The "How Could You?" trips x2-the finale! 2/12

[Tiggerrn2]

Just love all your pics! I love how you make the absolute most of each day of your trip!! Your trip really shows us that you can have fun in Disney without even going into the parks! We're going for a few days this winter and only plan on doing 1 day in the parks (parkhopping to all 4 parks just to see the new stuff since our last trip). I was feeling a bit sad about that, but following your report made me realize we can still have a lot of fun. I just *love* the Polynesian and hope to stay there again soon!! Can't wait to read about your second trip!

Thank you! There is soooooo much to do at Disney! I think I realized even more how much time you can spend there without going to a park. The Boardwalk is an awesome place to spend time! There is so much going on there each afternoon/evening. And, of course, Downtown Disney is always fun. I loved that the kids could still do their pin and vinylmation trading without going into the parks. And I especially loved touring all the resorts and checking out the entertainment offerred at each one. AKL has night vision goggles out on Arusha Rock. Anyone can go over there and check that out. They don't ask for ID. I know I could spend a long time lingering over there checking out the art and watching the animals.

CSR is a great resort to be at when you don't have a lot of park time. Make the most of all the fun and games the lifegaurds do at the pool. I hope you have some great weather and get to enjoy the pools a bit. And the movies by the pool (or on the beach at the Poly/Beach Club) are nice, too.

I hope you have a great time on your trip.

 

[iloverags2]

I see the Hidden Mickey! Cool! Yeah, Polynesian is great for photography with all the foliage. The flowers are so incredible over there!

I must tell you, 95 is not really hot for Florida. Be glad our summer was quite balmy this year with few 100+ temps!

Mara...yum! I have to admit, though, I tried the Butternut Squash soup on DCL last month (my guess is they are the same or at least similar) and I really didn't care for it. Horrors! It was a bit too heavy for me (and I admit I prefer the sweet and cold fruity soups!). What the heck, though? No Zebra Domes???

Wondering where you stopped in TN!

 

[mickeystoontown]

The pictures in and around the Polynesian are so pretty! What I wouldn't give for my pocketbook to allow a stay there. Well, we could stay there but our trip would have to be shorter and we're not willing to sacrifice a longer stay. So, I'll live my Polynesian dreams vicariously through my fellow Disers.

That art gallery is the one that I referred to in my trip report. Good gosh the stuff in there was expensive!

Ooooh American Pickers! I love American Pickers!

 

[KatMark]

All of DD's pictures and yours around the Poly are beautiful....it's such a lovely resort.

What a nice day for a final swim.

Can't wait to hear about the little detour

 

[KatMark]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

To all my readers (and lurkers)

Have a blessed day!!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.

thank you, Kathy!

 

[reelmom]

I just found your TR and I am really enjoying it. I was always wondering if a trip to Disney without the Disney parks would be doable. I got my answer from your TR. Looks like you had a great time. My DH would love a trip like this. He would rather relax on vacation but I am the opposite. We are taking a break from Disney this year and are going to do SeaWorld and Aquatica instead. I may have to look into Discovery Cove. I think the kids would love it. I am not a strong swimmer so I have been hesitant to try Discovery Cove or any water park. The kids swim like fish so I know they will be fine. Aquatica scares me enough, I don't know if I could swim with a dolphin. I guess I could always pose for pictures, then politely decline the swim.

 

[saintstickets]

I just found your TR and I am really enjoying it. I was always wondering if a trip to Disney without the Disney parks would be doable. I got my answer from your TR. Looks like you had a great time. My DH would love a trip like this. He would rather relax on vacation but I am the opposite. We are taking a break from Disney this year and are going to do SeaWorld and Aquatica instead. I may have to look into Discovery Cove. I think the kids would love it. I am not a strong swimmer so I have been hesitant to try Discovery Cove or any water park. The kids swim like fish so I know they will be fine. Aquatica scares me enough, I don't know if I could swim with a dolphin. I guess I could always pose for pictures, then politely decline the swim.

We did a non-Disney vacation while staying at BLT & VWL this past May (TR link below). One of our excursions was to Discovery Cove and one of our crew is not a swimmer. She went with us for the dolphin swim and loved it! You can wear your life vest and they ask if anyone is not a strong swimmer. They did her dolphin swim in the shallow water. I highly recommend Discovery Cove. It is the most Disney-like non-Disney place we have ever experienced.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

I see the Hidden Mickey! Cool! Yeah, Polynesian is great for photography with all the foliage. The flowers are so incredible over there!

I must tell you, 95 is not really hot for Florida. Be glad our summer was quite balmy this year with few 100+ temps!

Mara...yum! I have to admit, though, I tried the Butternut Squash soup on DCL last month (my guess is they are the same or at least similar) and I really didn't care for it. Horrors! It was a bit too heavy for me (and I admit I prefer the sweet and cold fruity soups!). What the heck, though? No Zebra Domes???

Wondering where you stopped in TN!

I know 95 isn't HOT for you! But it was the only day during our trip that was hotter in FL than it was at home in Chicago that week. And it was the first day I really "felt" the sun!
Nope, no Zebra domes. I am the saltaholic, not the sweetaholic! All those really sweet deserts and foods are just too rich for me.

The pictures in and around the Polynesian are so pretty! What I wouldn't give for my pocketbook to allow a stay there. Well, we could stay there but our trip would have to be shorter and we're not willing to sacrifice a longer stay. So, I'll live my Polynesian dreams vicariously through my fellow Disers.

That art gallery is the one that I referred to in my trip report. Good gosh the stuff in there was expensive!

Ooooh American Pickers! I love American Pickers!

I know what you mean about the art in that gallery. Just beautiful. Would look really awesome on my living room wall, but my pocketbook wouldn't stretch even half that far!
My DS LOVES Pickers! We've seen them all and the repeats of the repeats, I think.

I just found your TR and I am really enjoying it. I was always wondering if a trip to Disney without the Disney parks would be doable. I got my answer from your TR. Looks like you had a great time. My DH would love a trip like this. He would rather relax on vacation but I am the opposite. We are taking a break from Disney this year and are going to do SeaWorld and Aquatica instead. I may have to look into Discovery Cove. I think the kids would love it. I am not a strong swimmer so I have been hesitant to try Discovery Cove or any water park. The kids swim like fish so I know they will be fine. Aquatica scares me enough, I don't know if I could swim with a dolphin. I guess I could always pose for pictures, then politely decline the swim.

Glad to have you join in!!! Definitely price out your tickets. You may find it worth the cost to add Discovery Cove-even if you don't add the dolphin swim. saintstickets is right about it being the most Disney-like non Disney park. It is sooo clean, and a very enjoyable place to spend the day.

We did a non-Disney vacation while staying at BLT & VWL this past May (TR link below). One of our excursions was to Discovery Cove and one of our crew is not a swimmer. She went with us for the dolphin swim and loved it! You can wear your life vest and they ask if anyone is not a strong swimmer. They did her dolphin swim in the shallow water. I highly recommend Discovery Cove. It is the most Disney-like non-Disney place we have ever experienced.

I completely agree.

Will be loading some new photos and carrying on with the trippie tomorrow. Working 12 hour shifts this weekend, so just a little tired tonight!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend, and sharing some time with friends and family!!!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Before I move on to our travel day home, thought I'd share a few photopass pix we had done at the Poly in Dec. 2010. Alex was the CM that took the photos and he did an awesome job, spent loads of time with us, and was a lot of fun.

this was my favorite and I used it for Christmas cards that year.

We had such a great time! I highly recommend this photoshoot. I think the AKL one may be a great one to do as well.

 

[iloverags2]

Awesome pictures!

 

[pattyw]

WOW!! That photopass shoot is great!! I was thinking about doing this sometime- and wasn't sure if it was worth the $$. It looks like it is definitely worth it- can't get those kind of shots by yourself- especially love the kids jumping and how he captured them midair!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Awesome pictures!

Thanks. It was a fun day.

WOW!! That photopass shoot is great!! I was thinking about doing this sometime- and wasn't sure if it was worth the $$. It looks like it is definitely worth it- can't get those kind of shots by yourself- especially love the kids jumping and how he captured them midair!

It was most definitely worth the money for us. We hadn't done family photos in 5 years, so it was time. What better place for family photos?!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

When I last left you, we had headed out of WDW toward home. We made it into Chattanooga around 12:30AM and headed back to the Fairfield Inn. Unfortunately for us, there was a softball tourney in the city for the weekend and the hotel was booked. And the other hotels near there were also all booked.

By now, we were all really tired. One of the registrars suggested we drive up the road a bit as we may have better luck. So we went a bit further north to Kimball, TN and found a Comfort Inn there with space available. I wouldn't recommend it. It smelled like smoke in our room really bad (even though there were signs all over that it was a non-smoking hotel). The beds were OK and we were tired, so for 1 night we figured, "just deal with it". They did serve a small breakfast in the hotel, and we hit that on our way out quick the next morning.

We don't have roads cut out from mountains near our house! (or "beware of rock slides")

DS wanted to check out the new Pickers store in TN. I looked it up on-line and we put in the address on the GPS, and we headed this way.

We arrived here around 11am

My son was in heaven!!

There was a looooonnnnnng line to get into the store, and unfortunately, the Pickers were out Picking that day so there was noone from the show for us to meet.

There is no shade while you wait outside. And it did get a little bit toasty while we stood there. Thank goodness it was only about 30 minutes.

Finally!! Inside the store. We all remembered the episode when Frank and Mike picked up this "little" bike!

My dad was a Picker long before there was a name for it! And Looonng before it was considered cool! We had so many of these items in our house when I was growing up. Especially, these clocks. Soo many clocks-and all would chime one after the other! Rough sleeping at our house til you got used to that.

We saw this episode shortly before we left on vacation. Found it extremely funny to see it here.

Nice bike!

Time to head out. They only let a small number of people into the store at a time. It is small, and gets crowded quickly. They, of course, have some souveniers for purchase and we picked up a T-shirt for DS and a coozie with the logo on it just for fun.

We decided we would take a little drive down towards the river to check out the music area.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Cool! Cool! Cool! Color me officially jealous (as would the rest of my family be if they had seen this update) that you were able to visit the American Pickers store. We absolutely love the show.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

I wanted to see the Grand Ol Opry, but we just couldn't seem to get there! But we did drive down that way. You can hear the music playing as you drive down the street. All sorts of music coming from every open door along the way!

I found these pedal it yourself bars sort of funny!

Another pedal bar photo

Wondered if this was the giant boot Mike and Frank bought on an episode of Pickers?!

Thought about trying to stop here for lunch, but didn't seem the scene for kids.

After our quick tour of Music Blvd, we headed out for the drive home. We made a stop for gas and Subway/McDonalds (DS will not eat Subway) and started on our way! Now you can look at the drive down pix in reverse order! Kidding!

We arrived home around dinner time (thanks to the time change), and dropped everything on the kitchen floor. I think everyone was glad to be home. We'd had an awesome time!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

This trip to Florida was very different from what I am used to. I am a crazed, "rope drop making, park hopping, stay til the last minute, never miss a moment" DisBoard member. Not go to a park once in a week? Absurd!!! Of course, there were those "other parks" we went to. And a day at Blizzard Beach. But no WDW theme parks. No TSM, no TOT, no RnRC, no KS or EE, no Soarin', TT, or MS (of course, TT was down anyway), no eating around the World Showcase, and NO MK. How could I ever survive that?!

Well, let me tell you. It was really quite an awesome time!! There were no pressures to get up early, no rush out the door, and plenty of time to enjoy and check out the "other" aspects of WDW without feeling guilty or like I was missing out. I loved having the car there and driving from resort to resort to check out the dining options and entertainment provided without wasting hours waiting for a Disney Bus to be able to come and go.

We had a great time, and yes, I would totally do something like that again! But not this next trip!

Stay tuned!!! Time to move on to Trip 2 of the "How Could You?" As in...... How Could You Go To Disney World and Not Take Your Kids?

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Cool! Cool! Cool! Color me officially jealous (as would the rest of my family be if they had seen this update) that you were able to visit the American Pickers store. We absolutely love the show.

You will just have to make a stop over there the next time you visit Lacey and Jesse! And with any luck, you can meet some of the cast of the show! It was fun looking at the items. But, goodness gracious, those items are as pricey as the stuff in the Wyland Gallery at the Poly!

Thank goodness for the GPS. I don't think we'd have ever found the shop without it. The store is in an old factory or industrial building, I believe, in an industrial side of the city. We took some odd little back road to get to it.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Ha! Stayed at the Comfort Inn once...awful!!! The best is the Holiday Inn Express there in Kimball Tn.... We usually always stay there....but the last trip we wanted to get thur the mountains..so we stayed in Chatanooga,Tn.