The Mother/Daughter Polynesian Surprise **NEW 5/1 I'm back!

[jenbear123]

Oooo Poly... We did a split stay at WL/Poly a few years ago in Dec (hooray for AP rates!). Um, I say go for it and hope for a discount later! I assume you are booking room-only, not a package, so you can change it later if you get a better rate or change your mind....

The prices I have been quoting are with a discount... my TA discount. Can AP discounts get better than those rates? If I book it with my TA discount, it's like when you book a package - minimum $200 deposit and final payment due 45 days prior. After 45 days, cancellation and change fees apply. Kind of stinks that booking room only with a TA discount has the same rules as booking a package. I know when Bubba books room only with her CM discount, she has to put down the first night cost for deposit and the balance is due at check in. She can change or cancel anything up until 48 hours prior without any penalty. Oh well. At least I know for now I can change or cancel without any penalties up until 45 days prior. I have the date marked on my calendar: LAST CHANCE TO CHANGE/CANCEL (which I highly doubt I'll be cancelling)

I say definitely go for Poly, then. If you can manage the extra $50, that is. It's just one night, and it sounds like it would mean the world to her.

I know, I know. It's ONLY $50. No big deal really.....


For now, I have it on hold until the 9th of October. I should have made up my mind by then. Oh Disney, you'll be the death of me

 

[jenbear123]

November Itinerary Day 3

++Wake up at 8am, have breakfast in our room again consisting of the yummy Norway School Bread we will have picked up the night before
++As soon as I'm done eating, I'll be taking an extensive photoshoot of WL, Bubba can sleep in more if needed while I do this
++Load up the car with our stuff around 10am for our transfer over to ASMusic - Bye, bye VWL
++Depart for our next destination, Fort Wilderness, using the pathway from WL to FW.
++Arrive at FW and check in for our Wilderness Backtrail Adventure Segway Tour - Duration: 2 hours

**Here's where it gets a little tricky. Hopefully I don't lose anybody**

Option #1:
++After tour, depart for Epcot for our Lunch ADR at Le Cellier
++Leave Epcot for destination ASMusic for check in around 3:30ish

Option #2:
++After tour, depart for ASMusic for check in around 2:30ish

++Have downtime at ASMusic to explore, nap, take pictures, etc
++Early dinner at Intermission Food Court
++Tonight will be spent at DHS until closing, see Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
++Since DHS closes at 8pm, which will be kinda early to end a Disney day, we'll have a few options. Either a) go back to the resort and crash early b) head to MK (since it's open until 10pm) to get in some rides while everyone is watching Spectro & Wishes c) Shopping at DTD until stores close

Why the Le Cellier ADR again you ask? I explained it earlier but in case you missed it (or forgotten) - This is our backup in case I do not make it on my arrival day. Can't miss out on Le Cellier while I'm there! Bubba will actually be able to eat with me for this one. If I make it on my arrival day, of course we'll be cancelling this ADR. The time will be cutting it a bit close with the end of our tour. It might be a bit rushed so who knows if we'll end up keeping it anyway.

The end to this day is also up in the air. We'll have to play it by ear (and how much pain are bodies are in ) to decide for sure what we'll be doing. I wouldn't mind shopping at DTD. Must utilize my AP merchandise discount sometime!!!! Can't be a very late night as we'll have to up early the next morning. Why? You'll find out in my next update (And no it's not Cape May Cafe breakfast like originally planned)


Random Past Disney Picture of the Day

 

[disneyaddicted]

1st choice: Polynesian - Garden View
2nd choice (a): WL - Woods View
2nd choice (b): AKL - Savanna View

She wanted Poly. She still wants Poly.



And here lies my dilemma. The cost of a one night stay at Poly is $56 more than WL. Not a huge difference so it is workable. But more money is more money. Now that I know what my Mom really wants, it's hard to shy away from it. The fact that we'll be staying at 3 resorts in one visit also scares me We won't be renting a car so we'll have to depend on Bell Services UNLESS Bubba gets an extension and will be there during our trip. With her car, it will make the transitions much easier and smoother.

How do I manage to always make a Disney vacation more complicated? The things I do for surprises!

To answer your last question first. It is the job of a Dis'er to make our lives total chaos and think, rethink, then think some more on every decision, it's a tough job, somebody has got to do it.

I say go for the Poly!

 

[jenbear123]

It is the job of a Dis'er to make our lives total chaos and think, rethink, then think some more on every decision, it's a tough job, somebody has got to do it.

Amen to that sister. I don't think people realize how much work planning a Disney vacation really is - that is until they try going it alone without you. It's a good way to always be invited on every Disney trip

 

[jenbear123]

My oh my did I have one busy weekend. Funny how I have more time to post on the boards when I'm at work than when I'm off on the weekends. Shhhh don't tell

DBF and I saw two movies Sunday night; the new Michael Moore movie Capitalism: A Love Story and the double feature Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3D I must say TS and TS2 lightened up the mood from Michael Moore's movie. His movies are always such a reality check

Back to Disney!

Good news! I spoke to Bubba a couple days ago about perhaps splitting the cost of the one night at Poly. I know the extra cost wasn't huge but I was getting a little stressed about it. When it comes to money, I always get stressed. I can thank my mom for that one Since my mom won't be visiting at the end of November anymore, I thought Bubba could put some of the money that would've been used for that resort stay towards this one night stay at Poly. She was all for it. Now, her and I will be splitting the total cost of the one night at the Poly 50/50. The plan is to put the money down by the end of the week. Not only am I excited to see the reaction on my mother's face as we pull up to the Poly, but I'm also looking forward to staying there!! The only other deluxe I've ever stayed at has been WL. I'm totally pumped to finally experience the tropical vibe of what the Poly has to offer. Also would like to get my hands on a Lapu Lapu Now that we'll be there for one night, I'll have to look into a flight that gets to MCO early AM. Would like to get as much time as possible for the one night. Uh oh. I feel it coming on again ..... must..... resist... urge .... to ...... obsessively..... plan Phew. Pixie dust saves the day again.

But what about room requests?

What about watching Wishes from Poly?

Should we spend the first day soaking in the Poly as much as possible?

What about ADRs? We'll HAVE to eat at O'hana!

What's the food like at the Counter Service at Poly?

Have the rooms been refurbished? If so, which buildings? Are all the rooms refurbished?



GAH!!!!!!!!



Sigh, I can't ignore the obsessive planning no matter what I do....

Off I go to read the Poly FAQ thread

 

[Elevationist]

It's okay. Breathe. Relax. We're all here for you.

 

[TiggerAllie]

Ok, as far as the Poly goes:
LOVE the Tonga toast for breakfast at Captain Cooks!
Dole whips, also available for self-serve from CC.

We had a garden view room, in Tokelau, on the 3rd floor that faced the quiet pool, and if you looked to the right, you could see the castle!

Check out Tikiman's pages for more Poly info too.

I know, I know... I'm just feeding the obsession.

And you can see the Poly-cats... they are pseudo stray cats that hang around in the outside seating area of CC.

I definitely vote for hanging around at Poly as much as possible that day!

 

[jenbear123]

Wow! Thanks for the info TiggerAllie! There's cats around Poly? OMG, now my mom will really freak. She LOVES cats.

Is the Tonga Toast cheaper at Captain Cooks than Kona Cafe? I didn't know it was offered anywhere other than Kona. OMG, there's Dole Whips there too?!??!?!?! OH wow. I'm not going to want to leave this place!

The castle looks like it's right at your doorstep. I've seen some other pictures too where it looks MUCH bigger than I remember. It never looked to be that close each time I have visited the Poly Oh well, now I'll have the perfect chance to see the view for myself.

Urgh! I can't wait to stay there now! Even if it is only for one night. I just might burst with excitement. Yes, I definitely made the right decision to stay one night at the Poly.

 

[TiggerAllie]

Is the Tonga Toast cheaper at Captain Cooks than Kona Cafe? I didn't know it was offered anywhere other than Kona. OMG, there's Dole Whips there too?!??!?!?! OH wow. I'm not going to want to leave this place!

The castle looks like it's right at your doorstep. I've seen some other pictures too where it looks MUCH bigger than I remember. It never looked to be that close each time I have visited the Poly Oh well, now I'll have the perfect chance to see the view for myself.

Well, Tonga Toast at CC is 5.09, and at Kona it is 10.99 (according to Allears) but it doesn't come with the strawberry compote and choice of breakfast meat. It's so big and sugary, we usually split a piece.

I LOVED the Poly the one time we stayed there! Of course, it isn't high on the list of places to go back to because it's not DVC. Maybe some day.... or if they keep having these good AP rates, then we can do split stays!

I think the castle appears bigger in the photo because you can see the crane behind it that they were using to paint it and do it up for Christmas--it's much taller than the castle itself and probably makes it appear bigger/closer. Sometimes I think it's hard to see the castle from all the parts of Poly because of Discovery Island.

 

[jenbear123]

Holy crap, it's practically half price. Does it still taste as good? Fresh? Warm? Gooey? Made to order? I want my mom to try it - but I'm sure we'll have to split it. When Bubba and I tried it last July at Kona Cafe, we couldn't finish either of ours. Definitely a good size for sharing.

I noticed your TR from the time you stayed at Poly. It will make for good bedtime reading

 

[TiggerAllie]

If only the WL/Poly trip report had been finished... and all the picture links are broken now.

Tonga toasts are made to order at CC, as far as I can tell. And they are delicious! We love to stop at Poly on our way to a leisurely day at MK and have Tonga Toast (have to get there by 10:30am) and sit outside at CC and watch the Poly cats, then sit on the hammocks by the beach.

 

[Elevationist]

Ok, as far as the Poly goes:
LOVE the Tonga toast for breakfast at Captain Cooks!
Dole whips, also available for self-serve from CC.

We had a garden view room, in Tokelau, on the 3rd floor that faced the quiet pool, and if you looked to the right, you could see the castle!

Check out Tikiman's pages for more Poly info too.

I know, I know... I'm just feeding the obsession.

And you can see the Poly-cats... they are pseudo stray cats that hang around in the outside seating area of CC.

I definitely vote for hanging around at Poly as much as possible that day!

Dang. You just made me wish that I was staying at the Poly,

 

[disneyaddicted]

don't blow a gasket just yet. Shoot just reading your excitement got me all excited.

 

[jenbear123]

Dang. You just made me wish that I was staying at the Poly,

Dooooooooo IIIIIttttttttt! *Pressure, pressure, pressure*

don't blow a gasket just yet. Shoot just reading your excitement got me all excited.

It's contagious. What can I say.

If only the WL/Poly trip report had been finished... and all the picture links are broken now.

Yes, I see that you never finished it The pictures all seem to show up fine for me?

Tonga toasts are made to order at CC, as far as I can tell. And they are delicious! We love to stop at Poly on our way to a leisurely day at MK and have Tonga Toast (have to get there by 10:30am) and sit outside at CC and watch the Poly cats, then sit on the hammocks by the beach.

That sounds wonderful Thanks for telling me about CC. Now I'll save a pretty penny not going to Kona and spending the extra just for the "privilege" of having the Tonga Toast served to me.

 

[Elevationist]

Dooooooooo IIIIIttttttttt! *Pressure, pressure, pressure*

You wanna pay for my price difference between CSR and the Poly? I'm stretching our budget as it is just to get us into a Moderate for the week instead of a Value resort!

 

[jenbear123]

Okay, I was on the line with Disney reservations for almost 30 minutes. All I was trying to do was cancel the first night at Pop for our April trip. Apparently, Disney has changed the deposit policy for TA discount reservations since the time I made this reservation. At first, I only had to put down a small deposit of $59 out of the total $194. Balance was due March 9th. Fine. When I asked to cancel the first night, the rate dropped down to a total of $135. BUT the system was telling the CM to collect the rest of the money that I owed, even though final payment wasn't due until March 9th. We eventually figured out that since a TA reservation is treated as a package, I have to pay either a deposit of $200 or the full cost if under $200 - in this case, I was supposed to pay the full amount. Somehow, when I originally made the reservation, I got away with this. Are you confused yet? In short, I had to cough up the remaining $76. No biggie. At least Pop is completely paid for now!

After all the confusion, we started to discuss how I'm going to be staying at three resorts. I explained how I'd never done a split stay before and was kind of worried. She calmed my worries about it, saying that Bell Services is very reliable and will take good care of our luggage. They will ask how many pieces of luggage we have and which resort we're going to, etc. She even noted on my reservation that we'll be moving on to another resort so things will go a bit smoother. Can't imagine Bell Services will lose our luggage going from Pop to CBR as it's just down the street.... but you never know!

Okay brain - you can stop worrying now!

 

[jenbear123]

You wanna pay for my price difference between CSR and the Poly? I'm stretching our budget as it is just to get us into a Moderate for the week instead of a Value resort!

Awww I know how it is. One of these days, you'll stay at the Poly. Here's a little help

 

[Elevationist]

Okay, I was on the line with Disney reservations for almost 30 minutes. All I was trying to do was cancel the first night at Pop for our April trip. Apparently, Disney has changed the deposit policy for TA discount reservations since the time I made this reservation. At first, I only had to put down a small deposit of $59 out of the total $194. Balance was due March 9th. Fine. When I asked to cancel the first night, the rate dropped down to a total of $135. BUT the system was telling the CM to collect the rest of the money that I owed, even though final payment wasn't due until March 9th. We eventually figured out that since a TA reservation is treated as a package, I have to pay either a deposit of $200 or the full cost if under $200 - in this case, I was supposed to pay the full amount. Somehow, when I originally made the reservation, I got away with this. Are you confused yet? In short, I had to cough up the remaining $76. No biggie. At least Pop is completely paid for now!

After all the confusion, we started to discuss how I'm going to be staying at three resorts. I explained how I'd never done a split stay before and was kind of worried. She calmed my worries about it, saying that Bell Services is very reliable and will take good care of our luggage. They will ask how many pieces of luggage we have and which resort we're going to, etc. She even noted on my reservation that we'll be moving on to another resort so things will go a bit smoother. Can't imagine Bell Services will lose our luggage going from Pop to CBR as it's just down the street.... but you never know!

Okay brain - you can stop worrying now!

That is interesting. Maybe that is new. I always assumed that TA discounts were treated the same manner as the airline employee discount. (Assuming they still offer that, I haven't used it since 2006.) With it, you booked your room-only package, the discount was 50% off, and at the time of booking all that was due as a deposit was the cost of the first night. You had until 45days prior to arrival to pay off the balance.

Good thing it was a relatively small balance they made you pay today, and even better that you had it available! I am on such a super-tight budget right now in order to make everything come together that I would have spazzed.

 

[JoJo1980]

Split stays are brilliant!! On our first trip to disney we stayed at 4 (yes 4!) different hotels and loooooved it!! The second trip we did 3 hotels. This trip we are just doing WL because we love it there, but we're a bit worried about being in the one place for the whole trip

 

[Elevationist]

Split stays are brilliant!! On our first trip to disney we stayed at 4 (yes 4!) different hotels and loooooved it!! The second trip we did 3 hotels. This trip we are just doing WL because we love it there, but we're a bit worried about being in the one place for the whole trip

See, I've never had any desire to do a split stay. The extra time spent packing, checking into another resort, then unpacking and getting settled back in... It just seems like such a chore to me, and wasting time that I'd rather be sippin' margaritas by the Lagoon in Epcot. I know alot of people love split stays, but for me the process would be a real pain in the butt. Once I get myself in hotel room, I tend sort to "nest" until time to go home. I totally dread the packing up process, and certainly don't want to do it more than once in a trip, unless I don't have any other choice!