Trip Number 9 ~ It's the Most Wonderful Time of Year ~ Christmastime at the GF & Poly

[Momof2Disneyboys]

It was bad. I swear I've never been thru anything like it before.

Maybe if I hadn't been trying to just get to the Poly from the MK it wouldn't have been so bad, but when we circled back thru the parking lot and people started screaming at the top of their lungs at the bus driver------ it was awful. I was a bit scared.

There was a family on there that missed an ADR at the GF because of how long it took. I'm pretty sure they ended up with something free-- they were quite vocal about their displeasure.
I'm sure it was just that the monorail was down and it was a party night in the MK and they didn't have the buses to pick up all the extra people.


OMG so I just looked back at our text conversation ab the busses. So funny!

And as far as being at the resort instead of the dang party..... yeah should've listened to your experience with it. Don't even get me started on how I feel about that waste of time and money.

Wow I am a PEACH today I tell ya! A PEACH!!!!!

It does sounds pretty awful. I would have been scared too with all the people irate and yelling on the bus.

Were you late for your ADR? Wait, what night was this -- Tuesday??

I'm sorry your party experience wasn't the best.

A peach!!

Honestly I think sharing a bus when you are staying at a nice deluxe, is kind of lame.

Your GF room is very pretty though! I like the view that you had.

Question for you Shelly. When is your favorite summer or holiday time to visit? I'm trying to mentally plan our next trip. Morghan will also be a freshman next year so the less school missed, the better.

It is lame. Beyond lame. You seriously get better bus service at the moderates than you do at the deluxes. Using CBR as an example, because it has the most internal stops - 7 if I remember correctly. It takes about 7-8 minutes to make all those stops within the resort before heading out onto the highway. The stops are literally seconds apart. I remember being at the Jamaica stop and being able to see the Aruba stop! So, within 10 minutes you are on your way. Not to mention that it is probably the most centrally located resort, so getting to the parks takes no time at all! The deluxes on the other hand -- it takes a lot of time to go from one resort to another when you have to go out of the parking lot and out onto the road and then into another parking lot. Crazy. It can be over 30 minutes before you are even on your way.

Guess I'm a real peach today too!


Okay, well anyway -- the last week of August is the best time to go ever!!! But your kids might be back in school by then.... If they happen not to be you have a definitely advantage and should go then!!

I haven't really been during any other school breaks.

 

[T*Bird]

Great update Shelly! Your room looks really pretty, and the view is beautiful! I would love to wake up in the morning, step outside onto the balcony and take in that view!

Great picture of your family in front of the tree! I guess you did go back for a dressed-up pic!

I had to go back and look at the pic that Jodi was talking about. I had totally missed the castle! Don't know how I missed that, it's truly beautiful all lit up in the background.

The Twilight Refreshers look yummy! Too bad that first pic would prove to be the cause of a major headache for y'all. Maybe they should change the way they have alcohol just sitting there - since some people don't know when to call it a night. I have never tried sushi. I don't know anything it, so I guess I'm a little scared of it. What I need is a shushi coach to go with me and tell me what to get......meaning what is cooked and not raw! Or if anyone can give me some tips, I'll take them!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Great update Shelly! Your room looks really pretty, and the view is beautiful! I would love to wake up in the morning, step outside onto the balcony and take in that view!

Great picture of your family in front of the tree! I guess you did go back for a dressed-up pic!

I had to go back and look at the pic that Jodi was talking about. I had totally missed the castle! Don't know how I missed that, it's truly beautiful all lit up in the background.

The Twilight Refreshers look yummy! Too bad that first pic would prove to be the cause of a major headache for y'all. Maybe they should change the way they have alcohol just sitting there - since some people don't know when to call it a night. I have never tried sushi. I don't know anything it, so I guess I'm a little scared of it. What I need is a shushi coach to go with me and tell me what to get......meaning what is cooked and not raw! Or if anyone can give me some tips, I'll take them!

Thanks Teri! Our room and view were very nice! Of course if it's just clean I am usually happy!


Oh yes, too much access to alcohol in the lounge. And some people just don't know when to say when!


I've never had sushi either. And I don't ever plan on it!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

It is lame. Beyond lame. You seriously get better bus service at the moderates than you do at the deluxes. Using CBR as an example, because it has the most internal stops - 7 if I remember correctly. It takes about 7-8 minutes to make all those stops within the resort before heading out onto the highway. The stops are literally seconds apart. I remember being at the Jamaica stop and being able to see the Aruba stop! So, within 10 minutes you are on your way. Not to mention that it is probably the most centrally located resort, so getting to the parks takes no time at all! The deluxes on the other hand -- it takes a lot of time to go from one resort to another when you have to go out of the parking lot and out onto the road and then into another parking lot. Crazy. It can be over 30 minutes before you are even on your way.

Guess I'm a real peach today too!


Okay, well anyway -- the last week of August is the best time to go ever!!! But your kids might be back in school by then.... If they happen not to be you have a definitely advantage and should go then!!

I haven't really been during any other school breaks.

You are awesome, thank you!!! CBR is definitely next for us. I am going to look into late August for sure. We don't go back until after Labor Day here.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

You are awesome, thank you!!! CBR is definitely next for us. I am going to look into late August for sure. We don't go back until after Labor Day here.

You're welcome!

We are currently booked for the last week of August. But I just found out that DS13 will have Freshmen orientation one day that week....Trying to decide if it's worth it to move our trip up a week so he won't miss that and go the third week of August. I know it will be busier than the last week of August, but how much busier??? It's always something.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

You're welcome!

We are currently booked for the last week of August. But I just found out that DS13 will have Freshmen orientation one day that week....Trying to decide if it's worth it to move our trip up a week so he won't miss that and go the third week of August. I know it will be busier than the last week of August, but how much busier??? It's always something.

Always something!!!

 

[JoBird]

You're welcome!

We are currently booked for the last week of August. But I just found out that DS13 will have Freshmen orientation one day that week....Trying to decide if it's worth it to move our trip up a week so he won't miss that and go the third week of August. I know it will be busier than the last week of August, but how much busier??? It's always something.

Boo, Hiss.



What a pain.

 

[Monny2AE]

Isn't it awesome?

I'm pretty sure he got lots of pics of me giving him dirty looks!!

Those pics should make for a very funny scrapbook for him!

Well there's a new word - Pocahontassy!!

I know what you mean, you have to wonder how much of it is a language barrier and how much of it is just plain being rude!! We came across more rude people this trip than ever before I think. People just have no sense of personal space.

Yeah, the parade was cute. But I'm good now for about 5 years.

That was our biggest complaint when we went last December. Parade time was the worst. Everyone was so rude. One lady even tried sitting on the foot part of the my kid's stroller as a seat! DH already said next time we go back that we are skipping the parades and I agree.


DS13 and Pocahontas made such a cute couple!

GF pics were gorgeous! I can't believe they gave you two rooms next door to each other!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Great update!!

I love the apps at CL they looked yummy! I love sushi!

Nice family pic in front of the tree.

Don't get me started on the buses either. We were able to avoid taking a bus the last couple of trips except for going to AK and DTD. DTD took literally FOREVER!!! I hate the buses!!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Always something!!!

Boo, Hiss.



What a pain.

I know.

Those pics should make for a very funny scrapbook for him!


I guess if he wanted to document every second of his trip he did!! Every second of me yelling at him!!


That was our biggest complaint when we went last December. Parade time was the worst. Everyone was so rude. One lady even tried sitting on the foot part of the my kid's stroller as a seat! DH already said next time we go back that we are skipping the parades and I agree.

Oh we came across the rudest people this trip. Guess December makes people grumpy at WDW???


DS13 and Pocahontas made such a cute couple!


I know!!

GF pics were gorgeous! I can't believe they gave you two rooms next door to each other!

I know, what were they thinking?!!

Great update!!

I love the apps at CL they looked yummy! I love sushi!

Nice family pic in front of the tree.

Don't get me started on the buses either. We were able to avoid taking a bus the last couple of trips except for going to AK and DTD. DTD took literally FOREVER!!! I hate the buses!!!!

Thanks!

Oh the buses really stunk this time. Very disappointing. I really wish they would consider doing something differently.

 

[ronnmel]

I finally made it to your TR and read all the updates so far. Seems like you guys were off to a great start (besides those long bus rides)!

 

[rusafee1183]

Hey Shelly! I didn't realize that you were in the middle of a TR until I saw it when I was scanning the TR Forum. So far, It looks like you guys had a great time overall (hopefully!). That really stinks about the check in fiasco, that is pretty absurd. And it looks like the busses weren't much better this time. I still don't understand why the Deluxe bus situation is still such a nightmare.

But, that's nice that you got to spend some time with Jo, and really cool that your rooms were so close! So fun!!

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and that I will be reading along too

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I finally made it to your TR and read all the updates so far. Seems like you guys were off to a great start (besides those long bus rides)!

Welcome Mel!

Yep - we were off to a pretty good start other than a few minor glitches. It was a great trip! Lots more to come!

Hey Shelly! I didn't realize that you were in the middle of a TR until I saw it when I was scanning the TR Forum. So far, It looks like you guys had a great time overall (hopefully!). That really stinks about the check in fiasco, that is pretty absurd. And it looks like the busses weren't much better this time. I still don't understand why the Deluxe bus situation is still such a nightmare.

But, that's nice that you got to spend some time with Jo, and really cool that your rooms were so close! So fun!!

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and that I will be reading along too

Hi Heather!

Yep, it was a great trip and fun to get to see Jodi & family!

I sure will never understand the deluxe bus situation either.

 

[jwgm2012]

Yay! Glad I found your report! I love the set up of the CL lounge. Hope to someday get to enjoy it too!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Yay! Glad I found your report! I love the set up of the CL lounge. Hope to someday get to enjoy it too!

Welcome! Hope you get to enjoy the lounge someday soon!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

When we were done checking things out in the lobby we went out to take a look at the beach pool. On the way we passed by the new Alice in Wonderland water play area. It looked nice and like a lot of fun, but I'm just not sure it fits in at the GF.

There wasn't too much going on there or at the beach pool. Although it had been a very warm day, as soon as the sun went down it cooled off fast.

We thought about grabbing something to eat from the pool bar since we really hadn't had a full meal all day, but we just didn't really see anything that grabbed us and we really weren't that hungry. We were just all getting very tired.

We walked back past the main building and over to the marina side of the Sugarloaf building.

That is our room, third floor directly over the awning with the lights on.

Then we walked out by the boat dock.

At this point we were all getting very tired. Remember, we had been up since 3:30am. So we headed back to the room. They had already been in for turndown service.

The kids watched a little TV and I started to get a few things ready for the next day. Then we headed down to the lounge for the evening service, Sugarloaf CL Offerings, Cordials and Desserts (served 8-10pm). ~

Everything was very good and we were all full and ready to go to bed. I texted Jodi that we weren't going to make it up to see them when they got back from MVMCP that night because we were going to bed! We made plans to meet up in the morning. Then we were off to bed. Unfortunately where our room was, with the door overlooking the lounge, we got a lot of noise through the night. Plus the refrigerator ran on and off all night and it was very loud. Can't really say that we got much sleep there.


Up Next: Day 2 and a morning meet up with Jodi and family!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I would have been exhausted by that point. It is such a pretty resort. We loved staying there.

Can't wait to hear about your first day.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I would have been exhausted by that point. It is such a pretty resort. We loved staying there.

Can't wait to hear about your first day.

We were so tired!! I don't know how we made it up that late! But we sure didn't want to miss anything, so we were taking our time to explore every inch of the resort.

 

[JoBird]

I can't believe you stayed up that long after getting up so early (and I KNOW you didn't sleep the night before the trip!).

The Alice in Wonderland area is not my favorite. Agree it doesn't belong there. Very out of place.

And that water in the Beach Pool looks cold to me!


Looks like someone hit the chocolate covered strawberries really hard. The fruit there is always so good- I eat a ton of it. Really nice to have after being in the parks and needing just a bit of something not too heavy before bed.

I hate that your fridge ran all night. I never heard ours at all. And I didn't hear too much commotion down below- I think I was just so tired that I fell asleep hard as soon as my head hit the pillow and was out for the count.

Fun update--
I can't wait to see what we do the next morning.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I can't believe you stayed up that long after getting up so early (and I KNOW you didn't sleep the night before the trip!).


Adrenalin I guess!!

The Alice in Wonderland area is not my favorite. Agree it doesn't belong there. Very out of place.

And that water in the Beach Pool looks cold to me!


It was actually not too bad. At least that's what DS11 said when he stuck his toe in!


Looks like someone hit the chocolate covered strawberries really hard. The fruit there is always so good- I eat a ton of it. Really nice to have after being in the parks and needing just a bit of something not too heavy before bed.

That was actually before I got to the chocolate covered strawberries! Luckily they did refill them very quickly when they ran out!

I hate that your fridge ran all night. I never heard ours at all. And I didn't hear too much commotion down below- I think I was just so tired that I fell asleep hard as soon as my head hit the pillow and was out for the count.

Fun update--
I can't wait to see what we do the next morning.