OK, I've got the ticker....Poly in August!!!

[solana131]

OK - first - AoA... Have you checked the prices on the suites? I checked them when we first decided to book our Oct trip (that is no more), and I found that the suites were almost the same price as staying at the Poly... Unless I did something wrong? My POR and FQ resort rack rates were definately cheaper than an AoA suite. I am happy if you stay where ever though - I think we still have several meets planned, right? I need to look at our schedules again and see where they overlap, since I have not done that since the potential day late arrival of ours.

Loved the FL TR update... That little Bradey is sooo stinkin' adorable!

The fish that Bill caught were really cool - I bet it was really hot that day - it just looks hot!

I love that fishy table too - I used to have a fishy bathroom when Josh and I were first married - I loved it. I was so sad when I had to "grow up" and get rid of it - LOL... I still have all the stuff packed away in the basement, I may resurrect it one day.

D~

Well, our week at POR with 8 day PHs is $2713 rack rate. AoA suite with 8 day PHs is $3190 and the Poly is $4490. Less than $500 to upgrade to a suite, but it is still a value resort. I know we will be spending a great deal of time just hanging around the resort...so I think we will stick with POR. I think they have more to do than even the Poly. The Poly has the surrey bikes too, but there is a very limited area in which you can ride them. And there are 7 pools to try out at PO and only two at the Poly. The pools at AoA look great, but that is all they have.

I'm kind of worried about seating on the buses...I have heard that the South Depot gets really busy in the mornings and it is standing room only lots of times. That is not cool with a little one. I didn't have to worry about that at POFQ...or the Poly. But I think AoA would be even worse. Yes, the South Depot might be busiest, but there are less people total and some of them will be at the other bus stops. At AoA, they only have the one stop for the whole resort, so it's bound to be worse there...right?

I was thinking of moving to make things easier if Sara wanted to sleep, but then I thought...tough luck if she wants to sleep...it's Disney! There's no sleeping in Disney! Hee hee hee, she is going to hate me by the end of this trip

 

[DMGeurts]

Sorry guys....It has been a heck of a week here. Drama, drama, drama...and sickness. Bradey and I have a little (very annoying) cold thing going. Hoping it is almost over. We have another foot of snow coming our way tomorrow night through Wednesday Just so sick of it! It is frigid tonight...single digits and below zero with windchill. But they tell me spring is around the corner...



Thanks D. He just loves going to visit Grammie and Grampa. We Skyped with them today and he said he wanted to fly down to go fishing again. Just breaks my heart that they are so far away all winter. We are so close to them...Oh well, they have worked hard their whole lives and deserve it.



We noticed that Bob Evans had gone downhill too. They took their stuffed pancakes off the menu...they still made them for me, but they aren't on the menu anymore. And they were out of biscuit cowls (my Mom's favorite) both times we went! You would think that would be one of their top sellers...and really, how long does it take to bake some up fresh?? But I rarely get to go out for breakfast at home, so it was still nice.



Yeah, that will be some change! But I'm sure you will all have a great time And you'll be able to get some great early morning CBR pictures to share on your TR...right??




Oh..70 would be heaven after what we have coming our way the next few days. I am so sick of winter! I haven't pulled out my suitcases yet, but only because I have another trip in between there



I bet! It makes me so glad I have a boy



Absolutely! I can't wait to get pics of that resort. I have actually been thinking of switching over to AoA for this trip. If there aren't any good POR discounts, I will be switching for sure. We would be so much more comfortable in a suite. I think we are going to have a hard time waking Sara up in the mornings. And if it proves to be an issue, Bradey and I will just head out and she can catch up with us. She's an adult...I'm sure she can handle the bus system on her own if she can't get up with us. But AoA would give Bradey and I our own room and bathroom to get ready in. We'll see...But don't worry...our dinner there will be very picture heavy!



Thanks Mo....he is pretty darn adorable isn't he .
I think I have the computer figured out now. How is yours treating you?



Oh, I am never completely done with my planning...that's half the fun! I am very excited about this whole Fastpass+ thing because it is just another level of planning. Can't wait to hear more about it.



Thanks D You guys helped a lot. I am done with the whole situation and moving on. Still haven't talked to her...she avoided me at pickup/drop off the rest of the week. Her loss.

Well, our week at POR with 8 day PHs is $2713 rack rate. AoA suite with 8 day PHs is $3190 and the Poly is $4490. Less than $500 to upgrade to a suite, but it is still a value resort. I know we will be spending a great deal of time just hanging around the resort...so I think we will stick with POR. I think they have more to do than even the Poly. The Poly has the surrey bikes too, but there is a very limited area in which you can ride them. And there are 7 pools to try out at PO and only two at the Poly. The pools at AoA look great, but that is all they have.

I'm kind of worried about seating on the buses...I have heard that the South Depot gets really busy in the mornings and it is standing room only lots of times. That is not cool with a little one. I didn't have to worry about that at POFQ...or the Poly. But I think AoA would be even worse. Yes, the South Depot might be busiest, but there are less people total and some of them will be at the other bus stops. At AoA, they only have the one stop for the whole resort, so it's bound to be worse there...right?

I was thinking of moving to make things easier if Sara wanted to sleep, but then I thought...tough luck if she wants to sleep...it's Disney! There's no sleeping in Disney! Hee hee hee, she is going to hate me by the end of this trip

Well... I agree no sleeping in Disney...

However - I've been worried about the South Depot too, as that is where we will probaby board every day...

I am still hoping that we will get to switch to FQ... So, if you switch to AoA, it's not that big of a deal

D~

 

[nolajax]

Still reading through all the pages but had to take a moment to say Hi. Love your purse in the picture in the first post with your cousin. (I have the same one. )

 

[RHMH]

Solana - Super nice pictures. So clear and full of color..

 

[Chicago Mo]

remember me???


I LOVE LOVE LOVE your mini trip!!! can i come next time??? HA HA

AOA/Poly was one tough decision for me.. and honestly for 2014 it still is. Your going at a pretty high crowd time too right? adn with Bradly <--smart type is STUPID.. your going to be miserable! BE HAPPY.. and No there is NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY. leave that for the airport.

 

[solana131]

Well... I agree no sleeping in Disney...

However - I've been worried about the South Depot too, as that is where we will probaby board every day...

I am still hoping that we will get to switch to FQ... So, if you switch to AoA, it's not that big of a deal

D~

Oh how I wish we could do FQ! I'm going to miss it But we need 3 beds...so it is definitely out. Maybe next time.

Still reading through all the pages but had to take a moment to say Hi. Love your purse in the picture in the first post with your cousin. (I have the same one. )

Welcome! I love my Vera bags...I have a ton! But from now on, my Disney bags will be these....

My Dory backpack! Love it. This is not going to work in August though...too hot for a backpack. So I had to order another one...

My crossbody Mickey Balloon bag! It is still my absolute favorite one D has made and I feel so lucky to have it! It is very similar in size and shape and set up as the Vera Hipster. I didn't have this bag yet on my trip last July, so I didn't get any Disney use out of it. But I have used it here at home and I love it. Can't wait to take it to Disney!

Solana - Super nice pictures. So clear and full of color..

Thanks Bob. It was a great trip, very relaxing and we had perfect weather this year!

remember me???

Hmmm...Chicago Mo...seems familiar.... Nope, sorry can't place you...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your mini trip!!! can i come next time??? HA HA

Absolutely! I just love it down there and feel so lucky that we have that place in the family to use whenever we like. We'd have to go sometime they aren't there though...not enough beds

AOA/Poly was one tough decision for me.. and honestly for 2014 it still is. Your going at a pretty high crowd time too right? adn with Bradly <--smart type is STUPID.. your going to be miserable! BE HAPPY.. and No there is NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY. leave that for the airport.

The deciding factor for me was the resort activities. With my "touring plan" we will be hitting the parks early then taking a mid-day break and I want lots to do at the resort to keep us busy. POR has the surrey bikes, playgrounds, lots of pools, and the boat to DTD. AoA only has the pool. But having separate bedrooms certainly sounds good. I would love to do the Poly again....especially after seeing the new rooms at Tikiman, but we just can't afford it.

 

[KatMark]

Looks like the guys were successful on their fishing excursion (well, minus the sunburned neck and ears).

I LOVE that fish table of your mom's!

 

[solana131]

Looks like the guys were successful on their fishing excursion (well, minus the sunburned neck and ears).

I LOVE that fish table of your mom's!

I think Bill had fun...he isn't too enthusiastic about most things, so sometimes it is hard to tell. But he loves fishing and he had never been deep sea fishing before.



**************************************************


I guess it's been a while since my last FL update. Well, we are now up to our 4th day there (Wednesday). My Mom was all done working for the week, and she felt left out when we went to Bob Evans for breakfast without her the other day. So that's where we went that morning. It was yummy as usual.

The guys wanted to stay out of the sun today, so Mom Bradey and I hopped in the convertible and headed out to Sanibel Island by ourselves.



Mom loves her new convertible....Bradey not so much...



He has always hated having the windows down in the car, so I had a feeling he wouldn't like the top down, but it was so nice out. We made a deal with him that we would only have it down while we were on the Island and going slow.

We made our way to the beach...the name escapes me, but it was a new one for me. We usually go to Bowman's Beach, but the past few years it has just been too busy. So Mom found this other one at another end of the Island. It was perfect.



BTW....D~, this is one of my LLBean skorts and Beansport tees. This one is from a couple of years ago, but they are all about the same length.

It was just a gorgeous day. A little windy, but that just made it not so hot for us. But excuse the crazy hair in these pictures.





So pretty and not a lot of people.
If you've never been to Sanibel....it is known for it's awesome shelling. Everywhere you look on the beaches you see people doing the famous "Sanibel Stoop". Like this...







He was so proud of his shells!



We also had fun trying to outrun the waves...they were relatively calm that day.





"Hey Suzi...take a picture of Bradey and I" "Uh, Grammie...there's a wave coming"



"Ummm...Grammie, it's getting closer..." "Don't worry, we are far enough up"



"AAAAHHHH....see, I told you"



We had a great morning out there, but soon our tummies were rumbling and we had big plans for lunch. So we headed back down the beach. Couple more pics before we go.





Then we were heading off the island and back home to pick up the guys for lunch. Top down until we got off the bridge...



Up next.....lunch at one of my favorite places in Cape Coral...

 

[KatMark]

A convertible on the beach? I am so, so jealous. Mark and I will have to take a ride to Sanibel Island one of these trips and look for shells (Marco has a lot, but I want to check out Sanibel.

I can't wait to hear where you have lunch that is a favorite since we will be in that area in about 12 days.

 

[solana131]

A convertible on the beach? I am so, so jealous. Mark and I will have to take a ride to Sanibel Island one of these trips and look for shells (Marco has a lot, but I want to check out Sanibel.

I can't wait to hear where you have lunch that is a favorite since we will be in that area in about 12 days.

Sanibel is great for shells...but be sure you wear shoes the whole time because there are more shells than sand and your feet will get really cut up.

If you do go to Sanibel...my suggestion for lunch would be to continue over to Captiva and try The Bubble Room. Oh my gosh...such an amazing place. And make sure you save room for dessert. Their cakes are out of this world! It is a very neat place. Very eclectic and fun. The waiters are called "bubble scouts"

It gets a little confusing at that end of Captiva, so look it up on the map first. You'll find it though ... Captiva isn't that big.

We went back to Cape Coral for lunch that day. We ate at Rum Runners...yum! But it's not very close to Sanibel. Highly recommend the Bubble Room...bring your camera!

 

[DMGeurts]

What a fabulous update! I love the convertable and the beach... And you all look like you are so happy and having soo much fun!

And, as usual - Bradey is adorable!

D~

 

[solana131]

What a fabulous update! I love the convertable and the beach... And you all look like you are so happy and having soo much fun!

And, as usual - Bradey is adorable!

D~

Thanks D. I'm not a huge convertible fan...too windy and loud. But it was nice while we were cruising down the Sanibel Strip And it is a hard top convt. So it looks like a transformer when the top goes up/down and into the trunk. Very fun....we get lots of looks while it's changing.


*****************************************************


So we were heading home after a few hours on the beach picking up shells. We got home, changed and headed right out to our favorite lunch place, RumRunners. It is on a saltwater canal and has a great deck overlooking the water.



Not to mention an out-of-this-world Cuban wrap!



I know...it doesn't look like much, but trust me....this thing has such great flavor. Yumm!

All of us adults had the Cuban. Bradey had his favorite...Alfredo pasta.



After we were done eating, we went for a quick stroll along the canal while the guys were paying



When we were done, we went back to the house. Mom and I went shopping and the guys took Bradey fishing.





He doesn't care what he catches....he just loves it.

I can't remember what we did for dinner that night, but I'm sure it was good

The next day, Mom and I had big plans, but the guys didn't want to do anything So we just left them at the house and went shopping on our own.

Up next.....citrus picking, airboats and manatees on our last full day.


*****************************************************

And just in case you are wondering....in just 64 days I get to meet two of my favorite DISfriends! I can't wait to meet you Mo & D!

 

[DMGeurts]

LOved the update... The food looks amazing!

The girls are the same way at the lake... as long as they are catching something - they don't care what it is. LOL And Rufus used to fish with them, whatever they'd catch, he'd run around with the tail flapping out of his mouth forever, he'd never eat them just - well... "fish are friends, not food" LOL

Bradey is so cute!

Whoot... I can't believe that mOA is so close! Super excited

D~

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Bradey is too cute for his own good...

I think I wouldn't mind a Cuban wrap for lunch...

Thank you for reminding me that there is more to Florida than just Disney...(as awesome as it is) You've given me a hankering to do to some exploring... Sanibel is a must...

Lovely, lovely photos... (must be good memories to hold on with all of your Maine snow... btw... It is done snowing now for the season... I'm sorry it's not funny to you probably but wow...did you guys take it on the chin with the snow this year...

Hurray for 2month countdown...

 

[KatMark]

I have to say that lunch does look yummy. And any day is a good day when you can go shopping.

I'm so jealous that you are getting to meet D and Mo. But I know you ladies will have a blast!

 

[solana131]

LOved the update... The food looks amazing!

The girls are the same way at the lake... as long as they are catching something - they don't care what it is. LOL And Rufus used to fish with them, whatever they'd catch, he'd run around with the tail flapping out of his mouth forever, he'd never eat them just - well... "fish are friends, not food" LOL

Bradey is so cute!

Whoot... I can't believe that mOA is so close! Super excited

D~

Hahaha....I can totally picture Ruf running around with a fish tail sticking out of his mouth!

Bradey is too cute for his own good...

I think I wouldn't mind a Cuban wrap for lunch......

Thanks Patricia! RumRunners has the best Cuban I have ever had...of course it helps that it is such a fun place to eat.

Thank you for reminding me that there is more to Florida than just Disney...(as awesome as it is) You've given me a hankering to do to some exploring... Sanibel is a must......

Sanibel and Captiva are gorgeous...but beware of the crowds. Sunset is just horrible out there! And also...just so you know, there is a $6 toll for the bridge

Lovely, lovely photos... (must be good memories to hold on with all of your Maine snow... btw... It is done snowing now for the season... I'm sorry it's not funny to you probably but wow...did you guys take it on the chin with the snow this year...

Hurray for 2month countdown...

Yep, when we went to FL this winter the snow was almost gone. Then we got back and we have just been hit with one storm after another. I still have a good foot of snow in the middle of my lawn where the sun shines. More on the edges. This is the first year in a long time that we won't be able to hide Easter eggs outside. Between all the snow and an earlier Easter, we don't stand a chance!

But I think we have turned the corner into Spring finally. The temps are in the low 40s now and even with a small cold snap early next week, I think we will be fine now.

I have to say that lunch does look yummy. And any day is a good day when you can go shopping.

I'm so jealous that you are getting to meet D and Mo. But I know you ladies will have a blast!

I can't wait to meet you too Kathy! We are going to try to meet up at some point in August, right?? I have hoppers, so we can go anywhere anytime. Where are you guys staying in Aug?? I can't remember...you have too many trips

 

[KatMark]

I can't wait to meet you too Kathy! We are going to try to meet up at some point in August, right?? I have hoppers, so we can go anywhere anytime. Where are you guys staying in Aug?? I can't remember...you have too many trips

Yes, we are definitely meeting up in August. I have our park days all planned out already and we have a couple of days where we are hopping (and one day of just resort time).

We are staying at Old Key West in August (next month we are at the Dolphin, June I'm at Beach Club Villas with the girls and our December trip has us at the Boardwalk Villas).

 

[solana131]

Yes, we are definitely meeting up in August. I have our park days all planned out already and we have a couple of days where we are hopping (and one day of just resort time).

We are staying at Old Key West in August (next month we are at the Dolphin, June I'm at Beach Club Villas with the girls and our December trip has us at the Boardwalk Villas).

Oh yeah....I could have just watched your rolling ticker to see. But when you are replying, there are no tickers

I have all my mornings planned out as we like to get there for rope drop or EMHs if possible. But every afternoon we head back to the resort to rest and then hop somewhere else for the evening. So we will find a time. We will have to exchange numbers once we get closer.

 

[KatMark]

Oh yeah....I could have just watched your rolling ticker to see. But when you are replying, there are no tickers

I have all my mornings planned out as we like to get there for rope drop or EMHs if possible. But every afternoon we head back to the resort to rest and then hop somewhere else for the evening. So we will find a time. We will have to exchange numbers once we get closer.

If I don't change things, this is what we have planned:

Saturday, August 17 -- Studios until 2:00 and then Epcot

Sunday, August 18 -- Magic Kingdom through lunch; rest at resort; back to Magic Kingdom

Monday, August 19 -- Animal Kingdom in morning; resort in afternoon and Wishes from Poly after Ohana dinner

Tuesday, August 20 -- Epcot all day and night

Wednesday, August 21 -- Day at the resort

Thursday, August 22 -- Magic Kingdom all day until we leave for hotel on International Drive for our day at Discovery Cove the nexdt day

 

[solana131]

Thinking of moving to the Poly......just sayin.