Third time is a Charm***Our Halloween at the Poly!

[flevy]

Great TR. I'm throughly enjoying your story and pictures.

 

[maiapapaya]

I can't wrap my head around a split stay either. The idea of packing everything up again and moving is so unappealing. I like to just get settled in and be comfortable in one place. When we went to China a couple of years ago we had to do a "split stay" (different cities mind you, not different resorts!) and it was not fun ... one night in Beijing, four nights in Nanjing, back to Beijing for seven more nights. ack!

There's also the ADR hassle with a split stay, only being able to partially book and then having to do it all over again a few days later. Nope, I'll just pick one place and stay put!

 

[praisehisname]

Yay for DD riding RNRC! Looking forward to hearing about SOA!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thanks!

I will never forget our first MNSSHP in 2007. It was a blast although it was a Tues in late Spetember so it was not crowded at all. Disney's deals have changed the whole crowd calender and I am not quite sure if there really is a quiet time anymore! I am glad we went though. Being the huge people watcher it made for some interesting sights!

It looks like you and I might be missing each other in July at the Poly. We are arriving 7/17. We initially only booked 5 nights but I added two more. Airfare is still quite high so I have not booked that yet!

We will arrive at the Poly on 7/29! Doing 7 nights there and then 4 at AKL. Never thought we'd do a split stay, either, until DH was wonderful enough to suggest that we make 2 vacations out of 1 (since it's a special celebration and we didn't get one this year). I actually had to tweak my dates a little when JetBlue released their fares for summer. It was cheaper to get a flight at a good time on Thursday than Saturday, so we added an extra night and moved the trip up to days. Can you be flexible with your dates? You might find better fares that way (and maybe we can run into eachother). I still believe lower fares will be available at some point, so hang in there!

Your "little" family looks just perfect! Breezy is gorgeous and looks just like you!

 

[BreezysMom]

We will arrive at the Poly on 7/29! Doing 7 nights there and then 4 at AKL. Never thought we'd do a split stay, either, until DH was wonderful enough to suggest that we make 2 vacations out of 1 (since it's a special celebration and we didn't get one this year). I actually had to tweak my dates a little when JetBlue released their fares for summer. It was cheaper to get a flight at a good time on Thursday than Saturday, so we added an extra night and moved the trip up to days. Can you be flexible with your dates? You might find better fares that way (and maybe we can run into eachother). I still believe lower fares will be available at some point, so hang in there!

Your "little" family looks just perfect! Breezy is gorgeous and looks just like you!

Oh I would love to tweak my dates to come later in the month but we got some great seats to the BON JOVI concert on 7/30 at Soldier Field!!! So I have to be home for that! Can you tell I am excited??

I fully expect that I will have to tweak my dates. I may try Southwest this trip because luggage fees annoy me! I wish they would just tack the fee onto my fare? Time will tell!

Thanks for the comments about my cute family

 

[BreezysMom]

Being our third trip to the Poly we decided to finally try the SOA! I had been hesitant due to not so great reviews I had read but now DD was a bit older and she really wanted to try it too! DH has always been interested in going but I vetoed it everytime!

After racing back to get washed up and changed before dinner we took a nice stroll over to the Luau cove. They tell you to be there at 4:45 for the 5:15 show so we listened and got there ahead of time. We walked by our beloved Longhouse Figi and stopped to take a pic with our buddy "Tiki Dude" who we have had the pleasure of taking an annual pic by our previous trips! The walk to the Luau Cove is beautiful. I think that part of the resort tends to get overlooked by a lot of guests.

We were greeted by a very nice CM who asked if we would like her to take our pic by Tiki Dude. I happily agreed since other than photopass pics, I am hardly in any pictures After taking some pics we checked in and got our leis and then they took our picture. I have to say the check in system is pretty organized and moves rather quickly!

Then they send us to another area and tell us that will start seating around 5:00 or so. OK so we rushed here to wait? But they did inform us that there was a bar for us to purchase cocktails or beverages. Well no thanks, the cost of the dinner includes unlimited wine and beer! I could wait for my beer!

I snapped a few pics and we just enjoyed the atmosphere while we waited!

Finally, they started seating us and I have to say that I was totally impressed and how efficient the process is. We were taken to our seat and we were so happy to see that we were seated front and center of the stage!This really made DH happy!

The minute you sit down your server gets your beverage order and then they bring out this fabulous salad and bread. It was so yummy! I ate too much of that alone

Then the show starts and they do the first part. It is a cute little story about a girl leaving her village and they incorporate customs and dances from the various islands from Polynesia. I found that very interesting!

Then at one point they called all the kids up on the stage to learn a dance whihc DD was so pleased to be able to do. Now I will say, DD is 8, almost 9 and I think she was a good age for this, even a year or so ago but this show would not keep a toddler entertained in my opinion, or at least most toddlers I should say. The show was in 3 parts. In between the parts some of the kids were running around and getting on the stage and then an overhead announcement would ask that parents keep there kiddos in their seats. Some parents rounded up their kids, some didn't

Yes, the show is a bit cheesy at times but very entertaining and while the ladies are quite beautiful, the guy dancers were equally as nice to look at

After the first act, the main course came out. It was delicious chicken, pork and rice and veggies. It was really good. I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful the meal was! By this time between the unlimited food and beer I was stuffed to the gills! Sadly my camera was not working well and the zoom quit working! I was so upset but at least I could still take some pics.

They did bring our pic around and the sucker I am I bought the stupid thing. But it is a great family pic and since it was our first Luau I thought it would be nice to have!

When the show resumed at one point one of the female dancers pulled DH up on stage and he had to get up there and shake his booty! It was hysterical! If you only knew how shy and quiet DH is. We are quite opposites in the personality department. I was trying to take pics with my camera while manning the video camera and laughing hysterically! He was so cute!

After dinner I posted on Facebook that he was pulled up on stage and posted a pic and got over 30 responses from friends and family because they could not believe it with their own eyes. Don't get me wrong, DH is not a stick in the mud, he is just a hard working serious guy most of the time. That is why I love our Disney vacations because I get to see him shake his booty

The best part of the show was the firedancer but sadly due to my camera having no zoom capabilities the pics turned out really bad but DH did get it all on video! The Firedancer is worth the price of admission alone! The Spirit of Aloha is one of those things I think everyone should try at least once. I thought the food was excellent and the show very entertaining. We had a great seat but I suspect that most the seats might be fairly decent to some level. If you really want to try the show, don't let the bad reviews scare you away. Although, I don't know if I personally would use 2 TS credits if on the dining plan. We paid out of pocket and I felt it was worth the money.

After dinner we dragged our overstuffed selves back to our room and spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the beach and in the CL lounge. We went to bed early that night as the next day was Halloween. As usual, we had no park plan but I am sure we would figure it out in the morning. We knew that our afternoon plan was to hang out at the Poly and partake in their Halloween activities.

Here are some pics of our room all decked out for Halloween and the wonderful turndown service!

Coming up.....HE BROKE MY CAMERA! and Halloween at the Poly

 

[ladybugmom]

Great update!! Glad to hear some positive things about the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. I'd like to try it sometime but would have to talk my dh into it. He's not one for wanting to eat outside. Uh oh!! A broken camera--that doesn't sound good!!

 

[1971DBday]

I'm glad I read you TR on the SOA. I have been regretting not booking this for the trip, but I feel better now. I was really struggling as to whether it would be appropriate for DD(3) and this helps answer that question - especially with it being the 2 TS. Thanks for the Mom point of view. Maybe I'll sit on the beach one day while she plays and just enjoy the music coming from it.

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm glad that you enjoyed SOA! I've done it twice and have had fun each time. I do agree though that I'm not sure it would be worth 2 TS credits though. You and I have similar camera luck, because the last time I saw the show two years ago my camera's battery died too, about 1/3 of the way into the show, so I didn't have any really good pictures.

 

[praisehisname]

Spirit of Aloha sounds really fun!

 

[BreezysMom]

So it is Saturday Morning and it is Halloween! We were pretty tired this day and frankly could not get moving this morning! Our plan was to be at the resort in the afternoon for the activities the resort had planned. Breezy and I decided to go for a walk to I could take some pics around the resort for the Poly FAQ thread. My camera was being such a pain. The shutter would not open or close and I could not use the zoom at all! I was trying to take pictures and getting beyond frustrated.

I really did not want to tell DH about my camera because the camera has been a point of contention between us. I wanted a nicer camera and did a lot of research and chose this particular point and shoot camera. He felt that it was too much camera for us (he was right by the way) but we bought it anyway. I was really pleased with the pics it took especially when I figured out how to use the stupid thing. The pics we took for our Christmas trip were really awesome!

After our walk we met up with DH and we all decided to just spend the day at the resort. It was a fabulous day and we really wanted to enjoy the sunshine He and DD decided to rent a watermouse and cruise the Seven Seas Lagoon. They were going to leave me all by myself to sit by the pool. Can you imagine the tears I was shedding at the idea I sent them on their way and headed to the pool for some quiet alone time!

They were only gone an hour but it was a nice hour of alone time for Mom! After they came back we had some lunch at Captain Cooks and then we swam for a bit. DH and DD spent hours playing in the pool while I just sat there and soaked up the surroundings! It was heavenly

After a bit DH came over and sat by me and asked where the camera was? I gave it to him but told him to be careful with it because I was having shutter problems. He decided to start messing with it which I knew was a huge mistake. He tinkered with it for what seemed like forever and then handed it back to me. At this point the camera was totally frozen. I could not open the shutter at all now. The battery was fine because I could view the pictures stored in the camera. At this point I was furious Here we are not even half way through our trip and I had no camera. DH could tell I was mad but left me alone. I went to the CL concierge to see if there was any place I could take the camera to get looked at or possibly fixed. They just suggested buying the disposable Well, I have already taken 900+ pics, a disposable camera would not work. I literally sulked back to the room where DD and DH were. At this point I was almost in tears but I was trying to be rational. I was at the Poly with my family on a wonderful vacation...don't pout That did not work. I finally declared that I was heading out to the MK to buy a camera at the Emporium. I knew that had Kodak cameras there and whatever the cost I needed to get a new one.

So we hopped the boat to the MK to buy a camera. They had 3 to choose from. I ruled out the very expensive one right away. Then I had to decide between the two moderately priced ones. It took me a while but I finally picked one and then I had to buy a new memory card because forbid they all be standard The CMs at the Emporium were wonderful. I think they could tell there was loads of tension between DH and I about the whole issue. In the end I bought the camera, a memory card, rechargeable AA batteries and the battery charger. The CM was getting the camera all set up for me. She even set the date and time and loaded the batteries and memory card. She was such a doll! DD says to me "Mom, just think everytime you use the camera you will think about Disney"

What a doll my little Breezy is! As we walked out the Dreams Parade was just coming by and we had a great viewing spot We had no plans to see the parade this trip so it was a nice added bonus and somehow things seemed to be better after the parade was over!

The first pic with our "Disney" camera!

After the parade we left the MK to go back to the pool for a bit before we got ready to trick or treat and party at the Poly!

Coming up...Halloween Polynesian Style!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Awesome TR! This is helping me pass the time until our very first Poly stay this coming January.

 

[BreezysMom]

Awesome TR! This is helping me pass the time until our very first Poly stay this coming January.

Thanks! You will love the Poly!

 

[ladybugmom]

Sorry about your camera but YAY for the new one!!!

 

[maiapapaya]

Ok, do you realize we were in the pool with the girls on the morning of Halloween?!! And we managed to miss each other how?!

 

[BreezysMom]

Ok, do you realize we were in the pool with the girls on the morning of Halloween?!! And we managed to miss each other how?!

We were probably sitting next to each other too!

There were a lot of people at the pool that morning. I think a ton of people just having a pool morning because they were going to MNSSHP that night.

We are hanging out watching the videos of the trip this evening. Breezy has all the symptoms of the dreaded flu so we are making a visit to the doc tomorrow! Poor thing, she is miserable!

 

[maiapapaya]

We were probably sitting next to each other too!

There were a lot of people at the pool that morning. I think a ton of people just having a pool morning because they were going to MNSSHP that night.

We are hanging out watching the videos of the trip this evening. Breezy has all the symptoms of the dreaded flu so we are making a visit to the doc tomorrow! Poor thing, she is miserable!

Poor Breezy. Last weekend DD7 came down with all the symptoms too - fever, headache, cough - fortunately it only lasted about a day (but the cough was longer). DD4 also got the fever, but no other symptoms. Hopefully Breezy gets over it as quickly as ours did!

 

[BreezysMom]

This is Halloween...this is Halloween....Halloween...Halloween!

After we all chilled out a bit from the whole camera fiasco we went to the room and got Breezy in her costume. She wanted to be Hannah Montana. Who I am I to complain, the costume was on sale at the Disney store! Quite a contrast from our little princess 2 years earlier!

We first went to the lounge to get ourselves a beverage and partake in some of the tasty evening offerings! Then we headed to the lobby because as much as I liked hanging out in the CL lounge, I love the GCH. It was very quiet in there. I think a lot of people were at the the Haloween party or doing other activities. Breezy colored for a while while DH and I relaxed. After a bit we headed to the marina where we were to meet up with the other resort trick or treaters.

We got to the marina and no one was there. We waited for a bit and a few other people showed up. Finally a CM named JT showed up. This poor kid did not have a clue about what he was doing but boy was he cute! He had the cutest accent and made the corniest jokes but was adorable all the same. He led the kid through the resort for some treats. We went to the Barefoot Bar first. Whoo hoo! Treats for the parents Then to the Hawaii Longhouse, Captain Cooks, the lobby and the DVC desk. Breezy got a ton of candy that night just from the resort!

After that we headed to the GF beach for a campfire and movie. DH and I found a couple of beach chairs and sat back and relaxed while DD ran around and played with some other kiddos she met at the resort!

DD had a blast playing for a bit and then they had a costume contest which DD happened to win in her age group. It was by applause and she has a loud Momma and made a few friends so that helped with the applause factor! Then I saw the prize! It was a huge box of Playdoh! How the heck was I going to get that home DD was pleased that she won and she had a great time! Actually the Playdoh set was a great gift. She has been playing with it a lot since our return! I carried the box on the plane with us by the way...

We actually left the beach before the movie started. We were all really tired and my ankles were getting bit up by something! We had intentions of going back another night to watch a movie but never made it. That is a must do for our next trip. I will come better equipped with bug spray!

All in all it was a great night. It was wonderful inexpensive entertainment for Halloween night at Disney. We headed back to the room and put some comfy clothes on and then hung out in the lounge for a bit. We watched Hallowishes while DH and I enjoyed an evening cocktail and desserts and then we headed to bed.

Halloween was over! I was half expecting, maybe hopefully I would wake up to Christmas decorations the next day! Wishful thinking!!

Coming up...yep, we head back to the MK the next day! Plus a evening trip to Epcot which we quickly discovered was not a great plan

 

[praisehisname]

Besides having the unexpected expense of a new camera, it sounds like your day was really great! Looking forward to more!

 

[BreezysMom]

Halloween did turn out to be a really nice day. Really slow and quiet. Sometimes we don't even want to leave the Poly property!

So today Breezy was tested for H1N1 and it was positive She is so sick and I am really worried. I have been holding her close all day and just waiting for this fever to break. I just can't believed we spent a week in Florida with millions of people and she gets sick at home 2+ weeks after we get home!

She is "quarantined" for at least 7 days which means I am housebound as well. I also have to cook up a little Thanksgiving dinner for us because we cannot attend dinner at my Mom's house.

Right now I am focused on her and will worry about Turkey day later!

I am sure I will have time to work on my TR!

More updates coming soon!