Trip Reports
01-08-2007, 10:00 PM
Lori Ross - June 2001 - Yacht Club, Polynesian Resort
Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Van
Resort: YCR, PR
Accommodations: Standard Room (Concierge at PR)
Ages Represented in Group: Toddler, Elementary, Adult, Senior
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
Comments: Lori's report provides a day-by-day description of what the group did. This was a large, extended family trip. If you're planning such a trip, this is a good trip report to read through. Also, Lori provides daily "tips of the day" which were fun to read and informational, too.
Lori Ross -- June 2001 -- Walt Disney World (YCR, PR)
JUNE 21, 2001 - JULY 1, 2001
Participants
Grampa - One prior visit
Grandma - Two prior stays plus several prior day trips
Ed, 38, - "
Lori (me), 35 - "
Son Tim, almost 13 - "
Son Andrew, almost 12 - "
Son Barrett, 3 - One prior visit
Also for certain parts -
Jeff, 30 - brother in law
Amy, 32 - Lori's sister
Mia, 14 months - princess exquisite
Thursday 6/21 - Travel Day and Check In to Yacht Club
Tip for the Day: SLEEP the night before if possible.
Our flight was scheduled to leave Grand Rapids at 6am, which means we'd need to wake up at 4am. It was impossible to sleep!! We were so excited and couldn't wait to begin our vacation. Our oldest didn't sleep at ALL! Fortunately the Pittsburgh airport has a great area called "Kidsport" where the 3 year old could run around and everyone else could snooze on the couches. Great view and it was deserted, too!
We arrived in Orlando around 11:30am. We rented a minivan through National using "The Emerald Club". It was so easy!! You just walk out to the ramp, select whichever van you'd like (the keys are inside), and then drive to the exit booth where the paperwork takes about 2 seconds. No hassle at all!!
We were just so anxious to see the Yacht Club. We've been at the Polynesian for our previous two stays, and were ready to try something a little new. We had booked a Basic Plan, just three nights without park privileges, with the idea of getting relaxed before our "Discovery Magic" package kicked in on Sunday. We had no trouble finding the hotel and although it was hardly 1pm our room was already ready!! To make matters even better, it was LAGOON VIEW!! Woo - hoo!! We just oohed and aahed about the gorgeous third story balcony.
It was kind of a hike from the lobby; I thought I would get lost and never be able to find the room again. I was okay with the size of the room and it wasn't 'overthemed'. The dresser is a bit smaller than the one at the Polynesian, but I really like how the sinks are outside the bathtub/toilet room. (Not so at Poly.) I hadn't seen the minibar before either. Quite dangerous!
The boys immediately changed into swimming gear and we headed to Stormalong Bay. I was pleasantly surprised by the pool's layout. The older two boys could do the water slide and play in some parts of the pool; my youngest loved the shallow area. It is covered in sand with a graduated entry. He felt very secure. A lot of kids had water wings or other inflatables; I do recall one trip where the lifeguards wouldn't let kids use those. I guess the rules have changed which I thought was a good change. Also, I liked that they had someone who organized pool volleyball, played Marco Polo with the younger set, and had a Super Soaker to keep the kids on their toes, too. The Yacht & Beach is FULL of families. That pool is really a kid's dream! It was an extremely hot day - that pool really felt good. We grabbed a couple of snacks poolside. The kids' meal that came in a bucket with a shovel is especially cool!
That night we went to Fulton's Crab House for dinner, all five of us. I was surprised how it looks even less like a riverboat. I still long for the "Empress Lilly". Our saving grace - the three-year-old fell asleep right before dinner and stayed asleep the entire meal! The minute we sat down, a good ole tropical thunderstorm started - we knew we were in Florida now! Our server was excellent (sorry, didn't catch his name). I had the crab/lobster bisque (awesome) and snow crabs, which were outstanding - sweet and fresh tasting. Ed had lobster; the boys both had filet mignon, which they swear was the best ever! We pined the loss of one dessert we had at our last trip - a huge 'ice cream cake'. It wasn't on the menu any more.
By the time we got back to the Yacht Club, we were exhausted - the short night the night before and the full day had finally caught up with us. We watched what we could of Illuminations from our balcony and were all asleep by 10pm.
Friday - Blizzard Beach (our first time!)
Tip for the day - Be sure you know the opening and closing times of the parks you plan to visit. No guessing.
The forecast for the next four days was rain, rain, rain. We assumed that meant a thundershower in the late afternoon. We aren't breakfast folks - we grabbed a quick snack before we got to Blizzard Beach at 10:30; we thought it opened at 10am. It actually opened at 9am. I felt like I had wasted a precious Disney hour!!
We parked our stuff at Tike's Peak and I played with our youngest while Ed and the boys began trying the slides. It wasn't long before they were back to say we needed to do the Family Tube. It wasn't a bad wait, and the three-year-old was fine with it. I couldn't wait to see how our family photo would turn out. We really had fun on the "Lazy River" thing as a family, too. After a few more slides, around 1pm it started to get really cloudy. They ended up having to close the whole park down in anticipation of severe weather, so we headed out for lunch. Sadly our family photo wasn't ready; I would have to go without it. We were meeting my sister and her family at the hotel around 3pm anyway. We had had our fill of Blizzard Beach.
After lunching at Wendy's and picking up a few staples for munching, we got back to the hotel around 2:30p. My sister, her husband, and their 1 yr old daughter arrived from Daytona Beach around 3:30 and we played at Stormalong Bay till 6pm when it was time for her husband to go and pick up Grandma and Grampa from the airport. My husband and I took the opportunity to hit Yachtsman Steakhouse sans kids. I liked the light wood décor - it kept the atmosphere open. Our server was very friendly; the meal was well-paced, but I wasn't crazy about our table. We both ordered steaks, and we enjoyed them thoroughly. I ordered a sampler dessert platter to carry back to the room.
It was a wonderful reunion when Grandma and Grampa got to the room from the airport!! We watched the Illumination fireworks from our balcony again, ate from the sampler desserts, raided the minibar and really enjoyed each other's company. They left us to go to the Best Western Buena Vista for 2 nights.
Later that night Ed and I tried Jellyrolls, and it was an absolutely GREAT time! We found ourselves singing and dancing till 1am!
Saturday - NFL Experience, Flying Fish
Tip for the Day: Don't forget the transportation logistics, especially if you have a group!! They're time killers!
The next morning we tried to do NFL Experience, but were defeated by the rain. That morning we found out how difficult it is to get ten people to one location - three times tougher than getting five people to the same place! We opted to go back to the Yacht Club and spent the afternoon swimming, biking w/a Surrey bike, and strolling around the Boardwalk area. Grampa and Grandma gave the Boardwalk Bakery rave reviews - they had sub sandwiches with sides of fresh fruit. We just ate burgers poolside again to tide us over till dinner at Flying Fish.
Flying Fish was one of my favorites. The décor is open and unique. The cuisine was fantastic - the crab cakes appetizer was especially incredible. Afterwards we played games at the ESPN Club and all along the Boardwalk till we got back to the Yacht Club. The rest of the family left the five of us as they headed back to the Best Western. We were scheduled to check in to the Polynesian the next day.
Sunday - Check In to Polynesian and MK
Tip for the Day: Request as early a check in as possible.
We checked out of the Yacht Club quite early then headed to the Best Western Buena Vista to pick up the rest of the gang. The BW used to be the Travelodge and it's right outside Downtown Disney. Grandma and Grampa said they had a wonderful view of Fantasy in the Sky from the lounge.
Again, checking them out of there and getting three families over to Poly was way slower than one would think - and we were SO anxious!! What a wonderful feeling to drive up to the Polynesian! We were carted back to the Tonga longhouse - we had Concierge for this six night stay. One thing we found different than two years ago - they let us go up to the Concierge lounge and grab a bite and they also let us go to our room to unload before coming back to the Concierge desk to do the check in process!
Our room was one of the best features of our trip! We had been upgraded to lagoon view!! We were on the third floor and pretty far from the elevators/lounge, but we couldn't complain since our balcony faced the castle. It was breathtaking.
After checking in, we headed right over to MK. We found where they relocated the Barbershop, then headed quickly to do Jungle Cruise, Pirates of Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion before lunching at Crystal Palace. We caught the fabulous Magic Moments parade, and this is definitely a new favorite!! I sure hope they keep this one around. I really was sad that I wasn't going to be able to see MSEP; this was some consolation.
It began pouring right during lunch. Through the sprinkles, we headed to visit Mickey's house. The line was about 30 minutes or so, but it moved pretty good. The visit with Mickey was truly one of the most magical moments. Our three-year-old just LOVES him; I think he was surprised to see him so BIG. He thought he would be SMALL. But he was enthralled and couldn't stop hugging him nonetheless. I'll never forget that. Throughout the rest of the trip, he kept asking to go back to Mickey's house (which we did do once more).
Of course the kids had to swim more before dinner. Dinner that night was at the California Grille. We had scheduled it for 8pm so that we could watch Fantasy in the Sky over dessert. I guess we weren't real clear with our server, though. Dinner was way too slow; she served our entrees just as the fireworks started. We were starving, and our food was cooling as we watched the fireworks. They do give you tons of food at CG, however. The sushi was great; I especially liked my smoked salmon sushi. The entrée was definitely one of my favorites - yet more salmon. The seasoning and preparation was perfect!
Monday - MGM / Hoop De Doo
Tip for the Day: Make Hoop De Doo PS as soon as humanly possible!! And even if you drive to HDD, you will need to take a bus too. Schedule accordingly.
Our family of five headed to MGM first thing in the morning. We did Tower of Terror then headed to Rock n Roller Coaster. However something malfunctioned and the lines were ultra long. Only two of us ended up going (two folks stay with the 3 yr old while two others ride). I loved RnR as did our twelve-year-old.
Then we did Millionaire (never in the top ten; we were disappointed). It was a good break from the heat. We also did Muppets (a perennial favorite). By that time it was swelteringly hot. We simply could not go any further. We headed back to Poly to swim, nap, then catch the Magic Moments parade again.
Dinner was Hoop De Doo. We've seen the show once before and we had made our PS eighteen months before - we were hopeful that we'd get a great table. Our lesson of the day was that even with a car, or even better, especially with a car, you must leave early for HDD - like an hour early! We thought driving a car would save us a bus ride. Wrong. You gotta park way far away and bus in. My wonderful hubby dropped the rest of us off at Pioneer Hall while he did the bus thing. We were still able to get our photo together before going in.
Our table was just as we'd hoped - front and center on the first floor. The show was even funnier this time around, it seemed, and the chicken & ribs were yummy yummy yummy! The kids and adults alike thoroughly enjoy this great dinner show - it's terrific!
Afterwards the kids did more swimming in that awesome Poly pool and we watched the Fireworks from our balcony. Our goal was to get to bed early so we could get to AK first thing, which is 8am for this crew.
Tuesday - AK, DisneyQuest, dinner at Fulton's
Tip for the Day - DisneyQuest in the morning equals no lines.
We grabbed breakfast from the Concierge area, and made it to AK by 8:30am or so. We went on the Safari first thing. There was only a ten-minute wait. Our guide did an okay job, and there were animals all over, but they were just a little hidden from time to time (didn't stop my boys from taking some twenty pictures of well camouflaged creatures.
Right after the Safari it was hot enough already for the River Rapids. Again, short wait, and this too worked for the three-year-old (and he's no daredevil). After measuring his height, they put a wristband which alerted the Cast Member on the loading platform that we needed a "special" boat which had a safety bar that he could hold on to. I think it did make him feel a little more secure. It was such a refreshing ride, we did this one twice.
From the River Rapids we headed right over to Dinosaur. We didn't realize what a wild ride this was. I thought they had basically 'transplanted' Countdown to Extinction. NOT SO! This is one wild and very fun ride. The three-year-old JUST made the height requirement, and both hubby and I crossed our arms in front of him to brace him. I really think it's too intense for most toddlers, though. He cried for a minute when we disembarked, because it really is an intense, dark ride. But he has older brothers who he tries to keep up with, so he wasn't upset for long.
By then it was almost eleven, so we headed to DisneyQuest. We love that place, and I thought it might be less crowded during the day. That was indeed the case, and we had no wait for our favorite 'rides'. We got the videos of our coaster rides, and saved so many colonists that we should win awards. We did eat lunch at DQ; I lunched on cheesecake and used the connected computers to send an e-mail postcard home. This was the only place that asked me for ID when I used a Traveler's Check.
Speaking of Traveler's checks, they did turn out to be the way to go. Grampa misplaced his at dinner at Epcot he thinks, and was thankful that he could get them replaced so easily.
After DQ, we again did a break at the Poly before dinner. We made a quick trip to MK to get our E-night wristbands around 4pm; there was no line at Town Hall for that. This time at Fulton's we had a server named Steve who did a really good job of serving the eight of us. Our meal was neither too fast nor too slow; every dish was exquisite, and he was well versed in all our "Plans" and the accounting they required. (At Crystal Palace, they made some accounting errors which we were glad that Poly Concierge was able to fix.)
I ordered King Crab legs this time instead of snow crab. Personally I liked the snow crab better. A bit more flavor and sweeter. But the King Crab tastes very fresh and there is just so much meat!! It really is wonderful; we will always make this place a must-see!
From Fulton's we drove to Poly then monorailed to MK for our VIP seating for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. We had never done that before, and if you enjoy the fireworks, it's really great. We were right above the Rose Garden by Tomorrowland. It was not crowded and you are right beneath Tinkerbell's flight. We were so mad that we had forgotten the video camera!
Right after the 10pm fireworks Ed, Tim, Andrew, and I headed back to Frontierland to start our E-night at Splash Mountain. We got a lot of rides in, but compared to 1999, it sure seemed a lot busier. I think we figured out that in 1999, the park closed at 11pm even on Tuesday, so E-night ran till 2am. With it being 10pm - 1am this year, there was a lot more park activity. We did all our favorites except Haunted Mansion; and we did Buzz Lightyear over and over and over! The only long wait - to get a cup of coffee from a counter service restaurant in Frontierland (can't remember where we stopped, sorry).
Wednesday (Epcot)
Tip for the Day: Be sure to plan for "non-park" days, and do not feel guilty for taking the day "off".
We hit our wall this day. It was probably due to E-night; if E-night is on day three of your park days, you should definitely take day four off. We did Honey I Shrunk the Audience and then Journey Into Your Imagination. That was the first time I had ever found JIY!! We were all crabby, crabby, crabby.
We did Living Seas while Grandma and Grampa ate at Coral Reef. Then we all went back to Poly for naps/swimming/etc. We were scheduled to try parasailing at 3pm. We were still so exhausted by2pm that we were glad to hear that parasailing was not working at 3pm due to threatening weather. We relaxed some more poolside before getting ready for dinner.
Tim and Andrew went with Grandma and Grampa to see "Blast!" at Epcot before dinner at Biergarten which is one of Grampa's favorites. Ed and I took that opportunity to dinner at Bistro. We found that they don't open till 6pm which I thought was new. At our last trip, one of our strategies was early lunches and early dinners, like 4:30pm. You can't do that at Bistro.
After two dinners at our last two trips to Chefs de France, Bistro is a GREAT alternative. You must make your PS 30 days in advance, not 60. Our waiter was excellent; he was from France and shared that he had his degree in Culinary Arts and was planning to go back to school for an advanced degree in Business so this was his way of staying in the industry. He prepared to-die-for crepes suzette at our table. The restaurant manager was very gracious as well. He was very happy to take pics of us on the way out and even suggested where we should stand and made jokes to keep us smiling, as though our dinner and champagne weren't enough.
A word about the Discovery Plan and dinners - as usual the alcohol is not covered in your 'dinners'. And these sit down restaurants all have a wine list where the cheapest bottle of wine is $40.00. I hate it when my 'cheap' side comes out on vacation, but I did find that hard. I'm just as happy with Boone's Farm sometimes, y'know?? But we know...... we're at DISNEY... ... that is to be expected!
After dinner we watched the Tapestry of Nations parade for the first time. I had heard mixed reviews on this, and I can see why. Either you are touched and swept away, or you don't get it. I think we expected more. I really do like the music, though. From there we had the VIP seating thing again for Illuminations. By far the best way to watch Illuminations. We've tried to see it from one of the Cruise boats and still couldn't make out what was going on with the globe. This was the first time we could detect all the activity. And we DID bring the video camera this time!
We were able to make it back to Poly to see the FS fireworks with Barrett; we enjoyed Scott's B-52s at the Concierge lounge, then headed to bed so we could do Early Entry the next morning for MK. If I haven't mentioned it already, Scott is one cast member who makes our stay just fantastic! His B-52's and "Toasted Almonds" there at the lounge are great, and he is just a heck of a nice guy. We always look forward to seeing him!
Thursday (MK)
Tip for the Day: Early Entry and often.
We had never done an Early Entry before. This was our first time. AWESOME! We did Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Mad Tea Party, and the Speedway all before 9am! Rope drop at Mickeyland is at 9am, so we got to watch that! Then Mickey was on his front porch for visitors and photos!
Tigger, Pooh, and Eeyore were in front of the Playland for photos/autographs, too. We let Barrett play at the play area for a bit before we headed back. We had rescheduled parasailing for 1:30 this afternoon, so we grabbed lunch and let the kids swim a little bit before heading to the Contemporary for that.
Parasailing turned out to be a major highlight. For this first excursion, just the five of us went. After Tim and Andrew saw how much fun Ed and I had, they agreed to go up one at a time with us tandem. They were hooked after that! We were glad we had a 3pm reservation the next day! The captain, Tim, and first mate, Lori, did a great job of encouraging us and joining in the fun. They said that the youngest they'd ever had go up was an 18-month-old! Everyone at Sammy Duval was really nice; they stored our stroller for us while we sailed.
We went back to the room and the guys did even more swimming. I had a 4pm Lavender Bath scheduled at the Grand Floridian (a Discovery Magic wish). Grandma had a pedicure, and Grampa was scheduled for a massage. Dinner was Vic & Albert's at 6pm.
I've never done a spa thing before so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was not tough to find, but I was glad I had left early. (I had taken the monorail - I should have walked.) Although the bath was relaxing, it was a little too hot for me. I was thankful for the cold compresses they provided, and I was ready to get out after 20 minutes. I walked back to the Polynesian with my mom and dad. I have to admit; I was thoroughly relaxed after that nice break in routine.
While Ed and I were scheduled for Vic and Albert's with Grandma and Grampa, the older boys were on their own, while the three year old was scheduled to have another Fairy Godmother. I found the sitters always to be prompt and well-equipped. They bring lots of toys and work hard at connecting with the baby. We only used them for dinners. By the time they took Barrett for a long walk, he was ready to lay down and watch cartoons until we got back to watch fireworks with him. We had learned in 1999 to ask the Front Desk to prepare an extra room key without any privileges just for the Fairy Godmothers.
Dinner at V&A's was wonderful. Somehow I got elected to select the wine, but I don't think I did that great of a job. I loved each course, but my favorite was the desserts. I enjoyed the crème brulee. But it was the tropical fruits that were truly spectacular. Grandma was adventurous and had spurgeon and boar, but I had fish again. Another meal highlight was the port wine - just outstanding with the cheese course.
We had some cordials at the Polynesian lounge again, thanks Scott. It was a great way to end the evening before we watched the fireworks from our balcony.
Friday (AK, NFL Experience)
Tip of the Day: Knowledge and research can pay off. When the schedule isn't working for you and you are stuck for what to do next, you'll need to know what the options are so you can select what would best fit the bill!
We were up early so that the kids could have 8am breakfast at RainForest Café at AK with Grandma and Grampa. While the kids breakfasted, Ed and I did the safari again and the animals were much more visible. My photos turned out great!
They reported that breakfast was a huge success. The three-year-old especially loved all the movement and the aquarium. The two older boys ate and ate and ate and enjoyed the "solo" time with the grands. I think it was really special.
Then we all did It's Tough to be a Bug. No line at all. The grands had seen it before, but we hadn't. A bit intense for my three year old but he recovered in a few minutes and it was a perfect morning all around.
We decided to try to see if we could do NFL Experience. That was one of the best spontaneous decisions of the whole trip! We were tired of crowds and lines, there is neither at NFL Experience at 10am. Even though it was hot, they had fans all over to help keep us cool. There were probably just twenty of us total. Walking back to the van was the biggest challenge!
We did lunch back the Polynesian & the kids did more swimming. We headed to our 3pm parasailing this time with grands in tow. Lori was again our first mate, and a different Tim was the captain this time. This time we let Grandma go up first, then Grampa. The boys went tandem, and then Ed went up. He brought the video camera and got some awesome footage! After that we had to call it quits; it was too windy for more. We were very satisfied! We got home in time to rest up for dinner at Narcoossee's at 7pm.
Narcoossee's has what I believe to be one of the most scenic settings right there overlooking the Bay. The kids could leave the table to go on the deck. I ordered lobster, but the vanilla cream sauce was just a little too sweet for even me, who never leaves the table without dessert. Our cast member (Amer) was very talented - memorized our orders, posed puzzles for the kids to work on while they waited for their courses, and had oodles of personality.
This was the only time we got to see the Electrical Water Pageant, which is usually one of our favorites. After dinner & Scott's B-52's we just rested up. Ed went to Jellyrolls on his own; he really loved that place. I was too tired to pack, and check out was the next day.
Saturday (check out, rent a boat)
Tip for the day: Pack an extra suitcase in your luggage.
The morning was all about packing. So many purchases, I never thought it would fit!! We checked out, and we knew we'd have a lot of wishes still to use up from our Plan. We shopped at Poly, then lunched at Kona Café (the Asian Noodle soup is HUGE). Then we rented a pontoon boat for the afternoon. There were a lot of storms in the area, and we had to wait twenty minutes before they let us go out, and then they only let us go in our own Lake area. We never ventured over to the Contemporary/Wilderness Lodge area. We showered and changed by the pool, and went to Downtown Disney to use the rest of our wishes (T-shirts at Hard Rock for all!).
From there we went to Wilderness Lodge for 6pm dinner at Artist Point. Another awesome dinner presented by true professionals. What a wonderful way to end our trip. It was so very hard to leave the property, for me. It had been a long trip, but I just love each moment. I could tell that the kids were SO ready to be back at home. Am I the only freak who could do this year round? It was a great time; I'm ready to go again.
Lori Ross
Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Van
Resort: YCR, PR
Accommodations: Standard Room (Concierge at PR)
Ages Represented in Group: Toddler, Elementary, Adult, Senior
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
Comments: Lori's report provides a day-by-day description of what the group did. This was a large, extended family trip. If you're planning such a trip, this is a good trip report to read through. Also, Lori provides daily "tips of the day" which were fun to read and informational, too.
Lori Ross -- June 2001 -- Walt Disney World (YCR, PR)
JUNE 21, 2001 - JULY 1, 2001
Participants
Grampa - One prior visit
Grandma - Two prior stays plus several prior day trips
Ed, 38, - "
Lori (me), 35 - "
Son Tim, almost 13 - "
Son Andrew, almost 12 - "
Son Barrett, 3 - One prior visit
Also for certain parts -
Jeff, 30 - brother in law
Amy, 32 - Lori's sister
Mia, 14 months - princess exquisite
Thursday 6/21 - Travel Day and Check In to Yacht Club
Tip for the Day: SLEEP the night before if possible.
Our flight was scheduled to leave Grand Rapids at 6am, which means we'd need to wake up at 4am. It was impossible to sleep!! We were so excited and couldn't wait to begin our vacation. Our oldest didn't sleep at ALL! Fortunately the Pittsburgh airport has a great area called "Kidsport" where the 3 year old could run around and everyone else could snooze on the couches. Great view and it was deserted, too!
We arrived in Orlando around 11:30am. We rented a minivan through National using "The Emerald Club". It was so easy!! You just walk out to the ramp, select whichever van you'd like (the keys are inside), and then drive to the exit booth where the paperwork takes about 2 seconds. No hassle at all!!
We were just so anxious to see the Yacht Club. We've been at the Polynesian for our previous two stays, and were ready to try something a little new. We had booked a Basic Plan, just three nights without park privileges, with the idea of getting relaxed before our "Discovery Magic" package kicked in on Sunday. We had no trouble finding the hotel and although it was hardly 1pm our room was already ready!! To make matters even better, it was LAGOON VIEW!! Woo - hoo!! We just oohed and aahed about the gorgeous third story balcony.
It was kind of a hike from the lobby; I thought I would get lost and never be able to find the room again. I was okay with the size of the room and it wasn't 'overthemed'. The dresser is a bit smaller than the one at the Polynesian, but I really like how the sinks are outside the bathtub/toilet room. (Not so at Poly.) I hadn't seen the minibar before either. Quite dangerous!
The boys immediately changed into swimming gear and we headed to Stormalong Bay. I was pleasantly surprised by the pool's layout. The older two boys could do the water slide and play in some parts of the pool; my youngest loved the shallow area. It is covered in sand with a graduated entry. He felt very secure. A lot of kids had water wings or other inflatables; I do recall one trip where the lifeguards wouldn't let kids use those. I guess the rules have changed which I thought was a good change. Also, I liked that they had someone who organized pool volleyball, played Marco Polo with the younger set, and had a Super Soaker to keep the kids on their toes, too. The Yacht & Beach is FULL of families. That pool is really a kid's dream! It was an extremely hot day - that pool really felt good. We grabbed a couple of snacks poolside. The kids' meal that came in a bucket with a shovel is especially cool!
That night we went to Fulton's Crab House for dinner, all five of us. I was surprised how it looks even less like a riverboat. I still long for the "Empress Lilly". Our saving grace - the three-year-old fell asleep right before dinner and stayed asleep the entire meal! The minute we sat down, a good ole tropical thunderstorm started - we knew we were in Florida now! Our server was excellent (sorry, didn't catch his name). I had the crab/lobster bisque (awesome) and snow crabs, which were outstanding - sweet and fresh tasting. Ed had lobster; the boys both had filet mignon, which they swear was the best ever! We pined the loss of one dessert we had at our last trip - a huge 'ice cream cake'. It wasn't on the menu any more.
By the time we got back to the Yacht Club, we were exhausted - the short night the night before and the full day had finally caught up with us. We watched what we could of Illuminations from our balcony and were all asleep by 10pm.
Friday - Blizzard Beach (our first time!)
Tip for the day - Be sure you know the opening and closing times of the parks you plan to visit. No guessing.
The forecast for the next four days was rain, rain, rain. We assumed that meant a thundershower in the late afternoon. We aren't breakfast folks - we grabbed a quick snack before we got to Blizzard Beach at 10:30; we thought it opened at 10am. It actually opened at 9am. I felt like I had wasted a precious Disney hour!!
We parked our stuff at Tike's Peak and I played with our youngest while Ed and the boys began trying the slides. It wasn't long before they were back to say we needed to do the Family Tube. It wasn't a bad wait, and the three-year-old was fine with it. I couldn't wait to see how our family photo would turn out. We really had fun on the "Lazy River" thing as a family, too. After a few more slides, around 1pm it started to get really cloudy. They ended up having to close the whole park down in anticipation of severe weather, so we headed out for lunch. Sadly our family photo wasn't ready; I would have to go without it. We were meeting my sister and her family at the hotel around 3pm anyway. We had had our fill of Blizzard Beach.
After lunching at Wendy's and picking up a few staples for munching, we got back to the hotel around 2:30p. My sister, her husband, and their 1 yr old daughter arrived from Daytona Beach around 3:30 and we played at Stormalong Bay till 6pm when it was time for her husband to go and pick up Grandma and Grampa from the airport. My husband and I took the opportunity to hit Yachtsman Steakhouse sans kids. I liked the light wood décor - it kept the atmosphere open. Our server was very friendly; the meal was well-paced, but I wasn't crazy about our table. We both ordered steaks, and we enjoyed them thoroughly. I ordered a sampler dessert platter to carry back to the room.
It was a wonderful reunion when Grandma and Grampa got to the room from the airport!! We watched the Illumination fireworks from our balcony again, ate from the sampler desserts, raided the minibar and really enjoyed each other's company. They left us to go to the Best Western Buena Vista for 2 nights.
Later that night Ed and I tried Jellyrolls, and it was an absolutely GREAT time! We found ourselves singing and dancing till 1am!
Saturday - NFL Experience, Flying Fish
Tip for the Day: Don't forget the transportation logistics, especially if you have a group!! They're time killers!
The next morning we tried to do NFL Experience, but were defeated by the rain. That morning we found out how difficult it is to get ten people to one location - three times tougher than getting five people to the same place! We opted to go back to the Yacht Club and spent the afternoon swimming, biking w/a Surrey bike, and strolling around the Boardwalk area. Grampa and Grandma gave the Boardwalk Bakery rave reviews - they had sub sandwiches with sides of fresh fruit. We just ate burgers poolside again to tide us over till dinner at Flying Fish.
Flying Fish was one of my favorites. The décor is open and unique. The cuisine was fantastic - the crab cakes appetizer was especially incredible. Afterwards we played games at the ESPN Club and all along the Boardwalk till we got back to the Yacht Club. The rest of the family left the five of us as they headed back to the Best Western. We were scheduled to check in to the Polynesian the next day.
Sunday - Check In to Polynesian and MK
Tip for the Day: Request as early a check in as possible.
We checked out of the Yacht Club quite early then headed to the Best Western Buena Vista to pick up the rest of the gang. The BW used to be the Travelodge and it's right outside Downtown Disney. Grandma and Grampa said they had a wonderful view of Fantasy in the Sky from the lounge.
Again, checking them out of there and getting three families over to Poly was way slower than one would think - and we were SO anxious!! What a wonderful feeling to drive up to the Polynesian! We were carted back to the Tonga longhouse - we had Concierge for this six night stay. One thing we found different than two years ago - they let us go up to the Concierge lounge and grab a bite and they also let us go to our room to unload before coming back to the Concierge desk to do the check in process!
Our room was one of the best features of our trip! We had been upgraded to lagoon view!! We were on the third floor and pretty far from the elevators/lounge, but we couldn't complain since our balcony faced the castle. It was breathtaking.
After checking in, we headed right over to MK. We found where they relocated the Barbershop, then headed quickly to do Jungle Cruise, Pirates of Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion before lunching at Crystal Palace. We caught the fabulous Magic Moments parade, and this is definitely a new favorite!! I sure hope they keep this one around. I really was sad that I wasn't going to be able to see MSEP; this was some consolation.
It began pouring right during lunch. Through the sprinkles, we headed to visit Mickey's house. The line was about 30 minutes or so, but it moved pretty good. The visit with Mickey was truly one of the most magical moments. Our three-year-old just LOVES him; I think he was surprised to see him so BIG. He thought he would be SMALL. But he was enthralled and couldn't stop hugging him nonetheless. I'll never forget that. Throughout the rest of the trip, he kept asking to go back to Mickey's house (which we did do once more).
Of course the kids had to swim more before dinner. Dinner that night was at the California Grille. We had scheduled it for 8pm so that we could watch Fantasy in the Sky over dessert. I guess we weren't real clear with our server, though. Dinner was way too slow; she served our entrees just as the fireworks started. We were starving, and our food was cooling as we watched the fireworks. They do give you tons of food at CG, however. The sushi was great; I especially liked my smoked salmon sushi. The entrée was definitely one of my favorites - yet more salmon. The seasoning and preparation was perfect!
Monday - MGM / Hoop De Doo
Tip for the Day: Make Hoop De Doo PS as soon as humanly possible!! And even if you drive to HDD, you will need to take a bus too. Schedule accordingly.
Our family of five headed to MGM first thing in the morning. We did Tower of Terror then headed to Rock n Roller Coaster. However something malfunctioned and the lines were ultra long. Only two of us ended up going (two folks stay with the 3 yr old while two others ride). I loved RnR as did our twelve-year-old.
Then we did Millionaire (never in the top ten; we were disappointed). It was a good break from the heat. We also did Muppets (a perennial favorite). By that time it was swelteringly hot. We simply could not go any further. We headed back to Poly to swim, nap, then catch the Magic Moments parade again.
Dinner was Hoop De Doo. We've seen the show once before and we had made our PS eighteen months before - we were hopeful that we'd get a great table. Our lesson of the day was that even with a car, or even better, especially with a car, you must leave early for HDD - like an hour early! We thought driving a car would save us a bus ride. Wrong. You gotta park way far away and bus in. My wonderful hubby dropped the rest of us off at Pioneer Hall while he did the bus thing. We were still able to get our photo together before going in.
Our table was just as we'd hoped - front and center on the first floor. The show was even funnier this time around, it seemed, and the chicken & ribs were yummy yummy yummy! The kids and adults alike thoroughly enjoy this great dinner show - it's terrific!
Afterwards the kids did more swimming in that awesome Poly pool and we watched the Fireworks from our balcony. Our goal was to get to bed early so we could get to AK first thing, which is 8am for this crew.
Tuesday - AK, DisneyQuest, dinner at Fulton's
Tip for the Day - DisneyQuest in the morning equals no lines.
We grabbed breakfast from the Concierge area, and made it to AK by 8:30am or so. We went on the Safari first thing. There was only a ten-minute wait. Our guide did an okay job, and there were animals all over, but they were just a little hidden from time to time (didn't stop my boys from taking some twenty pictures of well camouflaged creatures.
Right after the Safari it was hot enough already for the River Rapids. Again, short wait, and this too worked for the three-year-old (and he's no daredevil). After measuring his height, they put a wristband which alerted the Cast Member on the loading platform that we needed a "special" boat which had a safety bar that he could hold on to. I think it did make him feel a little more secure. It was such a refreshing ride, we did this one twice.
From the River Rapids we headed right over to Dinosaur. We didn't realize what a wild ride this was. I thought they had basically 'transplanted' Countdown to Extinction. NOT SO! This is one wild and very fun ride. The three-year-old JUST made the height requirement, and both hubby and I crossed our arms in front of him to brace him. I really think it's too intense for most toddlers, though. He cried for a minute when we disembarked, because it really is an intense, dark ride. But he has older brothers who he tries to keep up with, so he wasn't upset for long.
By then it was almost eleven, so we headed to DisneyQuest. We love that place, and I thought it might be less crowded during the day. That was indeed the case, and we had no wait for our favorite 'rides'. We got the videos of our coaster rides, and saved so many colonists that we should win awards. We did eat lunch at DQ; I lunched on cheesecake and used the connected computers to send an e-mail postcard home. This was the only place that asked me for ID when I used a Traveler's Check.
Speaking of Traveler's checks, they did turn out to be the way to go. Grampa misplaced his at dinner at Epcot he thinks, and was thankful that he could get them replaced so easily.
After DQ, we again did a break at the Poly before dinner. We made a quick trip to MK to get our E-night wristbands around 4pm; there was no line at Town Hall for that. This time at Fulton's we had a server named Steve who did a really good job of serving the eight of us. Our meal was neither too fast nor too slow; every dish was exquisite, and he was well versed in all our "Plans" and the accounting they required. (At Crystal Palace, they made some accounting errors which we were glad that Poly Concierge was able to fix.)
I ordered King Crab legs this time instead of snow crab. Personally I liked the snow crab better. A bit more flavor and sweeter. But the King Crab tastes very fresh and there is just so much meat!! It really is wonderful; we will always make this place a must-see!
From Fulton's we drove to Poly then monorailed to MK for our VIP seating for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. We had never done that before, and if you enjoy the fireworks, it's really great. We were right above the Rose Garden by Tomorrowland. It was not crowded and you are right beneath Tinkerbell's flight. We were so mad that we had forgotten the video camera!
Right after the 10pm fireworks Ed, Tim, Andrew, and I headed back to Frontierland to start our E-night at Splash Mountain. We got a lot of rides in, but compared to 1999, it sure seemed a lot busier. I think we figured out that in 1999, the park closed at 11pm even on Tuesday, so E-night ran till 2am. With it being 10pm - 1am this year, there was a lot more park activity. We did all our favorites except Haunted Mansion; and we did Buzz Lightyear over and over and over! The only long wait - to get a cup of coffee from a counter service restaurant in Frontierland (can't remember where we stopped, sorry).
Wednesday (Epcot)
Tip for the Day: Be sure to plan for "non-park" days, and do not feel guilty for taking the day "off".
We hit our wall this day. It was probably due to E-night; if E-night is on day three of your park days, you should definitely take day four off. We did Honey I Shrunk the Audience and then Journey Into Your Imagination. That was the first time I had ever found JIY!! We were all crabby, crabby, crabby.
We did Living Seas while Grandma and Grampa ate at Coral Reef. Then we all went back to Poly for naps/swimming/etc. We were scheduled to try parasailing at 3pm. We were still so exhausted by2pm that we were glad to hear that parasailing was not working at 3pm due to threatening weather. We relaxed some more poolside before getting ready for dinner.
Tim and Andrew went with Grandma and Grampa to see "Blast!" at Epcot before dinner at Biergarten which is one of Grampa's favorites. Ed and I took that opportunity to dinner at Bistro. We found that they don't open till 6pm which I thought was new. At our last trip, one of our strategies was early lunches and early dinners, like 4:30pm. You can't do that at Bistro.
After two dinners at our last two trips to Chefs de France, Bistro is a GREAT alternative. You must make your PS 30 days in advance, not 60. Our waiter was excellent; he was from France and shared that he had his degree in Culinary Arts and was planning to go back to school for an advanced degree in Business so this was his way of staying in the industry. He prepared to-die-for crepes suzette at our table. The restaurant manager was very gracious as well. He was very happy to take pics of us on the way out and even suggested where we should stand and made jokes to keep us smiling, as though our dinner and champagne weren't enough.
A word about the Discovery Plan and dinners - as usual the alcohol is not covered in your 'dinners'. And these sit down restaurants all have a wine list where the cheapest bottle of wine is $40.00. I hate it when my 'cheap' side comes out on vacation, but I did find that hard. I'm just as happy with Boone's Farm sometimes, y'know?? But we know...... we're at DISNEY... ... that is to be expected!
After dinner we watched the Tapestry of Nations parade for the first time. I had heard mixed reviews on this, and I can see why. Either you are touched and swept away, or you don't get it. I think we expected more. I really do like the music, though. From there we had the VIP seating thing again for Illuminations. By far the best way to watch Illuminations. We've tried to see it from one of the Cruise boats and still couldn't make out what was going on with the globe. This was the first time we could detect all the activity. And we DID bring the video camera this time!
We were able to make it back to Poly to see the FS fireworks with Barrett; we enjoyed Scott's B-52s at the Concierge lounge, then headed to bed so we could do Early Entry the next morning for MK. If I haven't mentioned it already, Scott is one cast member who makes our stay just fantastic! His B-52's and "Toasted Almonds" there at the lounge are great, and he is just a heck of a nice guy. We always look forward to seeing him!
Thursday (MK)
Tip for the Day: Early Entry and often.
We had never done an Early Entry before. This was our first time. AWESOME! We did Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Mad Tea Party, and the Speedway all before 9am! Rope drop at Mickeyland is at 9am, so we got to watch that! Then Mickey was on his front porch for visitors and photos!
Tigger, Pooh, and Eeyore were in front of the Playland for photos/autographs, too. We let Barrett play at the play area for a bit before we headed back. We had rescheduled parasailing for 1:30 this afternoon, so we grabbed lunch and let the kids swim a little bit before heading to the Contemporary for that.
Parasailing turned out to be a major highlight. For this first excursion, just the five of us went. After Tim and Andrew saw how much fun Ed and I had, they agreed to go up one at a time with us tandem. They were hooked after that! We were glad we had a 3pm reservation the next day! The captain, Tim, and first mate, Lori, did a great job of encouraging us and joining in the fun. They said that the youngest they'd ever had go up was an 18-month-old! Everyone at Sammy Duval was really nice; they stored our stroller for us while we sailed.
We went back to the room and the guys did even more swimming. I had a 4pm Lavender Bath scheduled at the Grand Floridian (a Discovery Magic wish). Grandma had a pedicure, and Grampa was scheduled for a massage. Dinner was Vic & Albert's at 6pm.
I've never done a spa thing before so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was not tough to find, but I was glad I had left early. (I had taken the monorail - I should have walked.) Although the bath was relaxing, it was a little too hot for me. I was thankful for the cold compresses they provided, and I was ready to get out after 20 minutes. I walked back to the Polynesian with my mom and dad. I have to admit; I was thoroughly relaxed after that nice break in routine.
While Ed and I were scheduled for Vic and Albert's with Grandma and Grampa, the older boys were on their own, while the three year old was scheduled to have another Fairy Godmother. I found the sitters always to be prompt and well-equipped. They bring lots of toys and work hard at connecting with the baby. We only used them for dinners. By the time they took Barrett for a long walk, he was ready to lay down and watch cartoons until we got back to watch fireworks with him. We had learned in 1999 to ask the Front Desk to prepare an extra room key without any privileges just for the Fairy Godmothers.
Dinner at V&A's was wonderful. Somehow I got elected to select the wine, but I don't think I did that great of a job. I loved each course, but my favorite was the desserts. I enjoyed the crème brulee. But it was the tropical fruits that were truly spectacular. Grandma was adventurous and had spurgeon and boar, but I had fish again. Another meal highlight was the port wine - just outstanding with the cheese course.
We had some cordials at the Polynesian lounge again, thanks Scott. It was a great way to end the evening before we watched the fireworks from our balcony.
Friday (AK, NFL Experience)
Tip of the Day: Knowledge and research can pay off. When the schedule isn't working for you and you are stuck for what to do next, you'll need to know what the options are so you can select what would best fit the bill!
We were up early so that the kids could have 8am breakfast at RainForest Café at AK with Grandma and Grampa. While the kids breakfasted, Ed and I did the safari again and the animals were much more visible. My photos turned out great!
They reported that breakfast was a huge success. The three-year-old especially loved all the movement and the aquarium. The two older boys ate and ate and ate and enjoyed the "solo" time with the grands. I think it was really special.
Then we all did It's Tough to be a Bug. No line at all. The grands had seen it before, but we hadn't. A bit intense for my three year old but he recovered in a few minutes and it was a perfect morning all around.
We decided to try to see if we could do NFL Experience. That was one of the best spontaneous decisions of the whole trip! We were tired of crowds and lines, there is neither at NFL Experience at 10am. Even though it was hot, they had fans all over to help keep us cool. There were probably just twenty of us total. Walking back to the van was the biggest challenge!
We did lunch back the Polynesian & the kids did more swimming. We headed to our 3pm parasailing this time with grands in tow. Lori was again our first mate, and a different Tim was the captain this time. This time we let Grandma go up first, then Grampa. The boys went tandem, and then Ed went up. He brought the video camera and got some awesome footage! After that we had to call it quits; it was too windy for more. We were very satisfied! We got home in time to rest up for dinner at Narcoossee's at 7pm.
Narcoossee's has what I believe to be one of the most scenic settings right there overlooking the Bay. The kids could leave the table to go on the deck. I ordered lobster, but the vanilla cream sauce was just a little too sweet for even me, who never leaves the table without dessert. Our cast member (Amer) was very talented - memorized our orders, posed puzzles for the kids to work on while they waited for their courses, and had oodles of personality.
This was the only time we got to see the Electrical Water Pageant, which is usually one of our favorites. After dinner & Scott's B-52's we just rested up. Ed went to Jellyrolls on his own; he really loved that place. I was too tired to pack, and check out was the next day.
Saturday (check out, rent a boat)
Tip for the day: Pack an extra suitcase in your luggage.
The morning was all about packing. So many purchases, I never thought it would fit!! We checked out, and we knew we'd have a lot of wishes still to use up from our Plan. We shopped at Poly, then lunched at Kona Café (the Asian Noodle soup is HUGE). Then we rented a pontoon boat for the afternoon. There were a lot of storms in the area, and we had to wait twenty minutes before they let us go out, and then they only let us go in our own Lake area. We never ventured over to the Contemporary/Wilderness Lodge area. We showered and changed by the pool, and went to Downtown Disney to use the rest of our wishes (T-shirts at Hard Rock for all!).
From there we went to Wilderness Lodge for 6pm dinner at Artist Point. Another awesome dinner presented by true professionals. What a wonderful way to end our trip. It was so very hard to leave the property, for me. It had been a long trip, but I just love each moment. I could tell that the kids were SO ready to be back at home. Am I the only freak who could do this year round? It was a great time; I'm ready to go again.
Lori Ross