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

[Momof2Disneyboys]

MMMMM! That tonga toast looks delicious!

I do need to try that sometime.

Thanks! It was very good!!

I love that pic of the boys in their glasses! Very cool effect when it's that dark. I want a pair now!!

I don't know what it is about back to back poses, but it reminds me of the 80's so much! I call this pose the "Perfect Strangers". Do you remember that show?!? It's awesome that you guys are bringing this back, I LOVE anything that's cheesy 80's. It's just so fun!

This is why Disney is awesome. You can do the nerdiest, most ridiculous things and WHO CARES?!! It's just the best place ever to have fun

They still have their glasses. I'm hoping they make it back to WDW this summer!!

DS13 always says I am so lucky and he wishes he could have grown up in the 80's!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I remember that show!!

Exactly! That's what I always say to the kids when we are at WDW -- you don't know these people, have fun and don't care what other people think! It's so fun to watch them do that because now that they are a pre-teen and teenager, they have to be so careful to not to anything uncool around here.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hope you got all caught up!

Yes, I think people who are staying at the Poly for the first time will really like the rooms! Those of us who have stayed there before, it's just not going to be the same. But hopefully we will like it!!

Yeah, I'm not sure about the bathroom either.




We loved our room in Samoa!! DH wants to request it the next time we stay there! It was so convenient and quiet. I think just about any room in Samoa and Tokelau would be wonderful!

I love the Tokelau when all of us are there together...they have really large rooms and you don't feel cramped...

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

DS13 always says I am so lucky and he wishes he could have grown up in the 80's!!!!!!!!!!!

Yikes. I really don't get why the 80's has become cool again. The only thing I haven't seen come back yet are hypercolour shirts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercolor

 

[JoBird]

Happy
5
Months
Shelly!

​

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I love the Tokelau when all of us are there together...they have really large rooms and you don't feel cramped...

Yeah I knew they had slightly larger rooms, that's why I requested to be in either Samoa (great location) or Tokelau (larger rooms)!! I'm sure the larger rooms come in handy with your family of 5!

Yikes. I really don't get why the 80's has become cool again. The only thing I haven't seen come back yet are hypercolour shirts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercolor

Happy
5
Months
Shelly!

​

Thanks Jodi!!!!!!

I forgot until you said something!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Yeah I knew they had slightly larger rooms, that's why I requested to be in either Samoa (great location) or Tokelau (larger rooms)!! I'm sure the larger rooms come in handy with your family of 5!

I never knew the rooms were larger. We loved staying there. I think we were there at almost the same time right Shelly?

 

[sjs314]

A Chef in the House...the Tonga Toast looked Amazing!

 

[JoBird]

Everyone's coming to your house next weekend for brunch Shelly!

I want strawberry syrup!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I never knew the rooms were larger. We loved staying there. I think we were there at almost the same time right Shelly?

Yep, I think we were there pretty close to the same time in August 2011 maybe?

A Chef in the House...the Tonga Toast looked Amazing!

Thanks Shelia!

Everyone's coming to your house next weekend for brunch Shelly!

I want strawberry syrup!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Day 5 – Thursday December 13



Today was the day – we were finally going to Epcot!!!

Too bad when we got up and looked outside there was no sunshine. It was a dark, cool morning. But it wasn't raining! After we got all ready we headed out and walked to the TTC to get the Epcot monorail.

It was a little cool and kind of damp, but not actually cold.

The monorail came in no time and we were off to Epcot!

I love arriving to Epcot this way! Pictures from the monorail ~

We got off the monorail and made our way down that long ramp and into a very long security line. And then finally up to the entrance line. It was pretty early, but we were pretty far back.

At about 8:50 they started letting people in.

Lots of pretty topiaries on the way in.

Continued in next post.....

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Now this is normally where we would go right and head for Soarin. But we thought that since the new Test Track had just opened up that it would be more popular than Soarin and that we should go there first. (mistake, but more on that later)

The line was pretty long when we got there and we were clear outside the building. The kids ran ahead and grabbed fastpasses for later while we were in line. The line moved fairly quickly.

Pretty soon we were inside going through the queue. It is much different than before. I can't really say I am in love with the new look, but I'm sure lots of people are.

Eventually we made our way into the room where you 'design your car'. We were given the little cards and had to tap them there on the screen and then again before we rode. DS11 and I designed one car and DS13 & DH designed another.

Then we made our way into the last room where you get into your car. It looks a lot like it did before except that it now has the little computer screens on each side of you as you wait to load into the car and that's where you tap your card and the car you designed comes up on the screen.

The track of the ride is the same I think, but the theme and all that is different of course. Again, can't really say I am in love with the new design. DH, DS11, and I all prefer the old Test Track, but DS13 likes the new one better!

After the ride you can see what 'score' your car design got.

Continued in next post.....

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

From there we headed over to Soarin. Thinking the wait time would be about 20-30 minutes. (because when we usually do this opposite – do Soarin first and then go to Test Track – that is the case) Well we soon realized that we should have stuck to our usual plan and gone to Soarin first. The wait was over an hour already.

So we grabbed some Soarin FP's and they were for 2:00-3:00. It was not even 10am!!

We were kind of bummed at this point. I knew the kids would never wait in a line that is well over an hour, and quite frankly I didn't want to either. So I knew that it would only be one ride on Soarin for us this time.

From there we walked over to the Seas and rode Nemo, with no wait.

And after that it was back over to TT to use our FP's. The FP line is a super quick version of what you do in the regular line. You are taken into a smaller room where you design your car on the screen, but with less options and way less time to do so.

It was a little chilly going 65 mph with no sun and cooler temps!

From there we went into Mouse Gears, I just love this store!

Up Next: Onto World Showcase and another meet up with Jodi & family!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Glad to know that they didn't actually change up the actual 'ride' part...we always liked it...but I think some things are great and should just be left alone...

 

[mickeystoontown]

As usual, I got behind again. No excuses other than "just life". Congrats on the new job! I spoke with someone not too long about about becoming a travel agent but haven't followed through. I know that it's something that I'd enjoy immensely. You're going to be great at it!

I've heard varying opinions on the new Test Track but it seems like most say they wish that Disney had never changed it. I'm looking forward to seeing it myself in May. I'm not a big technology person so the whole design-it-yourself concept is pretty much lost on me.

MouseGears! Love it! When we were there last May, a snake had made it's way into the store and it had us all in a tizzy!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Glad to know that they didn't actually change up the actual 'ride' part...we always liked it...but I think some things are great and should just be left alone...

I agree with you Shawna.

As usual, I got behind again. No excuses other than "just life". Congrats on the new job! I spoke with someone not too long about about becoming a travel agent but haven't followed through. I know that it's something that I'd enjoy immensely. You're going to be great at it!

I've heard varying opinions on the new Test Track but it seems like most say they wish that Disney had never changed it. I'm looking forward to seeing it myself in May. I'm not a big technology person so the whole design-it-yourself concept is pretty much lost on me.

MouseGears! Love it! When we were there last May, a snake had made it's way into the store and it had us all in a tizzy!

Hey Lisa! How have you been?

Thank you. I'm very excited about my new adventure!!

I'll be interested to see what you think of the new TT.

WHAT?!!! A snake in Mouse Gears? Glad I didn't see that, I probably would never be able to step foot in there again. I often wonder how many times I have been very close to a big snake down there and didn't even know it....

 

[sjs314]

I can not wait to take the Monorail to Epcot, love the pictures!

Notice my new ticker?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I agree with you Shawna.



Hey Lisa! How have you been?

Thank you. I'm very excited about my new adventure!!

I'll be interested to see what you think of the new TT.

WHAT?!!! A snake in Mouse Gears? Glad I didn't see that, I probably would never be able to step foot in there again. I often wonder how many times I have been very close to a big snake down there and didn't even know it....

Yep, a snake in the middle of the store! Everybody was freaking out. It slithered across the open part of the store and moved underneath the display tables. They had to call animal control to come and get it.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I can not wait to take the Monorail to Epcot, love the pictures!

Notice my new ticker?

Love the new ticker!!! You will love taking the monorail to Epcot!

Yep, a snake in the middle of the store! Everybody was freaking out. It slithered across the open part of the store and moved underneath the display tables. They had to call animal control to come and get it.

Oh My Gosh!!! I would have freaked out too!!!

 

[JoBird]

Oh my!

Okay first of all, walking to the TTC to catch the monorail is worth the Poly price times a billion. It's so convenient!!

And I'm with you-- arriving to Epcot that way is so wonderful- you get to survey the park and check out the crowds; of course this time for y'all it was before RD so not much happening. But it's my fave. I read somewhere, and IDK where so I don't know if it's true or not, but when they placed the monorails on the track when it first opened, they put them in wrong or something and it was supposed to be when you LEFT the monorail station that you did the grand circle tour of the park. They didn't change it and left it alone. Not sure why it would have been that way--- I like it the way it is. Anyway, might be a rumor or a tall tale anyhow.

That morning was dang cool and rainy and nasty. And crowds--- good night! I thought it was just bad on us bc we had gotten there late, but my goodness- the FP return time for Soarin. As you already know, we never rode it.
I am going to go off of your experience this trip for ours in August-- go to Soarin first still!! Thanks for being the guinea pig for us all.

My thoughts on TT-- the first time we rode it, I really really liked it. Thought it was fun and I liked the design your car part. You have to stand in line, might as well do something fun. I also got to ride it with my ILs who had never ever been on TT at all, so they really were thrilled with it-- thought it was a blast, so watching their reaction really kind of swayed my initial feelings.

The second time we rode, we did FP, and I was able to really look and concentrate on the parts of the ride itself, when you're in the car and on the track. Unfortunately, I didn't like it under careful observation. I won't spoil it bc I know there are some who haven't been on it that are reading- but I just feel like it's... cheap or something? It's just "oh look, more neon lights". I feel like they just blew their chance at re-doing a ride that was already really nice- that they could have improved it. As it is, I just wasn't thrilled with it.

So that's my opinion, not that you asked.

And I love shopping at Mouse Gear!! We didn't look around in there this time- I swear I feel like I didn't do anything at all on this trip and I know it's bc I was too busy worried the fam was having a good time. Did you buy some stuff in there??

Great update at my favorite park!!!

 

[JoBird]

Great ticker Sheila!!!!!! You will love the Poly!! Hope you were able to get a good deal!