in all the sights and sounds for an hour or so.
And the macadamia nut pancakes at Kona are delicious! Mmmm, how I could go for some right now.

Hi! All caught up here. Landon is getting so big!! Still such a cutie but man they grow too fast!

I have such respect for military families. I cannot imagine how hard those deployments must be on all of you.

Your trip seems to have started out wonderfully! I haven't stayed at the Poly since I was a kid, but I'd love to stay again as an adult, so I understand your excitement.

I don't think I like the new lobby as much. There are things about it that I like, but I did really love that fountain

Kids really do grow up so fast. It's amazing to me that a lot of DISers I follow along have kids in school now. It felt like just yesterday they were itty bitty babies. I guess before long that'll be our little ones...


The Poly is such a great resort to stay at. Especially with young kids. I think anyone who has to use a stroller should consider the Poly when planning a trip.

Yay for staying at the Poly!! I love it. Ohana is our favorite meal too, but we can never seem to get anything earlier than 7:30ish. Usually after 8. And you're right, once they get behind, it will be a long meal. We're headed there in April and I found out last week that they're opening at 3 or 3:30 starting in March or April so we were able to grab an even earlier ADR. So heads up for your trip in March!

Interesting. I didn't know that. I wonder how that's going to impact our 5:15 dinner. Hopefully not too much, but we'll see.
It's feast or famine for O'hana. With early reservations, all the food comes out at once and your table is overloaded with various foods. With later reservations, it takes hours for each course to arrive.
In the end, though, it's worth dealing with because the food is just delicious.

 

[amazingact21]

February 27th, 2015 Morning:



Alex, Landon, and I woke up in our room at the Poly refreshed and excited to start our day. Alex went for a run while I stayed back in the room and fed and changed Landon. It was a perfect situation. Alex got his workout in and I got to take it easy and relax for awhile.


Shortly after 8 a.m., we left our room and hopped on the monorail. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but the best thing about staying at the Poly was the transportation. Being able to put Landon in his stroller and hop aboard the monorail made life so much easier. I think if I had to do things differently, I would sacrifice going to Disney World several times a year if it meant I got to take one long trip and get to stay at one of the monorail resorts. If we weren’t about to move, Alex and I would have waited another 6 months or so and gone back for Evie’s first birthday, when we could have stayed at the Poly again.

It was just that much easier.




When the monorail got to the TTC, we disembarked and hopped over to the Epcot line. We were one of the first people in line, and right next to us was a very nice family with two young kids. They had a tablet and were watching a Disney Jr show. Naturally, my kid heard the music and wandered over to see what was happening. The kids were polite and let Landon watch with them while Alex and the father struck up a conversation. I remember them discussing Alex’s military career and how it opened up a lot of doors for him; the father was an accountant and was fascinated by our lifestyle.


The talk was nice, but after about ten minutes or so topics started to dwindle and we began questioning where the monorail had run off to. It seemed like it was taking an exceptionally long time for one to arrive.



No sooner had we thought that then a Cast Member came over the loudspeaker and announced that the rail was having technical difficulties and would be delayed another ten minutes. He told everyone that Disney had pulled some buses and were driving guests over to Epcot if anyone wished to leave and take that route.



And holy smokes.


A mass exodus erupted.

Everyone and their brother flew out of the corrals, including our new friend the accountant and his family.



Alex and I weren’t in a rush so we had quickly decided to stay put and wait the ride out.


We were one of about 20 families to do so.



Alex and I couldn’t help but observe that even if Disney had brought in 3 or 4 buses, by the time everyone made it from the monorail platform to the loading zone, waited in line, potentially got on a bus, waited for the vehicle to fill up, then drove over to the park, the 10 minutes would have passed and the monorail would have arrived


No sense in fighting the huge crowd to cram on a bus when we could just be patient and wait.



I hopped on MDE and pushed our Fastpass reservations back by half an hour, and Alex quieted an antsy Landon by letting him watch some Youtube clips of Jake and the Neverland Pirates.






The Cast Member was true to his word and after about 10 minutes of waiting, a monorail pulled into the station.

Patience won out.

And, even better, when my family reached bag check, we saw some guests that were waiting in line behind us getting off a bus at the stop.


Didn’t save any time, in the end.






Our original plans pushed back, Alex and I had some free time to kill. There wasn’t anything we really wanted to do, so we figured we’d let Landon run around and explore for a bit.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Our first sight of the Epcot globe. It’s always thrilling to see it for the first time on a trip. You almost forget how big and impressive it is until you get an up close look at it and walk in its shadow.


I just wished it wasn’t so dag blasted cloudy! Where’s my FL sunshine?





Alex got Landon out of his stroller and let him roam around near the entrance of the park.



Other guests probably thought we’d lost our minds, standing around wasting precious Disney time, but we were perfectly happy doing exactly that. This trip was all about family time, and for our 1 year old that meant being chased by his dad.



Besides, the exertion helped warm up our freezing selves. Without the sun, the weather was extremely chilly and there was a biting wind that day.

Alex deeply regretted wearing shorts.

(Guess who told him jeans would be a better idea? Wouldn’t possibly have been the wife….)



I couldn’t stop myself from taking a picture of the monorail going by. I just think it’s one of the coolest aspects of taking that form of transportation to Epcot, the fact that you get to go through the park.

And during Flower and Garden Festival it provides such a stunning view of the displays that it’s almost an attraction in itself.





I noticed that the line to meet Pluto was fairly short, so I parked myself and the stroller in the line while Alex took Landon off for more running.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



At one point, Pluto needed to go get some water, and when he came back out, Landon just so happened to be running by the walkway to get back to me. He ran right in front of Pluto, who stopped to wave to him.


Landon kind of froze and backed away VERY SLOWLY.


Up until that moment, he was in his own little world, playing and laughing, and then BAM. He looks up and there’s this giant dog two feet in front of him.


It freaked him out a little.

Great.


He wanted me to hold him after that, and Alex and I debated even staying in line. Wasn’t exactly a good preview of what was about to come.


We talked the meet up and tried to get Landon really excited.

And from far away, he seemed to really love Pluto.





Then our turn rolled around.

And all of a sudden, Landon went from being a comfortable distance away to his mother carrying him right up to this massive version of a dog.

I’ll give him credit, Landon didn’t blatantly freak out. There was no screaming or crying or outright fear, but there was a definite wariness.

Landon refused to let me set him down and clung to my jacket like his life depended on it.





We got Pluto to give us several high fives and that relaxed Landon enough to allow us to get a picture next to him.







Stepping away and getting some distance from Pluto helped a lot.



From afar, I guess the characters were cool. It was just up close that was the issue.


Which, I kind of get. You see these familiar faces and it’s really exciting, but when you get right up next to them they seem a lot more intimidating. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang is supposed to be small and relatable to toddlers, so to see them in person and have them be taller than Mom and Dad is a little freaky.


And that’s why I love the Disney Jr Live show so much. In my opinion, the puppets used in that are what kids Landon’s age expect to see.





Leaving the Pluto meet and greet, Alex asked if he could check out the pins at the shop by the Fountain of Nations. Like I didn’t see that request coming…


Away we went:



Notice my kid was STILL running around.




He did stop to take in the water.




If it weren’t so blasting cold, the Fountain would have been a lot more enjoyable to watch. But every time one of those flumes of water shot into the air, the wind caught it and whipped it in our faces.


I did not feel like I was in Central Florida that morning.



Alex bought a Baymax pin and rejoined us, then all 3 of us headed to the left of Epcot.

Landon spotted the trash can musicians and insisted on listening to them.
At any sign on music, no matter what form it comes in, Landon feels compelled to dance.






So far, our Epcot morning was going quite nicely. Alex and I were sort of happy that the monorail got delayed, because it opened up some doors that allowed us to try new avenues. We’d never done the Pluto meet and greet before, nor had we stopped and listened to the street entertainment. It was always get to an attraction as fast as possible. Don’t look back.


But this time around the 1 year old guided us, and it turned out to be a fun way to take in Epcot. Alex and I were able to take in the slower side of the park’s offerings, and we had a blast doing so.



Of course, that could only last for so long. Eventually, we did have a Fastpass calling Alex’s name.




Landon was rushing to keep up with his dad.



Still out of the stroller and walking on his own…


Notice a trend here?




Up next…More Epcot Fun.

 

[natebenma]

What a great morning already and you haven't even done a ride in the park yet. I had to specify "in the park" because of course, the monorail is TOO a ride!

I'm glad to hear that being at a monorail resort was such an advantage to you.

Love your description of the interaction with Pluto. It's good that there wasn't a total freak out. Cute pictures.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

First off, I love Landon's shirt from your first day!.

I too have mixed feelings on the new Poly lobby. I love the lights, but just feel it isn't the same without the water feature. I feel like maybe they could have done something in the middle - like a smaller water feature that has a similar feel and can make you feel like you are a bit separate from the check-in desks, but still more open than what was there before. Oh well - things are meant to change.

That is surprising that they took so long at 'Ohana's - usually I see the complaint that they are rushing people, that they don't have time to enjoy each course before the next one is coming.

Sounds like a really great first day - even if you "wasted" a day on your ticket ... though, hard to call anything that involves seeing Wishes from Main St. as "wasting"

***********

I can't agree with you more the ease of staying on a monorail resort when you have youglings. If a stroller is involved you can't put a price on that convenience (ok, well, I guess Disney does put a price on that). There is definitely something to be said for going less often but doing it up right - especially when multiple kids are involved.

Glad things worked out for you waiting for the EPCOT monorail. I think if I were in that situation and I heard they sent buses over I would question if it really would only be 10 minutes - but obviously that was the case.

Could not agree more that one of the best things about EPCOT is that the monorail goes through the park. One of my favorite Disney trivia bits is that the original plans called for the monorail to go through Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom (back when there was going to be a Persian themed resort up the side of the lake there would have been a monorail spur that went up to it and then through Tomorrowland).

My son was the same way with the characters his first trip - loved them from afar but not so much up close ... and the only interaction he would do is wave goodbye to them when they left

Glad you were having such a nice morning!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

What a lovely Epcot morning you had! I truly believe that Disney is all about family time, no matter how it happens, and some of the best moments in the parks happen when you aren't even near an actual attraction.

Landon looks like he is having a blast in Epcot! Running around all on his own, taking in some music, every toddlers dream! And I love his little shy face when meeting Pluto - it is definitely different from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! - and you got some great photos from the meet

 

[afwdwfan]

Shortly after 8am, we left our room and hopped on the monorail. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but the best thing about staying at the Poly was the transportation. Being able to put Landon in his stroller and hop aboard the monorail made life so much easier. I think if I had to do things differently, I would sacrifice going to Disney World several times a year if it meant I got to take one long trip and get to stay at one of the monorail resorts. If we weren’t about to move, Alex and I would have waited another 6 months or so and gone back for Evie’s first birthday, when we could have stayed at the Poly again.




It was just that much easier.

When we stayed at WL, we'd take the boat to GF or MK and transfer to a monorail to go to EPCOT. Yes, it took longer. But like you said, it was that much easier.

And you know, the whole riding a monorail through Future World thing doesn't hurt.

Patience won out.




And, even better, when my family reached bag check, we saw some guests that were waiting in line behind us getting off a bus at the stop.

Alex deeply regretted wearing shorts.






(Guess who told him jeans would be a better idea? Wouldn’t possibly have been the wife….)

What? Did he let you know he regretted wearing shorts??? Surely not!

Couldn’t stop myself from taking a picture of the monorail going by. I just think it’s one of the coolest aspects of taking that form of transportation to Epcot, the fact that you get to through the park.

Up until that moment, he was in his own little world, playing and laughing, and then BAM. He looks up and there’s this giant dog two feet in front of him.






It freaked him out a little.

Uh oh...

I’ll give him credit, Landon didn’t blatantly freak out. There was no screaming or crying or outright fear, but there was a definite wariness.




Landon refused to let me set him down and clung to my jacket like his life depended on it.

Been there, done that. Even on our most recent trip.

Which, I kind of get. You see these familiar faces and it’s really exciting, but when you get right up next to them they seem a lot more intimidating. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang is supposed to be small and relatable to toddlers, so to see them in person and have them be taller than Mom and Dad is a little freaky.




And that’s why I love the Disney Jr Live show so much. In my opinion, the puppets used in that are what kids Landon’s age expect to see.

I hadn't really thought about that, but you're absolutely right!

Notice my kid was STILL running around.

Apparently you just need to get a mommy size stroller and he can push you around.

 

[Dugette]

I have no idea how I managed to miss this TR starting, but here now!

Love the Poly, as you know! Enjoying the TR so far and glad to hear it was such a magical and memorable trip!

 

[amazingact21]

What a great morning already and you haven't even done a ride in the park yet. I had to specify "in the park" because of course, the monorail is TOO a ride!

I'm glad to hear that being at a monorail resort was such an advantage to you.

Love your description of the interaction with Pluto. It's good that there wasn't a total freak out. Cute pictures.

The monorail really is a ride of its own. I try to ride the Epcot line at least once a trip, because it's so much fun.

First off, I love Landon's shirt from your first day!.

I too have mixed feelings on the new Poly lobby. I love the lights, but just feel it isn't the same without the water feature. I feel like maybe they could have done something in the middle - like a smaller water feature that has a similar feel and can make you feel like you are a bit separate from the check-in desks, but still more open than what was there before. Oh well - things are meant to change.

I do wish the check in desk felt more separated from the rest of the lobby. I haven't been in all the deluxes, but judging from the ones I have visited, the Poly is the only one who feels that way. Even as small as the Beach Club entrance is, I am still able to relax on the couches and not hear too much chatter from the front desks.

That is surprising that they took so long at 'Ohana's - usually I see the complaint that they are rushing people, that they don't have time to enjoy each course before the next one is coming.

Sounds like a really great first day - even if you "wasted" a day on your ticket ... though, hard to call anything that involves seeing Wishes from Main St. as "wasting"

It's hit or miss with 'Ohana's. When we eat at 5 o'clock, the food is rushed to our table. When we eat at 6:00, it takes forever for the food to arrive. If the kids were older, Alex and I wouldn't mind the slow pace. But with toddlers, speed is our biggest advantage. They can't get in too much trouble when they have to eat, eat, eat!

I can't agree with you more the ease of staying on a monorail resort when you have youglings. If a stroller is involved you can't put a price on that convenience (ok, well, I guess Disney does put a price on that). There is definitely something to be said for going less often but doing it up right - especially when multiple kids are involved.

Now that I know how nice it is to stay at a monorail resort with one kid, I'm sort of dreading staying at Pop with 2 young ones. How we're going to manage getting those massive double strollers on and off a bus while holding the baby and keeping Landon close by will be interesting. I'll probably be exhausted before we get to the park...

What a lovely Epcot morning you had! I truly believe that Disney is all about family time, no matter how it happens, and some of the best moments in the parks happen when you aren't even near an actual attraction.

Landon looks like he is having a blast in Epcot! Running around all on his own, taking in some music, every toddlers dream! And I love his little shy face when meeting Pluto - it is definitely different from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! - and you got some great photos from the meet

It's amazing how we plan all these activities and rides for our trip, and it's usually the things that AREN'T planned that we remember and enjoy the most. Almost makes me wish I could take a spur of the moment trip, but I just don't think I'm capable of being that spontaneous.

When we stayed at WL, we'd take the boat to GF or MK and transfer to a monorail to go to EPCOT. Yes, it took longer. But like you said, it was that much easier.

And you know, the whole riding a monorail through Future World thing doesn't hurt.




What? Did he let you know he regretted wearing shorts??? Surely not!



Uh oh...

Been there, done that. Even on our most recent trip.

I hadn't really thought about that, but you're absolutely right!

Apparently you just need to get a mommy size stroller and he can push you around.

So the up close character fear doesn't go away the older the kid gets? Good to know. Landon is going on and on (and on...) about meeting Mickey and Jake, just our luck he's going to freak out when we get the chance.


A mommy sized stroller would be pretty great by the end of a trip. Alex offered to get me a wheelchair when we visited in July since I had my massive pregnant belly, but I was too stubborn for that. It's going to take a major feat to get me in a seat at Disney. Although, Landon would have had a field day helping push me around and run me into kiosks.

I have no idea how I managed to miss this TR starting, but here now!

Love the Poly, as you know! Enjoying the TR so far and glad to hear it was such a magical and memorable trip!

I think you were at Aulani and DL when I started this report.


I did think of your TR covering Izzy's first trip when we first booked the room!

 

[afwdwfan]

So the up close character fear doesn't go away the older the kid gets? Good to know. Landon is going on and on (and on...) about meeting Mickey and Jake, just our luck he's going to freak out when we get the chance.

I don't know if it is fear or just general toddler stubbornness, quite honestly. For example, we'd met the characters in EPCOT... she talked about meeting Mickey all morning, yet when we got there she clammed up around Mickey, wanted nothing to do with Goofy, but loved Minnie.

But then we met Mickey another time and she loved him. So quite frankly, I've got no reasonable explanation.

But in a nutshell, yes, this is what you have to look forward to.