When we returned to POR from the AK, we had a couple of hours to rest before the night I had been looking forward to…our dinner at Kona. Since I don’t actually remember what we did when we got back to the room, let’s assume…rest, watch Stacy, shower, have one of the many thousands of drinks in the cooler, and change into non-sweaty clothing. I do actually remember what I wore that night (black capris & a sleeveless wrap blouse) for reasons that will become apparent later.
I also know that we were running a little later than we had hoped and Melinda don’t like to be late. We drive to the Poly from POR. DH drops the kids and me off at the curb in front of the Neverland Club and goes to park the car….himself….thank goodness. I think this was one of Manny the cash-only-key-stealing valet’s last nights at the Poly. (See Frickles’ report for the unfortunate back story.)
Now the little man is psyched about the Neverland Club and I think Emily secretly wishes she was not too old to go. The whole concept of entering the Darling bedroom and flying through the window into Neverland is just too thrilling for words.
So we enter the lobby/bedroom and a CM that is seemingly devoid of any personality checks us in across “the bed”. She gets contact info, yadda-yadda, and finally asks us if DS has eaten dinner. Uuumm….no. She looks at her watch….7:55. Heavy sigh….picks up the phone. “There’s a loser Mom here who showed up at the last minute and hasn’t fed her kid.” OK. That’s not exactly what she said but that’s what she meant.
DS looks up at me with the have-I-done-sumpn-wrong look. The CM tells him to head off to Neverland but he’s a little reluctant. Then a cute young CM invites DS to come into Neverland with her. He smiles and heads off through the window.
So the girls and I meet up with DH and we’re off for our “adult” dinner at Kona. I just love the Poly…beautiful, lush, and ideally located but not as formal the GF. We will definitely be staying here on our next trip pending our winning Powerball ticket.
Now, the girls and I spotted
Kona when we were here on Monday during our whirlwind five minute tour before our pirate pager went off. It’s a nice restaurant although very open to the second floor lobby area of the Great Ceremonial House. Could they build a wall? A half wall? Anything more than just a fence around Kona?
We are called to the hostess stand almost immediately and given a tour of the desserts on our way in. This is good. I like to know how much room to save cause I’m a planner. We are seated next to the fence. Our server stops by. I ask for his recommendation on the drinks…thinking he’s gonna say Lapu Lapu and I’m ready. But what? He recommends a
Mai Tai…alrighty. It came with a little fruit flag and an umbrella….and Mai Tai say….it as delicious.
I won’t bore you with the details of our dinner but suffice it to say it was the best of the week….best
crab cakes I’ve ever had, macadamia crusted
mahi , and
Kilauea Torte . And I didn’t once have to ask anyone to come out from under the table, sit down, or eat their dinner. And I’m sure he feels the same kind of relief not to have to behave at a restaurant tonight. (I do kind of miss the little guy, though.)
During dinner I begin to notice that the air conditioning is really cranked at the Poly. I mean it was shivering/teeth chattering cold…this is why I remembered I was sleeveless. I see a few people pulling on their parkas. How can Disney afford to keep an enormous space like the Great Ceremonial House so incredibly cold? I predict a price increase at the Poly next year. Anyway, as we are finishing up, we hear the fireworks. Our server offers us an opportunity to head over and have a look.
We walk over to the lounge and get a few glimpses of Wishes but there are trees in the way and people already seated by the window. DH actually heads into O’hana to get a better look. Come out of there! We’re not eating there! Geezz.
Well, we finish up, settle up and frankly, I can’t wait to get back outside where it’s warm. So we head for the door…phew, outside at last. And it’s………COLD!!! Aaaahhh!!! At the Neverland Club a younger/nicer CM pages DS…once….twice….they’ve lost my boy….three times. He finally comes running with a smile on his face. We are given little goody bag gifts and we’re on our way.
We take a quick stroll around the resort so the kids can see the volcano pool and just as hypothermia is about to set in, we find the car and the kids all yell “TURN ON THE HEAT!!!!” We head back to POR because the plan is to sleep in tomorrow morning because tomorrow night is Halloween at the Magic Kingdom….
DO….eat at Kona…WOW! I will be booking this one again for our next trip. Food and service were fabulous as reported on the DIS. If you don’t eat at the
Poly …at least stop by for a look. It’s splendid…really. Take a parka. Do take your kids to the Neverland Club for a fun night out for them (and you.) Dinner is included and is served between 6-8pm (or 7:55 as the case may be.) DS said he ate pizza and fries? Oh, well, he seemed perfectly OK with that. Cost is $10/hour....booked through Disney Dining.
DON’T…book your reservations too close to Wishes if you’d like to go out to the beach to watch the fireworks. It’s tough to get a good view from inside the Poly unless you’re at O’hana I suppose. Next time I will make reservations at least 1.5-2 hours before Wishes so I can be out on the
beach (with my Mai Tai) for the show. Our reservation was at 8:10pm which was all I could get when I booked last minute.
As DDs exit not so quietly stage left despite DW and my attempts to shush them so they do not wake DS who is already in dreamland...
("Reunited and it feels so good!...) Sorry, I tend to get songs in my head at inappropriate times! 
I am getting so many suggestions and ideas from all the TR's I read, that we'll have alot to choose from.
a new installment!!!! Thanks!
I don't know what to do!
never again!
