The Prius & The Poly Trip Report **Updated 10/31 What I Learned...**

[Bridora]

"Follow Me to Walt Disney World"--Do they make that in a bumper sticker? I'm sure one of us would have it, need it, want it, if "they" did!

Hi! After much back-and-forth, I've decided to jump in and give you all a glimpse into my world via a trip to the "World".

I'm Bridora here, but you can call me 'B' if you'd rather. I have just turned 29 and may possibly stay that age for the near future.

I am absolutely overtaken with Disney. My first trip to Disney World was in 2003 with my husband and 2 kids. Oh, about them...

My husband, Max, is about to turn 39. He is also a DISer, Jundland. I introduced him to this wonderful place not long after I joined. We have spent many a night wandering around here, reading all sorts of things! He could quite possibly become more addicted than I am, given the right amount of free time.

We have two really awesome (no lie) kiddos who Love Disney just as much as we do. Fancy that! It may all come back to kick us in the rear in the form of a Fairytale Wedding or two in quite a few years, however. Allison is our oldest. She will turn 9 just a few weeks before our trip. We should appreciate this now, as next time she will no longer be a child's ticket! Luke is 7. He has been going to Disney World since he was one-and-a-half. Crazy, we were!

Ever since that 1st trip, we were hooked. We have found a way to make it back each summer since then. In 2007, when we feared Disney was too common an occurrence, and not the special occasion it should be, for our kids, Max and I took an anniversary trip on our own. That year we decided we would only take the kids every other year.

Our first off year was to be this year, 2009. Yet we are going back! Thanks, in part, to that GREAT 4/3 deal. It is enabling us to stay at the Polynesian--somewhere we couldn't justify the cost of staying otherwise.

We are sitting a little over one month away as of right now. The kids do not know we are going. Alli had her suspicions earlier in the year, when we decided to book. We left out a notebook we had jotted down possible ADR selections in, and she read it! We have managed to convince them that we are not going. We torture them by talking about things we might do "if we go back one day" Just this morning the Epcot Entrance Medley came up on shuffle on our way to school. We imagined bypassing Spaceship Earth to get Soarin' tickets while on our way to ride Test Track. Luke asked if we could ride Mission:Space. Allison wanted to make sure it was the "non-spinning" side. No one wanted a Kaki-Gori without Daddy, though, so we decided to wait. Then I said it. That phrase. "one-day" Allison scrunched up her face and quit playing . "When you say that, it makes me think we are never going back." I hope we can keep this a secret until...I don't know when.

See, we haven't planned this surprise all the way through. We just know we are not telling them we are going. We will pack up the car the night before. I don't think we can pack without them knowing, unless they go to Grandma's. We will leave early in the morning and hopefully make it to Ocala by nightfall. Surely someone will have guessed our destination by that time. I need to work on that!

I hope you will join us on this Magical Journey. We have so much fun & excitement ahead of us!

Links to installments:
ADRs (It's just down the page a tiny bit!)
Disney Mail (It's on this page, too!)
A Post of Pictures from Disney Vacations Past (Again, on this page!)
More Mail!
Big News!
White Tea & Ginger
Sneak Peak!
Begin Trip Report...
Leaving Sea World
Check-in at the Polynesian
Dinner at T-Rex
Day 1--Animal Kingdom
Day 1--DHS in Two Parts
Magic Kingdom--Day 2 in the parks!
Coral Reef!--Day 2 in the Evening...
A Pool Day Picture Post
'Ohana!
Boat launch to the Magic Kingdom
"I'm walking right down the middle of Main St., USA!"
A Whole Day in Epcot!
An afternoon not fit for a camera...
Star Wars Weekends
Dinner at Crystal Palace
Evening in the Magic Kingdom
Our Last Day in the Parks
The day we checked out of the Polynesian...
What I learned during my 1st Trip Reporting Experience

 

[shordiebecka]

very exciting surprise you have lined up! can't wait to hear all your plans

 

[Bridora]

We are normally at Disney World over Memorial Day weekend and that following week. This year we will be going a week later. Our check in day we spend out of the parks. (We have 5 day park hopper tickets with a pool day scheduled for the middle of the week.) We like to arrive around lunch. That way, after checking in, we can head to Downtown Disney to...Earl of Sandwich. It's a tradition I'm sure we will be sticking with this year. We also plan on having dinner at T-Rex. Luke absolutely loves all things dinosaur. Enter vacation food! Does anyone else find themselves eating constantly while in Disney? And not really ever having hunger pangs? I'm guilty of that! Here are our other "scheduled" ADR meals:

Day 3: Dinner at Coral Reef. We have never eaten here. I'm excited about it, but have one tiny problem: I don't know where it is! I'm embarrassed to admit that, of course.

Day 4: Our pool day. This is our 1st ever "pool day" I'll get into that more later. We have a dinner at 'Ohana! Woo Hoo! We dined here for the 1st time last summer and enjoyed it very much. Food, atmosphere, service, Poly! Leaving, Max said we'd stay there one day. Little did we know that one day would be so soon!

(After dinner we explored the resort a bit. This is what happens when you try to stage a lovely picture by telling your 6 & 8 year olds, mainly that 6 year old boy, to "stand normally". That's also where the picture above of Max was taken.

Day 6: Dinner at Crystal Palace, another 1st time experience. I've heard great things about the breakfast. We don't normally do "rope drop". We're ones for the Evening EMH, but after reading so much about early mornings, you can bet I've thought about converting us!

We're leaving the rest of the meals up to counter service. Breakfast is usually consumed in our room and consists of things we brought from home.

 

[Bridora]

shordiebecka--Thanks! I am very excited about my PTR & TR and plan on taking lots of pics for you guys!

 

[princess_momma]

I seriously LOVE that picture of Luke and Allison. I love the castle in the distance. I might have to go and try to re-create that!! I love it. Of course, when I read about Luke's "standing normal" pose and I looked back and saw how he was standing, I literally laughed out loud! That's so funny!! I love kids!

 

[Bridora]

I seriously LOVE that picture of Luke and Allison. I love the castle in the distance. I might have to go and try to re-create that!! I love it. Of course, when I read about Luke's "standing normal" pose and I looked back and saw how he was standing, I literally laughed out loud! That's so funny!! I love kids!

I KNOW! I guess I should show you the picture I took right before I said that:

It really is a beautiful resort. You should definitely re-create that! It would be fun to hop on the resort Monorail for a quick trip. We took it for our 'Ohana ADR last year, when we fell in love with the Polynesian.

 

[disneyaddicted]

Hi I love surprises! Can't wait to read about the big reveal.

I really enjoyed Coral Reef, I think they have a better selection for dinner than they offer at lunch though, and by the way, Coral Reef is in Epcot, right next to the Living Seas with Nemo.

Crystal Palace has a great breakfast, lots to choose from.

I've never eaten at T-Rex, that's something I'd like to do.

 

[princess_momma]

your son cracks me up!! he just got me all excited to see what things he'll do for pictures this trip!! your plans all sound divine!! yay for the poly too! i'm envious!!

 

[Bridora]

Hi I love surprises! Can't wait to read about the big reveal.

I really enjoyed Coral Reef, I think they have a better selection for dinner than they offer at lunch though, and by the way, Coral Reef is in Epcot, right next to the Living Seas with Nemo.

Crystal Palace has a great breakfast, lots to choose from.

I've never eaten at T-Rex, that's something I'd like to do.

Thanks! I'm sure we've passed Coral Reef before, but I've just never seen it! Is it inside another building, or do you walk right in?

princess momma-I'm sure there will be lots of funny pics when we get back!

 

[Bridora]

Don't you just love when you have one of these waiting for you in your mailbox?

I do!

Oh, we are so happy we are going back as well! There were a couple brochures in here besides the welcome letter. One was all about Disney Resort Guest Benefits. Another was a fold out with maps of each of the 4 parks, and one of the entire Walt Disney World Resort including the water parks and hotels. The 3rd brochure in the package was one I thought would come in really handy:

That's right, the Vacation Planning Checklist. I usually make one of these for each person, but in more detail. The one I make lists everything from outfits to to band-aids. There's a lot to remember when you get ready to go!

This is the time of year it gets busy around our house. Both kids will have end of year school and extracurricular activities coming up. There is something going almost every weekend until we leave! Which, in all honesty, only helps the time pass more quickly. We'll also have to throw in a shopping trip for new Summer clothes before we can leave. Kids sure grow fast.

 

[ThePin Princess]

Hi I'm joining the fun. My parents surprised me with a trip to Disney back in August only I can only wish I was 7 or 9 . And yes I too always love getting those in the mail. That's how my mom surprised me, we were supposed to go to the melting pot but my dad wasn't feeling good and I was really mad, cause it was my night for having to had babysit my niece, for free, all summer. So I was pouting on the couch and she walked over to me with the unopened Disney envelope and said,
Mom - "This came in the mail for you."
Me - " What is it?"
I proceed to open the envelope.
"Read it out loud"
"Okay. Welcome Family. We're so happt your coming back in AUGUST!! Here's something special for your trip. Wait August? But it's August now, huh? Wait THIS August?"

I was so confused an excited and by that point she was already video taping it! 5 days later we were in Disney World!

Can't wait to hear more.

 

[shellywalker]

I hopped over from my TR! I can't wait to read more! When we went in October, I made a packing list for everyone...right down to bandaids too! We're not nuts at all!

 

[Bridora]

Hi I'm joining the fun. My parents surprised me with a trip to Disney back in August only I can only wish I was 7 or 9 .

I was so confused an excited and by that point she was already video taping it! 5 days later we were in Disney World!

Can't wait to hear more.

Wow! That must have been so so exciting. I've never been surprised with a trip, but I can imagine it would be awesome--and then to leave within 5 days...

I hopped over from my TR! I can't wait to read more! When we went in October, I made a packing list for everyone...right down to bandaids too! We're not nuts at all!

Nah, no one here is nuts!

 

[Bridora]

Happy Wednesday! It is, really, even though this is my 2nd time typing this up! I was just about finished up when, suddenly, Firefox decided to close down & update. I must have been trying to do too many things at once, because I never saw the warning box pop up! Ah well, maybe this time will be better...

I am currently out of ideas for Pre-Trip Reporting posts. Maybe since I'm not doing anything right now to prepare for our trip. Even though we are about 39 days away from our departure date! In the next couple of weeks I will start picking up some non-perishable snack/breakfast items on my regular grocery trips. Purchasing them that way saves time. It's also a little easier on the pocketbook. Or, just not all at once, at any rate! But, I haven't done any of that yet! So...on with the pictures!

These are all from our stay in May 2008. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside in Alligator Bayou. It was our first time to stay here and we loved it!

Building 28:

Max & the kids going in!

Before we attacked...

Such a beautiful resort!

These next shots were taken on the pathway that winds through the resort. It's a beautiful little stroll along this path. It will take you anywhere you want to go!

Which way?

Allison getting her hair-wrap for the trip!

I don't have pictures from this, but we took the boat launch from our resort to Downtown Disney. I definitely recommend doing this. I was nice to ride along the River and see things you haven't seen before. Once was enough for me, though, because it was a rather long, slow ride. I have to watch myself at times, though, and tell myself to, "slow down! You're in Disney...on Vacation!"

Last year we also checked out Fantasia Gardens Mini-Golf. We love to play some putt-putt! We try to find a place to play every time we go on a trip.

You could see the Tower of Terror!

Max & I played at Winter Summerland in 2007 on our trip without the kids.

*2007*

I liked both courses, but we are going back to Winter Summerland this year. I think the kids will get a kick out of the place. Maybe we'll do the "summer" side this year, since that's one we haven't done yet.

We're getting closer!

 

[ThePin Princess]

Cute pictures. Did you decide how you are going to surprise them yet?

 

[princess_momma]

Don't you just love when you have one of these waiting for you in your mailbox?

Oh I want one of these in my mail!! Do you get them after a certain amount of time passes since you've reserved or a certain amount of time before you arrive? (hopefully that wording makes sense!!)

And kids certainly do grow fast I am learning...my 5 and a half month old baby boy wears 9 month clothes. I can't believe the stuff he's outgrown already!

 

[Bridora]

Cute pictures. Did you decide how you are going to surprise them yet?

Thanks! Um, no, not yet...

Oh I want one of these in my mail!! Do you get them after a certain amount of time passes since you've reserved or a certain amount of time before you arrive? (hopefully that wording makes sense!!)

And kids certainly do grow fast I am learning...my 5 and a half month old baby boy wears 9 month clothes. I can't believe the stuff he's outgrown already!

You know, I'm not really sure when they send those out! We've had that hidden for a while now, though...We booked back in December or January.

 

[Bridora]

I am still here, and still planning our trip! It's getting closer, we're under a month now! We just received our luggage tags and vouchers in the mail Monday. I'll take some pictures tonite, hopefully, and be back with an update soon!

 

[Bridora]

Yay! Monday we had another envelope in our mailbox. Luckily Max had just put it back up that morning so we were able to get it. You see, last Thursday someone missed the curve right in front our house. They went off the Highway just before our driveway, crossed it, then took out our mailbox with their driver's side while demolishing our garbage can. From the tire tracks across the grass it appears that they regained the road just past our property line without ever stopping. They did leave behind a spark plug and a small piece of trim, however!

Here is what was in our envelope:

Luggage Tags!

A luggage tag close-up, and a reflection of me!

An arcade card! Something for Max to do on our pool day?

A little booklet was included. The first pages list our itinerary including hotel details and ticket info. The next page is a $15 meal voucher to Planet Hollywood, then a Planet Hollywood souvenir voucher. We have a Sea Raycer Offer enabling us to get 90 minutes for the price of 60 minutes. Sounds like a good deal, but we won't use it. We will be using the Mini-Golf voucher, however, entitling 1 guest to 1 round of golf. There is also a voucher for a complimentary PhotoPass 5x7 photo!

I can feel the Magic already!

My next post, coming soon, will include a very exciting new development in our vacation plans!

 

[princess_momma]

My next post, coming soon, will include a very exciting new development in our vacation plans!

First.... about your mail box!! Thats seriously nuts. Are there lots of accidents on your roads or something or was it like an alcohol involved thing?

Secondly...what is this exciting new development?! I'm on the edge of my seat!!!! And I can't wait for my Disney mail...I'm uberjealous!!