So this is what Deluxe is like!? I LIKE IT! A November 2010 TR

[DisneyBoundinDec]

Hello and Welcome to my very first trip report!! I have been on the DIS boards for quite some years now and have loved reading many.. many.. many trip reports and have decided to take the plunge and have a try at one!! So please bear with me!

Where - The Polynesian
When - November 5, 2010 - November 13, 2010

I hope I took enough pictures to represent the wonderful time we had, if not I will know for sure what to take for our 3 upcoming trips! A solo trip for me to attend a Disney Agent Education Program! (I am a Disney TA), A January trip with my husband as I attempt to run the Disney Marathon! And then a June 2012 cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy!! So I hope this will be the 1st in many trip reports!

Let’s start with the introductions.

ME
My name is Leigh and I am a self diagnosed Disney freak! I appear normal to the outside world, but my real friends know I’m Disney crazy! (but I am right at home here!) I am also a Disney TA so I HAVE to go to Disney often in the name of research!



I grew up in South Florida so I have been to Disney numerous times, but they were mostly day trips with friends and family and we never stayed on property I know.. I still shudder at the thought. I grew up…went to college (GO GATORS), moved to Maryland, got a job, got married, had kids and realized it was about time I introduced my kids to Disney and about time I brought the magic back into my life!

Our First “real” trip was back when my son Gabriel was 3.5 (he is now 8) and I was pregnant (VERY PREGNANT) with my now 4 year old son Rhett. We went in December of 2006 and had the time of our lives!! The weather was cool, there were no lines and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Here is Gabriel when he was 3.5 at Chef Mickey’s… he’s so little ..sniff. sniff.. they grow up so fast



DH
My wonderful DH Mark tolerates my love of Disney. He doesn’t LOVE Disney, but he goes and he enjoys himself. He likes that I plan everyday out and that he doesn’t get stuck in lines! He usually only goes on the longer trips with us. (Me and the boys visit family and friends in Florida every summer and Mark usually stays home – so he doesn’t go with us to Disney in the summer – and he is just fine with that..lol). And he is usually happy as long as he gets one of these on each trip



Gabriel
Gabriel is my 8 year old who has grown up going to Disney. His first trip was when he was 8 months old and he pretty much has gone every year since. He’s my thrill seeker. He doesn’t get into the characters, never really did He’s the one who makes the mad dash to the coaster rides as soon as we enter the parks. He’s also the one who could care less if he was ever in a picture!! So you may or may not see him in many!


Rhett
Rhett is my sweetie pie and pill all in one! Then again, he is 4! He loves Disney just as much as Gabriel and I and he is my camera ham so you will see that I have more pictures with him in them than Gabriel.


And that is us! Whenever we stay at Disney we have always stayed at either the values or Moderates. But this trip I was DETERMINED to Stay Deluxe. The Polynesian was my goal. I booked it at rack rate (good lord was it expensive), but with the help of the DIS board and tons of patience I got the elusive 40% off pin code! So, it was final! We were booked and ready to go… then a week before we were to leave…. The stomach bug hit our house…. would we be able to go?????

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

Links to updates

Not So Fast.....
Day 1 – A not so great start to a magical vacation
Please let our room be ready
Really Magical express? you could have been late!
Getting Closer
Dinner at Boma
Day 2 - Animal Kingdom
off to ride Dinosaur
continued from day 2 - AK
Day 3 - Magic Kingdompart 2 Part 3 part 4part 5
Day 4 - Epcot
Epcot - part 2
Epcot - Part 3
Day 5 - Rest day

 

[mickeygirl14]

Such cute boys!!! Can't wait to read all about your trip - we're staying deluxe for the first time this Sept. too and I'm SO excited! How stressful for the stomach bug to hit right before your trip - I would've been so upset!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

Such cute boys!!! Can't wait to read all about your trip - we're staying deluxe for the first time this Sept. too and I'm SO excited! How stressful for the stomach bug to hit right before your trip - I would've been so upset!

Thanks! You are going to LOVE staying Deluxe!! Are you staying at the Contemporary?

and let me tell you.. yes, it was so stressful with the stomach bug! it was not good at all!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

We were scheduled to leave Baltimore Friday morning around 9:00 am. Which would mean that I would have to be up by 5:30 to start getting ready. Which normally isn’t a problem, BUT.. let’s back up a few days.

Tuesday afternoon Gabriel tells me that his stomach hurts. Now it is November so I have been crossing my fingers and praying that the flu or stomach bug does not come to our house! And if it does, then let it come weeks before we leave so we can just get it over with!! So when he tells me that his stomach hurts I start freaking out a little bit. TMI alert……he had diarrhea all day Tuesday into Wednesday but never ran a fever or threw up so I thought we were in the clear. I felt fine, Rhett felt fine and so did Mark.. WHEW, I tossed it aside to something he ate and continued packing and getting ready for our Friday departure.

On Thursday I am running around all day trying to get organized and get everything in order before we leave. I am a little OCD about having my house completely clean before I go away on vacation. I don’t know why really. I just hate coming home to a messy house. Probably because I make such a mess when we return trying to unpack and put everything way!

I pick up Gabriel from school at 3:00 come home and relax a bit on the couch and around 4:30 it hits me. I start to feel nauseous. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! The stomach bug has hit me. More TWI alert, I don’t know what’s worse throwing up or having diarrhea, but for me, all I was doing was throwing up. I call Mark and tell him he needs to come home early and hope and pray it only lasts 8-12 hours. And then worry about when or if it will hit Rhett and Mark.

And sure enough around 9:00 as I am putting Rhett to bed, he tells me his stomach hurts. Fabulous.

I am very paranoid whenever my boys are sick. I hear too many stories (well.. mostly from my friend who is an ER nurse so I am sure its highly skewed) about children who have seizures or aspirate on their vomit while sleeping so I sleep on a blow up bed on the floor in my boys rooms whenever they are sick.

So here I am. Thursday night. The night before we are suppose to leave for our 8 glorious days at the Polynesian. Gabriel in bed deliriously happy that he is going to Disney in the morning, and Rhett and I throwing up every 30 minutes and me not knowing IF we are going to Disney in the morning. How can I make this right!?

 

[Pixie*Pirate]

I'm super excited to hear about your trip. I, too am a Disney TA and I went to the agent education program 3 years ago. I loved it and learned so much. This year we're going in October for the first time and can't wait to see the Halloween decorations but October seems so...far..away!!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

I'm super excited to hear about your trip. I, too am a Disney TA and I went to the agent education program 3 years ago. I loved it and learned so much. This year we're going in October for the first time and can't wait to see the Halloween decorations but October seems so...far..away!!

I can't wait to go to the AEP. Are you going this year??
I KNOW it seems so far away.. but if it makes you feel any better.. I'm not going until November!!! too far!! I have never been during Halloween either.. I am going to try for that next year. Either that or F&W as a girls only trip.

 

[saintstickets]

I'm in. Looking forward to your TR.

 

[GaRain]

Oh, I hope we get past the stomach issues fast!!
What cute boys with very southern names!
Would love to find out how you became a Disney TA.....

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

I'm in. Looking forward to your TR.

Hello and

Oh, I hope we get past the stomach issues fast!!
What cute boys with very southern names!
Would love to find out how you became a Disney TA.....

Hi! Thank you on the comment on their names, Gabriel is actually named after my FIL and Rhett, well, we just happened to like the name and was trying to find something not so common.

I just emailed a bunch of agencies until I found one hiring! I really love it!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

So here I am tossing and turning all night long. Rhett is getting up about every 30-60 minutes to throw up and I just can’t sleep. I am constantly on alert, listening for him and getting sick myself. NOT FUN! I was seriously in tears around 2am. I had all these thoughts and back up plans going through my mind. Gabriel and Mark could go down without us and Rhett and I would fly down on Saturday. Surely in a day we would feel better. We can cancel and rebook for December. But at about that time I stopped getting sick. I still was nauseous, but I wasn’t getting sick anymore. I was still getting up with Rhett every 30 minutes though but was thankfully his ceased shortly after.

So at 5:30, I peel myself of the floor (the blow up bed lost all its air) and dragged myself into the shower. Now, I LOVE Disney, but I can honestly say that I did not want to go. I felt like a train wreck. Every part of me ached. But I did it for the boys. I just knew that I had to get down there, once I was down there I could sleep.

So I got a shower, woke up Gabriel and Rhett. I was a little worried how Rhett would feel. He had not gotten sick for at least 2 hours now, so I quietly said, “Are you ready to go to Disney?” And he jumps out of bed as if he was never sick! Seriously! I wish it was that easy for me to bounce back!

So off we went! We arrived at BWI around 7:30. Mark dropped us off and went to go park the car in long term parking.



Look at Rhett. Does he look sick to you! He was so excited! I am so glad that kids bounce back from illnesses faster than adults.

Getting through security was a breeze and before we knew it we were on the plane!
Yes, I know I look a little rough here!





I sat next to the boys in the beginning because, yes, I am that mom and wife that likes to keep the peace! I like to be there in case the boys fight, need anything, to keep them entertained, etc. I didn’t want them to aggravate my husband. For some reason I try to make it as stress free for him. I guess so he’ll keep allowing me to come back!! But I finally gave in and eventually switched seats with him (he was across the row) and put my head down and took a nap.

We had an uneventful flight and in 2 hours we were touching down at MCO and about to take our “fake monorail” ride!





I can’t tell you how many times I have flown into MCO and each time I ALWAYS go to the wrong terminal. It never fails, I always walk the LONG hallway down terminal A, get to the end and wonder, “Where did they move Magical Express too?”



And I did it again this time, really… like I needed to be walking all over MCO feeling like I just got hit by a semi.

So we walked ALL the way back to the elevators, back up to level whatever, over to terminal B, took the elevators down and walked ALL the way down the hall and eventually got to Magical Express!

Polynesian Please!

 

[Sappermont]

So glad that you guys felt better and were able to go. Can't wait to hear more. I'm subscribing!!

 

[LoriH91]

Now that I'm planning another trip, I'm a sucker for a good TR!! The stomach bug on vacation is my DH's worst fear. I have nightmares about missing an ADR or standing in lines & he has them about everyone getting sick!!

 

[burly]

OOOOO, i'm in. The things we do for our kids......


I bet you starting feeling better when you saw the sign for the Poly!


KIM

 

[MrsWEsq]

Joining in! I am so glad your little guy recovered so quickly!

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

What a start! I hope the rest of your trip goes smoothly.

Did you go in November 2010? We are headed down this November so I am interested in hearing about the weather and if you could use the pool. I hope te stomach bug does not make a reappearance!

 

[JLCJMC]

Looking forward to the rest of the story! Hope Disney is the magic cure

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

So glad that you guys felt better and were able to go. Can't wait to hear more. I'm subscribing!!

Thanks for joining! yes, I was feeling a bit better.. not great.. but I could at least walk!

Now that I'm planning another trip, I'm a sucker for a good TR!! The stomach bug on vacation is my DH's worst fear. I have nightmares about missing an ADR or standing in lines & he has them about everyone getting sick!!

Its no fun I can tell you that.. but I can at least say that I am happy it started before we left. At least, well.. you'll have to wait and see, it was over soon..

OOOOO, i'm in. The things we do for our kids......
I bet you starting feeling better when you saw the sign for the Poly!
KIM

welcome! Yes, tell me about it. Now I am the first one to be excited about going to Disney. And I hate to say this, but I think I may be MORE excited than my kids. but I was hurting real bad and it actually crossed my mind to postpone it a day.
and YES, I started to feel better once we say the sign for Poly, because I knew in about 15 minutes I would be fast asleep!!

Joining in! I am so glad your little guy recovered so quickly!

Hello and welcome! Thank you, its amazing how quickly they can bounce back.. it really took me a good 2 days until I felt back to normal.

What a start! I hope the rest of your trip goes smoothly.

Did you go in November 2010? We are headed down this November so I am interested in hearing about the weather and if you could use the pool. I hope te stomach bug does not make a reappearance!

welcome and thank you! We did go in November of 2010, and while the begining of the trip was a bit chilly (by Florida standards), it was in the low 70's it did warm up in the middle of the week and we did use the pool! And unfortunately, that wasn't the last we'd see of the stomach bug

Looking forward to the rest of the story! Hope Disney is the magic cure

welcome! Disney sure can make anything seem better can't it!



I hope to have another update here either today or tomorrow! Its such a nice weekend FINALLY. low heat and humidity that I am going to try to get the boys out of the house for most of the day!!! But I promise to have an update soon!!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

There is something so magical about stepping on board the Magical Express. It’s puts such a huge smile on my face! And this time, even though my head throbbed and I felt like I was going to keel over and pass out.. it still did!
It was around 11am when we boarded the ME and I was hoping and praying that we would be lucky enough and that our room would be ready early. Otherwise I was going to have to pull up a lounge chair at the pool and take a nap!

It’s such a wonderful feeling when the movie starts to play! I love watching Mickey and the gang welcoming us and getting us all excited for our upcoming trip.



They boys were super excited as well.





Dada was checking his email



And in about 30 minutes we see the sign we all can’t wait to see!! Sorry its so blurry, my camera focused on the windshield wiper!



And then, I saw the sign that I was waiting to see! There she was.. in all her glory!



I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally be setting foot on Deluxe Property. I wanted so badly to be able to walk around right away and take in all its beauty, but I knew that would have to wait. I just hoped and prayed that our room would be ready.

ALOHA!



The beautiful waterfall as you walk in the front doors.



My boys LOVE to find hidden Mickey’s. And here is a beautiful hidden Mickey right as you walk in.



Beautiful waterfall in the entrance of the Great Ceremonial House.



We didn’t have too much of a wait to check in, which I was very happy about.



I actually told the CM that I was coming off a stomach bug and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let our room be ready. I really hope I didn’t scare her, or worse, infect her! I always feel bad when I don’t feel well and I am out in public. I tried really hard to make sure I used hand sanitizer all day. THANKFULLY, our room was ready! We requested the Samoa longhouse, ground floor, facing the volcano pool and SCORE that is what we got. It's by far was the best room location EVER! Well, besides a theme park view of course.



After checking in, off we went to our room. We utilized the baggage service with Magical Express so I knew our bags wouldn’t be there for a few hours. We didn’t plan on going to a theme park today. We had planned on going to Downtown Disney or go to the pool. But, it was a little cool today, unusually cool for Florida, mid 60’s. So Mark decided to take the boys to the Magic Kingdom and I went to sleep…..

Ahhhhh….



Sorry the room is so dark. But it actually was perfect. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out! I really hoped I wouldn't sleep to long as we had ADR's for Boma that night. But more importantly, I hoped I could actually eat something later. So, as I drifted off to sleep I thought of the day and all that it took to get down here. At least I made it. It wasn't pretty, it hurt and I ached all over. But I knew that my boys were happy and on their way to the Magic Kingdom so I drifted off to sleep very happy....

up next: REALLY Magical Express, today could have been a day that you could have been late!

 

[cdotla]

Joining in!

How completely awful to start your trip that way!!! That is definitely my worst nightmare...someone gets sick on Disney Eve. Poor you!!! And how awful you weren't fully able to enjoy all of the excitement of checking into the Poly for the 1st time.


I hope that little nap does the trick and you are able to get on with the vacation. Hoping it was a great one!