The Skeptical First-Timers made it back home, here's the TR! Completed!

[brea]

Oh….and also David said later this night, in his after-glow from Hee Haw, that if I wanted to start planning another trip I could and this was with no prompting or whining from me at all. He was sitting on the balcony of our resort and just said that out of the blue. It made me so happy I could just burst!
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That right there makes it all worth it. I don't expect DW to fall in love with this area when we go as she's similar to you about the NO CAMPING stuff but it's great to hear that David had his moment.

 

[GrammyJudy]

LOVE YOUR TR! I love the Hoop Dee DO...we went 3 years ago after not seeing it for many yaers. The show is the same but it is so much fun. We had the best seats right on the floor where they come and sing in the middle...worth the xtra$$$$. maybe you should rent one of the cabins for David when you go back. You could do a split stay and stay there a few nights if you want to return to the POLY too. Anyway glad he finally felt the magic!

 

[nvsnot]

Oh boy , oh boy , oh boy I'm so happy David finally found his Disney Magic and actually said you could plan another trip . It takes some people longer than others to get it, but Disney really does have something for everyone if you take the time to explore! Can't wait for the finale'!

 

[okw19]

AHHH THAT IS SO EXCITING! I can't believe it took Hoop De Doo to bring out the kid in David. At least he kinda gets why you love it so much now, and WOOHOO another trip!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

I'm sure you've already looked into it by now, but the cabins are $285 per night during the value season on weeknights in 2012. POR is $159 during the same time. The Alligator Bayou section would probably be right up his alley. Can they guarrantee you a room in a certain section or is it just the luck of the draw?

 

[skier_pete]

Hmmmm...I find this all pretty fascinating. I almost wonder if David kind of went in with an attitude of "I'm not really going to the like it." and he found some things he liked, and some things he didn't, but focused on the negative...until that last night, when just enough stuff broke into the "like" category that he finally let his gaurd down and allowed himself to really enjoy it. It makes me wonder whether the next trip, he won't be a lot more pleasant throughout the whole thing.

And seriously, you should really look into a Ft. Wilderness cabin. I did say they are pretty expensive, and they are indeed, but they are still cheaper than the Poly! Going over to POR might be a good option too...but the negative of dropping down to a mod/value after staying at the poly is the level of service/convenience/location. That said, it is a LOT less money.

And also, I would take serious consideration to taking an evening for the two of you and going over the Jellyrolls. If David likes music he'll love it there. It's lots of drinking and sing-along with dueling pianos. Fantastic fun for adults only. Your kids are old enough to survive at the resort for a night. I would recommend late in the week when the crowd gets hopping. (We did Wednesday night, and it was fine but there were a lot of conventioneers there.)

 

[FosterA]

Seeing everything there at Fort Wilderness makes me kinda wish we were staying there! That's weird though right? What's the matter with me?!?!

no it's not weird at all. There is something really inviting about FW. Just feels darker and more secluded I guess. You'll just have to plan it for your next time!

well it was great reading your TR, thanks for sharing. hopefuly that you will make it back soon.

It's nice to have you reading along, thanks!!

I'm loving your report! It's the first TR I've read and I was able to read the first 13 pages tonight. I look forward to reading more tomorrow.

I'll be moving to your state in 6 months too . Not close by (Fort Bliss, Tx) but I'm very much looking forward to leaving our horrible winters here (8-9 feet of snow total) and sweating to death. Haha.

Well welcome to my report and welcome to TX!!! You'll love TX! I'm wearing flip flops to work today and it's almost Christmas!

So it all ends happily after all.



Honestly, that first night we spent at the Fort cabins was the best out of that entire vacation. I'm sure your family - and your husband especially - would love it! We packed a cooler with steaks and sides (and stuff for the week). 15 minutes after we checked in, we had the grill going. After dinner, we wandered over to the bonfire for s'mores and listened to the cowboy sing songs. (It's funny. I lived in TX for a little while too and I don't think you'd find any of this exotic, but it was entertaining. )

It was also really nice to come back to a quiet cabin every night and crash. I planned meals so that I only cooked on a couple of nights. Breakfast was right there in the cabin too.

Good luck with a future trip and it's been fun reading along! I was in such suspense until the end!

Edit: Oh, and Hoop de Doo has different performers all the time. I agree about the corniness of the show. Though, the one time we saw it, there was a really funny guy in the comic relief role who ad-libbed a lot and a pack of Girl Scouts in the audience. They kept cracking up, which was cracking me up. Haha :lol:

That sounds so good when you describe staying in the cabins The only glitch is that we would fly which makes it harder to bring all sorts of stuff to eat at the cabin though we could always rent a car or order Garden Grocer I suppose. Either way, I bet having a car at FW makes a huge difference.
Thanks so much for reading along

 

[FosterA]

So far just one case. In the Tahiti building. But it's enough to just freak me out. I love the vibe of Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge - like you are in the mountains or something, it's so serene and lush. I get great vibes from that area in general. BUT, my Dad is paying for my daughter and I to go on this trip, and his only request was that we pick a monorail resort, and the Poly had the best theme for my 9 yo DD. (how can a little girl resist a volcano pool!?)

awwww. the Volcano pool. Probably in Ian's top 5 "attractions" of the whole vacation.

Awwww, that was an awesome ending! I loved how it all worked out for you all. You should go ahead and plan on the cabins next time, they are actually less than the Poly at rack rate comparison. I am getting so excited now for our trip too after your fun report.

You're going to have a great trip I know the cabins are cheaper than Poly but I guess I'd just feel like we weren't taking advantage of full kitchen and stuff. Fact is that I barely cook at home, let alone on vacation. I'd almost feel like I was wasting the money by not cooking, know what I mean? If we drove and I could load car with food to take that might be a different story. I'll just have to think about it and do my research

Yay I'm glad to hear that there is a chance you'll be going back!

I know!! That's all I wanted from Dave....that glimmer of a chance he'd be ok coming back and he is! yay

That right there makes it all worth it. I don't expect DW to fall in love with this area when we go as she's similar to you about the NO CAMPING stuff but it's great to hear that David had his moment.

I know, I wonder what your DW will like the most?? Can't wait to hear!

 

[KRIS10420]

Hello

Just coming out of lurkdom to say I have really enjoyed your pre/trip reports, you tell a good story. Thank you for sharing .............

.....I'm with you on the Soarin opinion, while it would be on my Epcot to do list I wouldn't be disappointed if I missed it. After seeing this ride in Disneyland it felt a little odd watching it in Florida.

 

[heathsf]

Oh my gosh! You get to plan another trip!!!!

 

[glennbo123]

Awesome, awesome, awesome! I'm glad he's comin' around!

 

[sandieb]

Loved your trip report. For the record, we usually stay at the Beach Club Villas, but we have an Easter trip planned for Fort Wilderness. We stayed in a cabin about 10 years ago, and loved the extra space and kitchen. That prompted us to visit Disney Vacation Club and bought the BCV presale. The rest is histroy. However, we are skipping this year there to experience Ft. Wilderness again. Hey, maybe David will be happier with more space!

I also loved the fact you spent the last day just enjoying some leisure time. Going 110% the whole time makes it feel almost like work!

 

[FosterA]

LOVE YOUR TR! I love the Hoop Dee DO...we went 3 years ago after not seeing it for many yaers. The show is the same but it is so much fun. We had the best seats right on the floor where they come and sing in the middle...worth the xtra$$$$. maybe you should rent one of the cabins for David when you go back. You could do a split stay and stay there a few nights if you want to return to the POLY too. Anyway glad he finally felt the magic!

thanks for reading! I've got lots of planning to do for the second trip. fun fun Not sure if we'd do the Poly again. There's too many other cool places to check out.

Oh boy , oh boy , oh boy I'm so happy David finally found his Disney Magic and actually said you could plan another trip . It takes some people longer than others to get it, but Disney really does have something for everyone if you take the time to explore! Can't wait for the finale'!

So happy to have you reading along. You're soooo right, Disney has such a huge variety that there is something for everybody, even if it takes til the last day to find that "thing"

AHHH THAT IS SO EXCITING! I can't believe it took Hoop De Doo to bring out the kid in David. At least he kinda gets why you love it so much now, and WOOHOO another trip!

I know it! I can't believe it took to the very last day to pep him up

I'm sure you've already looked into it by now, but the cabins are $285 per night during the value season on weeknights in 2012. POR is $159 during the same time. The Alligator Bayou section would probably be right up his alley. Can they guarrantee you a room in a certain section or is it just the luck of the draw?

I love the cabin idea but I'm afraid we wouldn't get the full "value" out of it since we fly and I think those would be better if you drove with all your food and had your car there and such. POR might be better and I'd really hope you can get AB section if you ask but I'm not sure, I need to look into that

 

[FosterA]

Hmmmm...I find this all pretty fascinating. I almost wonder if David kind of went in with an attitude of "I'm not really going to the like it." and he found some things he liked, and some things he didn't, but focused on the negative...until that last night, when just enough stuff broke into the "like" category that he finally let his gaurd down and allowed himself to really enjoy it. It makes me wonder whether the next trip, he won't be a lot more pleasant throughout the whole thing.

And seriously, you should really look into a Ft. Wilderness cabin. I did say they are pretty expensive, and they are indeed, but they are still cheaper than the Poly! Going over to POR might be a good option too...but the negative of dropping down to a mod/value after staying at the poly is the level of service/convenience/location. That said, it is a LOT less money.

And also, I would take serious consideration to taking an evening for the two of you and going over the Jellyrolls. If David likes music he'll love it there. It's lots of drinking and sing-along with dueling pianos. Fantastic fun for adults only. Your kids are old enough to survive at the resort for a night. I would recommend late in the week when the crowd gets hopping. (We did Wednesday night, and it was fine but there were a lot of conventioneers there.)

Jellyrolls is a definite must-do on the next trip! My kids would LOVE to be left alone!
I know the Poly is alot more than the cabins but with the Poly we had the nice pool area and ez transportation and such. The thing about the cabins that probably makes them so spendy is that they have full kitchen, outdoor grill and such but with us being flyers and not drivers, I'm not sure we could get the "value" out of them. By the time I bought a bunch of food from Garden Grocer and rented a golf cart and such, it would really get up there. I think the cabins would be perfect if you had a car though! We'll probably end up looking into POR. I know we'd be downgrading from a Deluxe but we're not divas and I think it would be fine I even loved staying at the All Star Music place back when I went with my friend and it was super nice. As a matter of fact, I felt like the common areas and elevators and such were cleaner and brighter than Poly's!

Hello

Just coming out of lurkdom to say I have really enjoyed your pre/trip reports, you tell a good story. Thank you for sharing .............

.....I'm with you on the Soarin opinion, while it would be on my Epcot to do list I wouldn't be disappointed if I missed it. After seeing this ride in Disneyland it felt a little odd watching it in Florida.

Thanks for coming out of lurkdom!! Happy to have you along.

Oh my gosh! You get to plan another trip!!!!

I know I know I think a second trip would even be smoother and more fun since I'd have all my expectations in check!

Awesome, awesome, awesome! I'm glad he's comin' around!

I know...he was stubborn and wanted to wait until the very last hour to let his hair down but he finally gave in!

Loved your trip report. For the record, we usually stay at the Beach Club Villas, but we have an Easter trip planned for Fort Wilderness. We stayed in a cabin about 10 years ago, and loved the extra space and kitchen. That prompted us to visit Disney Vacation Club and bought the BCV presale. The rest is histroy. However, we are skipping this year there to experience Ft. Wilderness again. Hey, maybe David will be happier with more space!

I also loved the fact you spent the last day just enjoying some leisure time. Going 110% the whole time makes it feel almost like work!

Thanks a bunch for reading along!
When you stay at the cabins, do you drive?? I really am intrigued by them but hung up on not having a car if we were there because it seems like that would be so much easier as far as bringing groceries and getting around. I'm going to look into it more though when I get time.
Have a great Easter Trip!!!

 

[skier_pete]

Jellyrolls is a definite must-do on the next trip! My kids would LOVE to be left alone!
I know the Poly is alot more than the cabins but with the Poly we had the nice pool area and ez transportation and such. The thing about the cabins that probably makes them so spendy is that they have full kitchen, outdoor grill and such but with us being flyers and not drivers, I'm not sure we could get the "value" out of them. By the time I bought a bunch of food from Garden Grocer and rented a golf cart and such, it would really get up there. I think the cabins would be perfect if you had a car though! We'll probably end up looking into POR. I know we'd be downgrading from a Deluxe but we're not divas and I think it would be fine I even loved staying at the All Star Music place back when I went with my friend and it was super nice. As a matter of fact, I felt like the common areas and elevators and such were cleaner and brighter than Poly's!

Don't get me wrong - we've spent most of our time at the Mods and Values, and our one sojourn to a Deluxe while it was fantastic did not make me feel a blinding need to stay deluxe. I just want to let you know to manage your epectations if you drop to a mod. The room is somewhat smaller (though not as small as a value) and there is a lot less amenities available.

I sort of agree with you about being leery of a Ft. Wilderness stay. The one thing you didn't mention (or maybe notice) about it is the transportation. While there is a boat from the dock to get to MK, the property itself is very spread out and requires an internal bus to get around. When we went to HDDR last year, we didn't want to go back to MK - so we had to first take the INTERNAL BUS, to get to the EXTERNAL BUS stop. So, if you don't have a car there, you have to take TWO buses to get to most of the parks / DTD. I also really have ZERO interest in going on a Disney vacation and cooking meals, so the cabin would be a waste.

So - I think your thoughts are good. Check out POR next time. And if you can, take advantage of free dining! With four "Disney Adults" it would be an incredible value for you, even if you used it for things like HDDR. We had it that week, and we got $1,477 worth of food out of it, and we didn't even try real hard to optimize the value. (My theory behind Disney trips is to try and spend less on them, which allows us to stay longer/go more often. I'd rather spend 10 days at a value than 5 days at a deluxe!)

 

[Moodyzblu]

So - I think your thoughts are good. Check out POR next time. And if you can, take advantage of free dining! With four "Disney Adults" it would be an incredible value for you, even if you used it for things like HDDR. We had it that week, and we got $1,477 worth of food out of it, and we didn't even try real hard to optimize the value. (My theory behind Disney trips is to try and spend less on them, which allows us to stay longer/go more often. I'd rather spend 10 days at a value than 5 days at a deluxe!)

Great advice !! We've yet to do anything BUT a value and can't remember a "bad" experience other than poor planning on my part (went during Senior nites )

 

[skier_pete]

Great advice !! We've yet to do anything BUT a value and can't remember a "bad" experience other than poor planning on my part (went during Senior nites )

I agree, we've done value (Pop Century) twice (plus one day) and have to say we have fantastic experiences each time. There are definite negatives to the values. (My biggest complaint that would seem easy to solve is the complete lack of shade by any of the pool areas.) But I'd rather stay there and be at Disney than be somewhere else. I didn't state it above, but the other reason I don't find Deluxes to be well worth it is with the exception of a few times during the trip, we spend so much of our time AWAY from the hotel that I simply don't find the "value" in the deluxes.

 

[Practically_Perfect]

I just read through your whole TR and loved it!! And congrats on actually getting through it! I started one for my April 2011 trip and have only finished day 1!! Maybe as things slow down over the holidays I can finish it...though I've probably lost all my readers by now

I'm going to jump in an really encourage a POR stay. It was my first on-site resort, and since then I've stayed at the GF and Pop. I loved my stays at all three, but would pick POR over them any day. I think if I had to rate them in order, I'd say POR, then Pop, then GF.

There was just so much cool stuff about POR. The theming is fantastic, and the landscaping is so lush and beautiful. And, I kinda felt it was 2 vacations in one. You had the fun, exciting, stimulating times in the parks, then a nice slow it down and relax time at the resort. The food court (QS) is fantastic, TONS of choices (way more than there was at the GF, which I'm guessing is somewhat comparable to Poly), AND it has the boat to DTD. So your crazy, somewhat umpleasant bus trip? Becomes a soothing 15 minute boat ride along the Sassagoula River, and you can see SSR and the Treehouses. Plus - boat ride!! One of Dave's faves!!

Definitely check out this website: www.portorleans.org. It's run by a fellow Diser named Andre, and there's a wealth of information on there, including some pics of the refurbed rooms in both the Alligator Bayou (AB) and Mansions sections. ALL of the "preferred" rooms are in the AB section (Buildings 14, 15, 18 and 27 - all great locations), so if you paid preferred you'd be guaranteed to be in that section, otherwise it's the standard "a request is just that - a request, not a guarantee" refrain we hear constantly on the Dis...

Anyhow - feel free to pester me with questions about POR. I'm hoping to take another trip in February, and am seriously looking at booking either POFQ or POR (likely AB side this time).

Also, the "Staying at Riverside, show me pics" thread on the Resorts Photos and Videos forum has some gorgeous photos to drool over and help get you excited!!

 

[solana131]

I totally agree with PracticallyPerfect. Check out portorleans.org. I loved that site. Awww....you guys are making me wish I had changed to POFQ instead. But I've heard some reliable rumors that Poly is being totally redone...like switching CMs to a different hotel, not just a refurb. So I am glad I stayed with it for this trip, but will defintely do PortOrleans next time. We would stay at FQ because of its small size, but the great thing about them is you can just walk over to the "sister resort" no matter which one you are staying at. And they seem to have just as many amenities as the deluxes...other than a beach. So excited for you! Maybe there is hope for my hubby. We will soon find out

 

[swwake]

I have really enjoyed your TR so far. I'll have to catch up on what I miss next Friday when we're back. So glad your DH is finally feelin' the magic!