Sheri Niklewski - July 2002 - Polynesian Resort

Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Personal Car
Resort: PR
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: This is the fourth trip report this year from Sheri. Fortunately for all of us, she's still willing to write them and send them in for posting! As always, this report is laced with detail and is punctuated with a great trip summary.


Sheri Niklewski -- July 2002 -- Walt Disney World (PR)

Participants
Me - Sheri (40) - the planner and report writer, accountant at a manufacturing firm. I came up with this insane trip.
Husband - Rich (42) - all around great guy for going along with the plan.
Friends from northern New Jersey
Adrienne - my email Disney friend and fellow trip report devotee
Rudy - Adrienne's husband and baseball fan (except he likes the Mets and tolerates the Yankees - we're Oriole and Phillie fans)
Rudy, Jr. - wonderful teenage son - still has that Disney magic despite getting older and wiser
Alex - another wonderful teenage son - again with the Disney magic - how Adrienne got two sons that still want the Mouse is a special thing

When: July 25 - 28, 2002.
Where: Polynesian
How: Personal vehicle from Georgia
Experience: Veterans
Why: Meeting People
Four years ago, I started reading the trip reports and writing them. Then I got a very nice email from Adrienne about all things Disney. That led to a relationship with her and her family. The friendship I have with her can never be duplicated. We met up at Disney World in 2001 and had a great meal at Boma. This year, Adrienne set up for her family to be at the World in July and Saturday, the 27th was open for them. Rich and I are only seven hours north, let's go! And so we are. I have cake moments, I have icing moments, I have sprinkle moments, and I have candle moments. This is so far above that. It's a Life Moment.

Resort/Hotel

At first, this started out as just for Saturday night. But, I was asked to work on July 4th so we could get our financial statements done (think of Baloo jumping around singing -"It's the Accounting Necessities, the Simple Accounting Necessities, forget about your worries and your strife"). We actually got a ton of things done since it was so quiet. I was able to trade one day for the holiday and picked July 26th. Now we're there two nights instead of one night.

Adrienne and her family were going to be at the Polynesian for this weekend. I've never stayed here before and always wanted to but figured it was out of my league. But what the heck, right? What did this insane Disney fan do? I booked the Polynesian. Garden view per night at $232. Annual Pass rate. Oh, I think there should be a twelve step program for me. I did at first just book Saturday night and then called back to see if I could get the reservation slid one night forward. "Not a problem" said the cheerful Cast Member. Someone help me when Rich sees the credit card bill (I never tell him rates - he thinks $40 is too much).

I did make our traditional reservation at the Days Inn in Lake Park, GA for the trip down. We drive halfway the night before, stop and get some sleep, and then we're at Disney World no later than 11:00 the next morning. We arrive refreshed and ready for fun. The Days Inn is cheap, the staff great, we get a free continental breakfast and it's cheap. Oh, I already said that. Even Rich likes the price (it is less than $40).

Tickets

Rich and I will have to renew our Annual Passes for this trip. Ours expire in July so we'll have to just get renewals. I have plans for at least Labor Day and Thanksgiving so it'll make sense. Rich just smiles and says to do what I want. Got to love the man for that (and I never tell him what the passes cost - I just said it was cheaper because we were renewing this time). This was a little funny. Rich's pass expires a couple of days after mine (of course I went earlier than him last year!). But he's the only one that got a renewal notice. That kind of threw me until I realized that Disney World had my address as our old Nebraska one. I delayed and delayed getting a Georgia driver's license. The reasons are very simple. In order to get a Georgia license, plan to spend a full day waiting in line. Seriously. It's ridiculous here. Lines start forming at 7:00 in the morning and you might make it home by dinnertime. So all my Annual Pass correspondence was being nicely tossed out by our son back in Nebraska. Anyway, I renewed our passes and got the vouchers in the mail before the trip. We just have to turn in the old pass, show our photo ID (yes, I do have a Georgia driver's license now - thank goodness the new commissioner decided on an appointment plan), and we're done.

Touring

We got a request from our son, Chris, for more darn Star Wars pins this trip. We had gotten him a Jango Fett one over Memorial Day and then I guess he did more research and found out that these pins are exclusive to Walt Disney World and nowhere else. There's 29 in all. Of course, Chris wants all of them. I love my son but not that much! I got him down to six "have to haves" and then we'll see after that. At $6.50 each, these pins are a very early Christmas present. I think we'll go to MGM right after we check in at the Polynesian which should be around 11:00 on Friday. We'll follow up with Epcot for the evening. Saturday will be totally open and might involve some down time at the resort and the pool.

Sunday would have been to see the first show of Off Kilter and then driving back. However, Off Kilter is limiting some performances this summer and their "replacement" will be there. Alberta Bound. I had the extreme pleasure of seeing this group last month on a whacky solo trip and I was highly impressed. Rich has yet to see them and I think he's going to enjoy them as much as I do. So we'll stay for the first Alberta Bound set and then tackle the long, boring drive home.

Food

The dinner with Adrienne and her family. How hard can it be to come up with one restaurant for the six of us to share on Saturday night? Very hard. We were evenly split between 1900 Park Fair at Grand Floridian and 'Ohana at the Polynesian. Both all you can eat. 1900 Park Fair is a buffet with Winnie the Pooh characters and since we are all adults, the characters didn't appeal to us. But the menu did. 'Ohana was a pre-served meal with plenty of refills but heavy on the meats. Rich and Rudy, Jr. liked 'Ohana. Adrienne and I liked 1900 Park Fair. What a dilemma.

We finally decided on 1900 Park Fair (well, Adrienne and I make the Disney decisions in our families). Rich is truly Eeyore and I'm a Piglet fanatic and Adrienne's sons said that we *haveto have pictures taken with the characters. Rudy and Rich can interact with the characters and not be totally embarrassed. Adrienne and I will be amused. The boys won't run and hide. I made the seating for 7:00.

Adrienne and I have a plan. We'll meet at the Polynesian's lounge around 5:45. We'll order drinks and get the husbands to talk baseball. Even Oriole fans and New York fans can talk civilized about baseball as Rich and Rudy proved this last year. The boys will probably go off to the arcade (their favorite Disney past time). Adrienne and I will visit with each other but we have a special diversion in mind. There is a ceremony at the Polynesian when the torches are lit. Neither one of us had known about this until a couple of trip reports mentioned it. And mentioned just *wholit the torches. Our nickname for this man will *notmake it into this family trip report. But the man wears traditional Hawaiian attire, enough said. So Adrienne and I will excuse ourselves right before 6:00 and partake in the ceremony. We will use the excuse of a visit to the ladies room. We'll endure Rich and Rudy making the obligatory comments about women always going to the bathroom in pairs. But we'll enjoy the ceremony anyway.

I did think about Friday night dinner. I'm sure we'll be at Epcot and there are just a few Epcot restaurants that we haven't enjoyed yet. Rich, Chris, and I did the Biergarten in the Germany pavilion years and years ago before it was a buffet. We've tried on several occasions to go back but it's never worked (rained, we weren't that hungry). But I thought that would be nice for us to do the dinner and then watch Tapestry of Dreams and Illuminations after. We love seeing both of these in Germany. A word about the Biergarten. It is set up like true Germany. Communal seating. The tables are for eight. Since we are a party of just two, we will be seated with six other people we don't know. That's fine with us. I am not the most outgoing person but something about Disney World just makes me talk to other people.

Kid of the Day/Icing Moments/Grr Moments

I usually put in a Kid of the Day as someone who is enjoying Disney. The Icing Moments are the special touches Disney does to make a guest's stay just more enjoyable. The Grr Moments are the ones that go wrong (no trip is perfect). I'm not sure if these will make an appearance since it's such a short trip. But if they do, there's your explanation.

Dedication

This is dedicated to Adrienne and her family. There're very few people that we would make a trip basically just for dinner. But we never really hesitated. Adrienne and I have enjoyed years of friendship based on the trip reports and it's paid off with some very special moments. Our families have both been so touched by the events of September 11th and this will be our first visit together since then. I think both of us have done a lot of healing through our emails and have gotten over some emotions. To see Adrienne and her family in person again will be a great time. And we all need those.

The Week Before

It was a highly stressful work week for me so I was ready to get going. But I had those four long days to deal with. It wasn't that easy since Adrienne was already at Disney World and I wasn't getting any daily emails from her. Shame on her for having fun! But I knew I'd be seeing her and the rest of her family soon.

I wrote up a room request for the Polynesian. I asked for non-smoking (that's a must) with a nice view from the balcony. We have a garden view so I'm not sure what that will call for but I did say that we were two adults who were looking for a quiet visit. Not to say anything about kids but we like our quiet times and sitting on the balcony and just being with each other is a high priority with us. We've gone through some crazy times in the past twenty years so we'd like the next 40 years to be as quiet as possible. I also asked for a king bed if available. That's not a high priority but it would be nice. I faxed the request to the Room Assignor on the Tuesday before we left.

Adrienne also asked me to fax her room request. She is staying at the Swan (Club Level - how dare she!) for the first part of her stay. Then they are switching over to the Polynesian. They like to do that - Rich always wants to stay in just one resort. So I faxed that the same day I did mine. Adrienne wanted a particular building and, if possible, double sinks so her boys could have some space to get ready in the morning.

I arranged for cat sitting as well. Our three cats have been sorely neglected on the weekends due to these Disney trips (I did one solo last month while Rich was out of town and then Rich and I went the very next weekend - seven hours really isn't that bad). Then I threw in a getaway to Helen, GA just last weekend. Todd, Gus, and Belle are adorable but they see those bags coming out and get a little ticked. This way, someone will be in to play with them. Also, this service will bring in our garbage can on Friday, pick up the newspapers, and bring in the mail. Well worth it for the three days we'll be gone.

Thanks to Deb's site at www.wdwig.com and the AllEars newsletter, I saw where the flag that was recovered from the World Trade Center after the attacks would still be displayed at the American pavilion at Epcot. I thought this would only be over July 4th and even thought about taking a trip then (really insane idea since I was working on that day) to see it. But it'll be there through February, 2003. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle the emotion I will feel when I do see the flag. Once I saw it would still be there, I sent a message to Rich and he immediately responded to take the camera. Now I'm not sure he's going to be able to handle it.

Day One - Thursday, July 25, 2002

While I love getting to Disney World early on the "first day", I hate having to work the entire day before and then driving the four hours to Valdosta. It's just tough to get through that last day. I did clear up some of the work issues that were stressing me out for the past week so that was a good thing. I could leave with a clear mind and enjoy the vacation.

I left work right at 5:00 and encountered some traffic but not that bad. I was home in about 50 minutes. I had enough time to check emails (nothing important) and say goodbye to the cats. Todd was moping, as usual. Gus and Belle are still too young to understand all those bags but they are learning fast. We tried to tell them that Donna, with the pet sitting service, would be there for them but the language of Cat is hard to translate. Rich packed the car and felt so bad for leaving our guys. But they will survive. We will be staying home next weekend!

We took Rich's car which is his Baby (1989 Corvette convertible) but I really do think he's getting used to me driving it. I even volunteered to take the first leg and get us out of Atlanta. The trip between Macon and Valdosta has a ton of construction and that's the one I usually drive so I wanted a change. Rich said that he would see how he felt and he could probably drive the whole way after a stop for dinner and maintenance. Hindsight is definitely 20/20 and if I had been driving that first leg, well, this is where the trip report would end.

We were 55 miles outside of Macon (there was a road sign that I saw), I was dozing, and we stopped. We didn't want to stop but the three lanes of traffic on I75 prevented us from going anywhere. Here was our problem. We were stuck. Totally stuck in basically a parking lot. And we couldn't see anything! The Corvette sits so, so low. What goes through the Atlanta area around this time? Lots and lots and lots of tractor trailers. They are restricted to the two right lanes so Rich moved over to the left lane to avoid them. Except there was a construction sign that we couldn't read. I thought it said "right lane closed ahead" but I couldn't be sure. No indication of how far ahead it was closed. The other thing about driving through south Georgia is that you encounter plenty of minivans, SUVs, and Bubba trucks (I can call them that because we have one). We couldn't see anything around us. At least we were in the left lane and had some vision on that side.

About 45 minutes later, we *finallysee a sign. "Left two lanes closed 2 miles ahead"! At this point, I looked and saw another road sign. We were 50 miles from Macon. We had gone 5 miles in 45 minutes. And we still had 2 miles to go and we had to move all the way over to the right. Definite Grr Moment. Somehow, we made it through and found out that some person in whatever thinking they had at the moment, closed down the two left lanes at a little itty bitty bridge to do some work. I think the construction site was about 20 yards long. After this, everything opened up and we went sailing away. We lost a total of an hour. When we stopped the first time, it was 7:13, when we finally got through everything, it was 8:09. Grr, Grr, Grr.

The whole incident really tested my patience and I must admit that I probably got a C+. Maybe a C-. Earlier in the day, I suggested to Rich that we try something different for dinner. Like Steak & Shake for a different burger. After having to sit through the traffic jam, Rich is now intent on finding me a Steak & Shake. At that point, I would have eaten a crappy McDonald's cheeseburger if we could just make up some time and get to the hotel. But Rich insisted on Steak & Shake. He saw a billboard with one listed at an exit but then realized we'd be cutting off to I475 by that time. I knew he was hungry and wanted him to stop anywhere. I'm so glad we don't hold grudges!

Rich finally saw another billboard for a Steak & Shake so we got off there. Only to see that it was 3.2 miles to the left!!! I hate when that happens. But there was an Arby's right there so we did that instead. Both of us took a break and then got our dinner. The counter person here was "earning her ears" so my patience level was tested again. I think I got an A+ this time. I lasted two days working at a Wendy's so anyone who does this daily gets a little sympathy from me. With food in hand, we returned to the drive south.

Rich drove again so I never did drive today. We finally pulled into the Days Inn lot a little after 11:00. We had left our house at 6:15. No way this trip should have taken five hours. But, again, the Days Inn staff was wonderful. The clerk greeted me kindly and everything was in order. I think we have a reputation with this place because we've only really had two rooms. They keep putting us back to where we were before! We parked the car, quickly unloaded, got some ice for our beverages, and then just relaxed. This Days Inn gets A&E so I turned on "Law & Order". I didn't get the whole episode but it was enough. I knew it was being taped back home too. We both unwound and were finally in bed around 12:30. What a long day!

Day Two - Friday, July 26, 2002

I had set the alarm for 7:00 and I knew my work stress was behind me because I never even moved until the buzzer sounded. I prodded Rich into getting up first (I was being selfish) but while he was in the shower, I got as ready as I could and packed up the little we had. Then it was my turn in the shower while Rich watched ESPN. We packed up the car and then headed for checkout and the free continental breakfast. I grabbed mini cinnamon buns and Rich loaded up on orange juice. Then we headed to a very nice Citgo here (open 24 hours - exit 5 on I75) to gas up. We always do this since Florida has gas taxes and we don't in Georgia. I ran into the store and got Rich two mega Diet Cokes for his breakfast.

Rich started us out but by the Disney Welcome Center in Ocala, he was lagging. We are making this a traditional stop just because it's great for the bathrooms. After taking care of that issue, I asked Rich if he wanted me to drive. Much to my surprise, he said "sure". But he added that I couldn't "freak out" on Highway 192. I promised him.

We paid the $1 toll on the turnpike and then got onto Route 27 and then Highway 192 into Disney World. Whoo hoo! I'm back to where I belong! I got us up to the Magic Kingdom parking lot gate guards and, unfortunately, made the decision to have the guard to the right of the car. Rich looked pale when he had to actually say "we're checking into the Polynesian". One of the bad things about staying at a Magic Kingdom resort - you have to always go through the Magic Kingdom parking gates. It's painless but it's another stop. BTW - the guard here didn't even look at the paperwork - just saw that it was an official Disney reservation slip and waved us on. This could have been an old reservation slip for all this Cast Member knew.

I got us to the Polynesian and had my paperwork ready along with my driver's license. But the guard just asked me my name, checked it off on his paperwork, and then directed me towards parking. I found a space and then we were into the Polynesian lobby. We were helped almost immediately by Dwayne who probably is older than my father. But he was very nice and helpful. We got our packet of information and were told that we were already assigned a room but it wasn't going to be ready until after 3:00. I had some hope of getting a room early (it was 11:00) but realized that I couldn't count on it. OK. Dwayne did tell us that we were assigned to Tokelau (floor 3) which is the building Adrienne requested so that was good. But we had to call back after 3:00 for the number. I did ask if Adrienne had checked in yet and she hadn't.

Now we had no plan at all. The day was so, so hot and humid. About 92 if not higher and no breeze whatsoever. We did walk back and through the Polynesian so I could show Rich our building. We walked around the outside of it and I mentioned that if we were on the left side and towards the end, we'd have an awesome view. But we had a garden view so we were open to anything except overlooking the "quiet" pool. Much too noisy for us.

I thought we were park ready but then decided to head back to the car for Rich's hat and some things I thought I forgot. But I had remembered them. I did drop off all the informational stuff. Then we were headed to the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) to exchange our renewal vouchers for the real Annual Passes. We walked up to the ticket area and saw that the lines were so long! I mentioned to Rich that we'd be there forever and the main Epcot ticket areas would be mobbed too. I said something about always doing this at the International Gateway at Epcot and he said "yeah, they are never busy". So we did an about face and went back to the car and drove over to the Swan, parked, and walked over to the back way of entering Epcot. On the way, I handed Rich his old pass and the voucher. Thanks to Adrienne, we now store these in a nice library card holder she sent us. Rich takes one look at the holder, sees the lime green voucher and says "what the heck is this?" I've had the vouchers for two months but he just lets me handle *allthe arrangements. I had to once again explain what we needed to do. As usual, there was no one at the ticket window except the Cast Member who was reading a book. We exchanged our vouchers without a problem. In the past year, I had the Mickey pass, Rich had the Donald pass. For the next year, I will be Minnie, Rich will be Goofy. I remarked that Rich's pass certainly fit him. The Cast Member had a good laugh.

Another thing - the day was extremely hot. I made ample use of every single water fountain I could. The Polynesian, the Swan, the International Gateway entrance, the Canadian pavilion (in my humble opinion, *thebest water in all of Epcot). By the time I was done with all this, I thought I'd float out of Disney World. And all the walking we did today would certainly come into play later.

Our first stop in Epcot was in Canada for our beverage. Our favorite server was here so we stopped and chatted for a while. Florida has been getting some very good storms although I didn't think we'd see anything today. The server and Rich both thought something would come through. Last month, we had to buy those silly yellow ponchos and had brought them with us. They were still sitting in the car. Would we regret that?

Beverages in hand, Rich and I did our, I think, now traditional walk around World Showcase. It's usually the first thing we do. We were waiting for our room to be ready so why not? Some of the random things we saw/did. As we were walking through Mexico, we had this amazing smell overcome us. Total flowery. We tried to find the source and maybe it's all those yellow plants along the lagoon but we weren't sure. The heat was kicking in so we went into the Mexico pavilion for air conditioning. They had some wooden sculptures displayed and we had a great time picking out the animals that would represent our cats. We never found one for Todd but found some great ones for Gus and Belle (Belle's was this owl with extremely large, round eyes - looked exactly like her).

While we were walking through the Mexico Marketplace, we had an incident happen. There were two little boys looking at everything and touching everything. Their mother was with them but the boys were a little on the "wow, look at all this stuff" side. Of course, with all the breakables, something was going to be broken. And it was. A margarita glass. I think the entire Mexico pavilion went silent when the glass shattered. The mother just shrieked "oh no!" I'm sure she had visions of paying Disney prices for the glass. The poor boy who broke the glass look horrified. But this Cast Member. Well, this was true Disney style. Despite the skeptics, the magic isn't entirely gone. The first thing this Cast Member said to the boy was "are you all right?" Then he turned to the mother and calmed her down. Rich said this is the only place without a "you break it, you buy it" rule. The whole incident was handled quite nicely.

Strolling by Norway, I saw that the stunning Cast Member was, gasp! A guy! And what a guy. So I got some eye candy for the day. Then we stopped in Germany for a very nice Icing Moment. Well, we didn't plan it but I had to stop to finish my beverage. It was too hot to walk on anyway. There's my excuse. We were sitting on the bench and here comes Snow White with a little girl hand in hand and they set up an autograph session close to where we were sitting. We watched as kids of all ages came by to get autographs, pictures, and videos. And then Dopey came out as well. It was so nice to take a break. But there was this little girl. Another little blond haired, about four year old girl. She waited in the line, got the autographs, and then was loaded back into her stroller by her parents. She was British or at least from the United Kingdom. Pardon to all the UKers out there but to at least us, there's something utterly adorable about a little girl with your accent. This girl, sitting in her stroller, content with Snow White's and Dopey's autographs, said "Silly, Silly, Dopey". It just cracked us up. Maybe it was the day, maybe it was the moment, but it was great.

Next up was the American pavilion and the flag from the World Trade Center. I steeled myself for it and in we went. Thanks to Deb's site, we knew it was on the right so we went into the pavilion and Rich saw it first. WOW! I know I'm overly sentimental to all this but it's beyond what I thought. There weren't that many people in the pavilion because a show had just started and another one wasn't going on for almost an hour. But when people came up to see what we were seeing, they hushed. And not all these people were Americans. It's very understated and very poignant. There's a brief explanation that the flag was recovered from the site by David Bliss, who drove 600 miles from Ohio to help in the aide effort. Thank you, Mr. Bliss. I had to take a picture and both Rich and I had a moment of reflection. No tears leaked out and I think this did it. A lot of things have happened since September 11th. Both to me personally and to the country I love. But I healed so much with looking at that flag. Everyone has their flag. I just hope that we all respect everyone else and will go on and be a better world.

We left the pavilion and walked on in silence. I think this is another Life Moment.

Mo Rockin' was performing in Morocco and Rich likes the group so we stopped for a while. I think he just likes the way the woman dances. Lots of hip action. How she does that in the long, beaded dress with her long black hair on a day like today is beyond me. Unfortunately, there is little shade in Morocco (true to the country, I guess) so after a while I had to get going. We took another break in France and sat on benches in front of Chefs de France which seemed like it was doing a nice lunch business.

We had an amusing thing happen here. We saw this older guy in an electric cart. Way old. Like maybe 80s or so. Alone. Just buzzing around, totally on his own. He stopped in front of the wine cart and took something off his belt. It was a walkie talkie. He spoke into for a while and then confidently moved on. This was so nice to see that a very elderly person can freely and easily move around Disney World on his own.

We had covered all of World Showcase and discussed what to do next. We were both tired, sweaty, and ready for lots and lots of air conditioning.

Our son, Chris, had sent me an email right after "Lilo & Stitch" opened and announced that "Stitch Rules". I haven't seen the film so I have no idea what that comment meant. But he asked if we could pick up a Stitch plush for him. I mentioned that Mouse Gear would have everything related to anything Disney so we headed there. More walking, more sun. When we finally walked through the door and that wonderful air conditioning hit us, it was pure bliss. We weren't the only ones, either. I think more contented sighs came at the entrance to Mouse Gear than at any Disney film! We looked at the Stitches and decided that Chris could live with the smaller $8 one instead of the larger $18. He certainly didn't need the talking $40 one!

It was only 2:30 but we decided to take a chance and call the Polynesian to see if the room was ready. I just used my cell phone and called from an empty bench. Yes! It was ready! Room 3913 in Tokelau. We were ready. Unfortunately, we had the long walk back to the Swan. But we took our time and used the water fountains and the shade as much as we could. When we got to the Swan and were walking through the lobby, I was doing my normal pace. Rich begged me to slow down! Yes, we're from Georgia. Yes, it gets hot there. Yes, we used to live in hot Nebraska. But this day was more than hot. Adrienne later compared it to melting. Yes, that was a great way to describe it.

We retrieved the car and drove back to the Polynesian. Rich was freaking a little about having to drive through the Magic Kingdom parking gates but I assured him the parking pass from the Polynesian would get us through. And it did. Then he freaked out about having to insert the room key since we hadn't officially been to the room yet. I assured him that everything was fine with the key and it would work. And it did. Goodness, the man has made over 20 trips to Disney World with me and he's questioning me?

We parked and unloaded. We pack so lightly for the trips now so we were able to get everything in one trip. Not like other trips in the past. Into Tokelau and air conditioning! Whoo hoo! We took the elevator up to the third floor and then went to the side where our room was. It was on the side towards Magic Kingdom. I could hope. Remember those rooms we saw on our little walk around the building earlier? When I said if we were down there, we'd have an awesome view? I started counting the room numbers. Rich said we'd be on the right since we had a garden view. The rooms on the left would have the nicer view. We were on the left!! The second to last room in the hall. I just about ran through the door.

The view from our balcony is of the Wedding Pavilion and the Grand Floridian. We can see the monorail making runs. We get nice views of the water craft making their way across Seven Seas Lagoon. There's also a nice beach out there too. Oh, this is much more than I expected. Thank you Room Assignor! But there's more. We were so hot. I got the ice bucket and went for ice for us to cool down with. As I was coming back, I looked at the glass door going out to the stairs leading down to the ground level. WOW! A totally unobstructed view of the Magic Kingdom. There's a nice landing there and it would be very easy to pull our patio chairs out there and watch the fireworks. We could see Cinderella's Castle, Space Mountain, and the Contemporary. Whoo Hoo!! Yeah, I know, it's the little things that keep me going.

Also, there are a ton of ducks that live on the Polynesian grounds. Always hungry and very loud. We were on the third floor and could hear them easily. Re-think the ground floor rooms if you don't like Duck language.

The Polynesian room itself. Let's just say Rich was impressed. We didn't get the king bed but that was OK. It was not a priority. Each queen bed has not only three pillows but then two lounging pillows (for lack of a better description). So it's very easy to lay back on the bed and watch TV. There's a day bed, a nice size round table and two whicker chairs. The TV is in an armoire with five nice sized drawers. There's another bigger whicker chair. The closet is huge. There is plenty of walking around room. I think four adults could fit in here nicely. I even think we could stay here with Rich's parents and their seventeen pieces of luggage. So high praise for the room.

Except for the bathroom. Very odd, at least to me. There's just one room. You close the door and the sink is on the left. The bathtub/shower is on the right. The toilet is then ahead and to the left, partitioned off with a wall but no door. Just an unusual set up. Not a problem for two adults who have known each other for 20 years and could leave the door open and come and go as we please. But if we did stay here with Rich's parents, this would be a problem. Another thing - the Polynesian now has the turbo toilets. You press a button on the top of the tank and this huge whoosh echoes throughout the room. That made the extra early calls of nature a truly family event.

I called the front desk and asked to leave a message for Adrienne. One nice thing about Disney World is that they will *notgive out room numbers. I just asked if Adrienne had checked in and was connected with her message service for her room. I left the message that we were in room 3913 and we'd be there for another hour or so and she could call me.

About ten minutes later, Adrienne called. We compared notes about what we'd been up to. Adrienne asked if we had a good drive. I had to laugh and tell her the story. They are in Tahiti which isn't the building they requested (next door to Tokelau) but they did get the double sinks in the bathrooms which was more important with the two teenage boys. So they were happy. Adrienne said their view was of a jungle. That's another thing about planning a Disney vacation. I wanted a view and got it. Adrienne wanted double sinks and got it. We were both happy.

Adrienne and her family were heading to Tampa Bay for the baseball game that night. The Yankees were in town and no self right almost New Yorker could pass that up. We are still meeting tomorrow at 5:45 for drinks followed by dinner. Rich and I didn't know if we were keeping the Germany seating for tonight so didn't know what we were doing tomorrow during the day. For the moment, we just needed some relaxation.

And Rich really relaxed. He took a nap which is totally unlike him. But, I didn't realize that his foot was acting up again. It seems every time we come down here, his foot his doing something different. I think it's psychosomatic. But the medicine he takes, the heat, and the little bit of sleep the night before kicked in for him. I just worked on the trip report and literally chilled out. Sometimes the down times at Disney World are the best.

Once Rich woke up, we discussed whether or not we wanted to keep the Germany seating. Earlier, when we were going past the American pavilion, Rich asked what was playing at the American Gardens Theatre (we have seen some nice shows and the entertainment at the Flower and Garden Festival is wonderful). I said it was still Shockwave which we had seen last month and liked a lot. He said that could be a possibility. Now he said that if we did keep the seating, we could do the very last show of Shockwave. I wanted Tapestry of Dreams but that was OK. I said "let's go to Germany for dinner and have fun. Meet new people". We left the Polynesian at 6:00 which I thought would give us enough time to drive over to the Swan, park, and then walk over to Germany. Well, we had to hustle a little but we did get there about ten minutes to seven. I am so anal about "appointments". I always have to be there early. Ten minutes was early but still. Why I don't have an ulcer is beyond me.

I always have to check in for the seatings and this time was no different. Except that there were just a couple of people in front of me and then this guy and his wife came out from inside the Biergarten and just went up to the podium right in front of me. I was supposed to be next but they just charged right in there. Rich said to let it go and I did. This couple didn't have a priority seating but they were led in immediately. Not a problem, go away rude people. I was helped next and we had about a minute to wait.

We were led to a table with two ladies traveling together. They had the two seats on either side of the table closest to the stage area. Next to them were the rude people! Oh well, I kept my mouth shut and was polite. We sat next to the rude people. Our server explained everything to us and took our drink orders. The ladies had iced tea and the rude people had water. Then we ordered the 32 oz. Becks. I think the world just shut down because the rude people made comments about drinking. Hey, this is Germany and I'm drinking their beer. We decided to ignore.

All six of us made our way to the buffet and everything I got was very good. Chicken, spatzlatze, salad, fruits. And the desserts are wonderful here too! Just about the only time I eat dessert is at Disney World. Absolutely yummy! When I got back to the table the first time (I went three times), Rich was already there and said I had a seatmate to my left. A man named Tracy who was dining alone. The ladies at the other end of the table were talking among themselves and we also chatted with them. The rude couple didn't say anything to anyone, not even to each other. It turns out Tracy was recently retired from the military with a medical problem but had been stationed in Germany for a while. He was visiting Disney World with his family and wanted to try something familiar. So Rich and Tracy talked about the military and I think Tracy was glad that he didn't feel like he was in single person hell. It was hard to talk to the other two ladies because they were on the other side of the rude people.

And then, without a word, the rude people just up and left! Our server didn't give them the bill so we are assuming they just settled it at the podium. Once all of us figured out they were gone, we all relaxed and agreed that it was a little weird. I knew these people had been inside the place before they were seated so they should have known they would be seated with other people. In fact, they had to know because the seater told everyone that. I think their entire dinner took them 15 minutes. Maybe they were totally thrown off by having us drinking beer but what do you expect in Germany?

The show was very good although we were all now talking and getting along that we missed a lot of it. Except they did that awful duck song. Tracy knew all the drinking songs and he used his water as a substitute for beer (he can't drink because of his condition). Rich and I hoisted the Beck's in proud German tradition (we both have a very ethnic European background). I did find out that the ladies were from outside Philadelphia so while Rich and Tracy were talking, I chatted about my old "hometown". I'm from 70 miles outside Philly but have always considered myself a Philly girl. I know I certainly have the attitude. One of the ladies had had a heart attack and now had to use a wheelchair to get around. She could walk but not for very long. They discussed about having to rent one at each park and how expensive it was. They didn't know you could keep your receipt and not have to pay a second or third time. I told them the policy. They also said it was a pain to have to get to the park so early to get a chair. I suggested next time that they rent one offsite. They didn't know you could do that either. They were staying at All Stars and I said that maybe they could contact Guest Services to see if a chair was available for their time there. Rich made me give them a business card! Hopefully, these ladies can have a better vacation.

The ladies wanted to get to the 8:15 show of Shockwave and Rich and I decided to do that too. I did ask the ladies and Tracy if they had seen the World Trade Center flag in America and none of them knew it was there. All three said they would make it a point to see it. Tracy had made a comment that if it wasn't for his health problems, he would be very active right now. Rude couple aside, this was such a nice, nice dinner. I thank Tracy and the ladies for a very enjoyable hour.

Rich and I hustled over to the American Gardens Theatre in hopes of finding good seats for Shockwave. Easily done just five minutes before show time. I missed the first selection because nature called but the rest of the show was outstanding. Again, "Bohemian Rhapsody" will never be the same in our minds. I had to shush Rich because he was singing all the words. Shockwave is an instrumental group! A couple of standing ovations followed the performance and the cast made their way out of the theatre. The last time we saw the group, it had started to rain so we couldn't thank them. This time, we could. The cast greets everyone leaving the theatre so we shook as many hands as we could and thanked them for their work. I believe this show is heading for Broadway and it deserves it. It's called Blast:II and I don't think Blast needs to worry about the sequel.

It was getting close to Illuminations time so we headed back to Germany to view it. That's our favorite spot but we knew where we usually see it would be crowded. But we found a good spot along the railing that had some trees in the way but nothing major. As always, a great show and very appreciated by everyone around us. I got into the music and I must be getting used to this because the tears didn't actually come out this time!

We had a very long day so we made our way around to the International Gateway and out. There was so much more of a crowd going out here than we're used to. Even though we were hot and tired, we wanted to see Randy, the juggler, on the Boardwalk. We waited for another entertainer (Carlo) to be done to ask if Randy was there that night. While we waited, we saw all kinds of people walking the Boardwalk. I know it was Friday night but some of the women had these killer shoes on! I am short but the most of a heel I'll wear is maybe 2 inches and they aren't going to be spiked. There were a lot of people dressed up making Rich wonder why. He's the shorts and T shirt kind of guy. He wonders why I want to wear a dress to dinner every once in a while. I love people watching.

After Carlo was done and he was packing up, Rich went over to ask about Randy. Darn, he's off tonight but on tomorrow night. But I don't think with meeting with Adrienne that we'll be able to see him. But you never know (and there's always next time).

After that, we walked back and got the car. Rich was feeling the effects of the medicine and the day so I drove us back to the Polynesian. This was a defining moment - he actually suggested that I drove the Baby at night at Disney World! He did freak out a little when he realized that Magic Kingdom was closed and we'd have to go through the parking lot gate (it was a little after 10:00). I assured him that everything was fine. And it was. They do have someone manning the gate and they can clearly see the Polynesian parking pass. Why Rich doesn't have an ulcer is beyond me.

Back to the room for air conditioning and relaxing. I went to get more ice and then I saw it and just about shrieked in the hallway. I grabbed Rich and we went out to the stair landing. The Goodnight Kiss from the Magic Kingdom. I had never seen it. The castle kept changing colors and it was so beautiful. We had missed the fireworks but this was even better. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Rich asked why they did that. I said because they can.

For the second trip to Epcot, we packed the ponchos because Rich still insisted it would rain. It didn't. And we saw on ESPN that the Yankees beat the Devil Rays 12-9. Great for Adrienne and her family but not for us Oriole fans. Rich will make it a point to tell Rudy tomorrow that the Yankees had to score 12 runs to beat a pathetic team. I guess that's some consolation.

Kids of the Day - the little girl who had just gotten autographs and said "Silly, Silly Dopey". Cracked us up. The old guy in the electric cart just enjoying Epcot all on his own but being in touch with his family.

Icing Moment - the dinner with Tracy and the ladies. I never did get their names. Even with the rude couple, it was a nice experience.

Sprinkle Moment - the Goodnight Kiss from across Seven Seas Lagoon. Wonderful. It's just a castle and it's just lights but put them together in such a magical place and it's nirvana.

Candle Moment - seeing the World Trade Center flag and getting a sense of closure and healing. And again, thank you to everyone around the world for helping the United States through such a difficult time.

Day Three - Saturday, July 27, 2002

After yesterday, we just wanted to sleep as late as possible. But I found out that the connecting doors here and the hallway doors are not that silencing. Neither are the ducks outside. Little kid yelling, ducks quacking. I'm up by 8:30. We did take our time while I did the report and Rich read out on the balcony. Now, this is where having this view and the balcony and staying at the Polynesian really pays off.

While Rich was showering, I looked up at the balcony. What the heck was docked at the Polynesian? The Magic Kingdom ferry boat. I have no idea why but it was there. I grabbed Rich from the bathroom where he was shaving now and showed him. He wasn't impressed but I thought it was so cool. How many times can I get a picture of the Magic Kingdom ferry boat docked at the Polynesian with the Grand Floridian in the background? Not many. Unfortunately, the day was going to be very humid again and my camera was misted over. I waited outside with the camera and the darn boat honked that it was backing out. My camera was now fine and I got a couple of great shots. Warning - Don't expect to step outside in Florida and have your camera be ready to go. If it's humid, it'll mist over like mine did. Same holds true with video cameras and I have a broken tape to prove it. And then Rich had his balcony/view moment.

My husband is such a bird lover. We never travel without his bird book. Sounds nerdish and maybe it is but it does help me appreciate a lot of the little things missed in life. As Rich is reading, he's looking at all the birds flying around. Of course, he had to feed the ducks by throwing pieces of a cookie down there. Yeah, I know, they should be left to fend for themselves but these ducks are used to human food. While I'm working on the report, Rich goes absolutely, positively insane. He practically dancing out on the balcony. He raps on the door and gets me out there. For the next half hour we watch (me going in and out) as Rich correctly (we think) identifies an osprey. This guy was flapping around the Grand Floridian and hunting for some food. He was swooping and diving and wanting breakfast. I think the whole trip was made for Rich just by this half hour. Another nice thing about Disney World - nature is here and abundant. A way to escape the crazy "real life".

I finally got ready and we headed out around 11:00. A late start but necessary. We both needed the rest and relaxation and the room really paid for itself in the less than three hours we had this morning. Our only goal this morning was MGM for the Star Wars pins for Chris. Rich drove us over to the Swan and we took the walkway to MGM. The day was humid but I didn't think it was going to be that bad. I was carrying the ponchos just in case.

And here's where even though we have our differences from time to time, I do totally love my husband. Because he does the little things that mean so much. Yesterday's sun was brutal. I hadn't put on any sun lotion since I figured it would just melt off and I had been out in the sun before so what was the harm. Second warning - wear sunblock! I wasn't that burned but it was just annoying. Carrying the shoulder bag was a little irritating. I winced a couple of times and Rich volunteered to carry the bag for the rest of the day. Said something about me being a pack mule all the time. This shoulder bag is very small and very light so no big deal. But then we got to MGM and hit the first line. The security line. I bought the bag way before the security restrictions and it has a ton of compartments. All zippered. I had cleaned out everything but the essentials but Rich still had to unzip every compartment (he wasn't asked to, he just did it before he got into line). I was such the loving wife, I bypassed security since I didn't have anything. Ah, definitely an icing moment as *Iwaited for someone to clear security. Rich called me a name that won't make it into the report. Now he knows what I go through.

Our first stop was FastPasses for Twilight Zone. We hadn't done this on the last trip to MGM so it was on the list of "let's see what the waits are". We were there around 12:15 and the return time was 12:55-1:55. Not bad. We got the Passes and then went in search of lunch. Here's where I'm going to do a Grr Moment. We wanted pizza on Sunset Boulevard. Fine, we went over to that kiosk area and got a pepperoni one for Rich and a cheese one for me. He's the carnivore, I'm the omnivore. The day was hot and we both wanted a beer but this place didn't have any. The only place that did was the most popular one. The one with turkey legs and sausage sandwiches. So we had to stand in another line to get those. That wouldn't be that bad. Except that we both had to be there. One person, one alcoholic beverage. I highly support that policy. We should have checked the beverage selections at the pizza place and gotten the beers before getting the pizza. Oh well, we can eat slightly cool Disney pizza.

I loved the pizza. It had chunks of tomato on it and it was a flatbread so it was a thin crust. Rich spent most of the time trying to scrape off all the tomatoes! It was difficult since they were under the layer of cheese. He said next time, I get pizza, he gets a sausage sandwich. Fine by me. By the time we finished lunch, our window for Twilight Zone opened. Since we could now get a second FastPass, we went and got one for Rock N Roller Coaster for 2:20-3:20. Then we headed for our drop.

We basically went right into the preshow which was fine. Except that we always will move over towards the "exit" door. We've seen the lead-in so many times that we don't need it anymore and we let everyone else enjoy it. Also, for selfish reasons, this allows us into the boiler room before anyone else. But if we can't, we don't. This time, we could. But after the lights went out and the Rod Sterling thing started on the TV, I was literally shoved aside by three very young teenagers who just wanted to be first out the darn library. Not a big deal but there were people around me and I had to bother them when I was pushed back into them. One girl did say "sorry" but after the lights went up, about 15 other teenagers joined the first three with a "excuse me, I'm with them" thing. Rich and I just hung back and I made a comment that I was sure the Twilight Zone was still going to be there in the five minutes it would take for the library to clear. The girls didn't care. They went on the left of the boiler room. We usually choose that side. Not today. Heaven help me if I was in the same elevator as those thoughtless girls. We went to the right.

And when we got to the seater person, I said we were a party of two. And there were already two people waiting for row 5. We were the next two in row 5. OK, everyone familiar with the Twilight Zone knows what is coming. The last person in row 5 will get the seat belt seat. And that's where Rich and I were. Now, I can take the Twilight Zone but I hate heights. I've always wanted to try the seat belt seat just to get that final fear factor out of the way but have never had the courage. I did today. I saw where we were and told Rich to get in front of me. He said "are you sure?" I said I was. If I'm ever going to do it, it's going to be today. Stuff happens for a reason, right?

We loaded and I didn't get any of the "this is the best seat in the house" stuff but that was fine. I strapped on that seat belt (all the other seats have safety bars), steeled my feet as much as I could in the limited area I had, held onto Rich's safety bar and the one to the right (which was empty of a person, thank goodness), and went for the ride. WOW! I liked this so, so much more than having the safety bar. I am a small person. I top 5 feet on a good day and don't weigh that much. So when the safety bar comes down, I'm at the mercy of whoever is the biggest and/or tallest. I usually get air time. With the seat belt, I controlled my placement. I was able to enjoy everything about the drops without having to worry or think about fly time. Total rush!

After I survived the seat belt seat (WOW!), we went in search of Chris' Star Wars pins. On the way there, I realized that even though we had the names of what Chris wanted, we had no descriptions. We had only seen Episode I once and had never seen Episode II so what Slave I was, we had no idea. But we went anyway. At the Tatoonine Traders, we might have looked like fish out of water because this young Cast Member, who was probably, maybe, Chris' age came up and asked if we needed help with the pins. We had picked out a few we thought, maybe, would fit what we thought they were. I just showed the Cast Member the list and asked if any of the six highlighted ones were there. We had picked out two (out of sheer luck) but the other four weren't there. We were told the Millennium Falcon was a popular one so we got that one and then decided to make it the total Star Wars vehicle trip so we ended up with eight. I threw in a Zam Wesell pin just because she (he - found out from Chris that it's a shape shifter) had a figure next to the pin selection. I have no idea if these were good or not but over $55 later, Chris better be darned glad we did this for him! Merry Christmas in July! Darn kid doesn't even live with us.

We still had a half hour to kill before our Rock N Roller Coaster FastPass so a break was in order. Rich suggested shade and/or air conditioning. I headed us towards the back of the park and on the way we saw they had the fire hydrants along New York Street open. Just like the real thing. Well, not really, these were a little more controlled. No one was around this and it was hot. Very hot. What the heck. We've been soaked with rain, why not now? So I took a little break and got wet. I convinced Rich, the conservative guy that he is, to actually get wet without a reason! Whoo hoo!

We took a break back at the Studio Catering Company and shared a drink. Our time for Rock N Roller Coaster opened so we went back there and walked onto that. We were second to the last row which I thought would be fine for me. Except for one thing. We were sitting there, waiting to be launched. I was prepared for the "countdown". 10,9,8,7, etc. Didn't happen. All of a sudden, we just went! Did my throat get a workout from my first scream? Oh yeah. Another rush from (1) being in the back of the limo and (2) not getting that countdown.

We were ready for some down time and for an offsite supply run. We headed out and were prepared for the long, hot walk back to the Swan. But a boat was just unloading so we did the water transportation instead. Great! We had to sit one row away from each other since we were the last couple of people seated but not a big deal. We had a pilot who was earning his ears (he freely admitted this on the microphone) and he docked us without a problem. I made sure I said "good job" on the way out. Heck, he could have bumped us into the loading dock and I wouldn't have cared - we didn't have to walk in the heat and humidity.

We got the car and Rich drove us offsite for our supply run. He claimed he didn't know where he was going but I didn't say a word and somehow we were driving back to the Polynesian with the groceries in about 15 minutes. Hum, the man says he doesn't know how to get around the Walt Disney World area. Liar!

We came back to the room and refreshed for a while and then decided to try the pool. We changed and went to the themed area. Just like I remarked to Rich on the way, it was crowded. We walked through the area, picked up some pool towels, took notice that the specialty drinks from the pool bar cost $8 (wow!), and then headed to walk along the beach. You cannot swim in the beaches here. Our goal was just to wade which you can do. Such a huge relief in the heat and with our feet hurting from walking so much. The Polynesian has lounge chairs and shelters and benches and hammocks all over the beach areas. So we walked back to our building with the intention of going into the quiet pool once we got there. But at the very end of the beach area, there was an uninhabited hammock. It screamed to me. I was going. So I did and Rich followed.

What can I say about this? I'm in a hammock on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon with my husband of 20 years. The boats are going, we can hear the Magic Kingdom Railroad blasting every now and then. The water sprites are cruising and making waves on the shore. And we are just swinging away. The monorail is making its rounds. Our eyes were drooping and we just about fell asleep out there but after about a half hour, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner. Like I said, the down time sometimes can be the best.

Once back in the room, we just rinsed off since we were both hot and sweaty. The joy of a nice afternoon shower! We changed into some "nicer" clothes which meant Rich had a collared shirt and I had a nice Piglet no sleeve sweater. We still wore shorts. Around 5:30 we got ready and headed out to the Tambu Lounge to meet with Adrienne and her family. We got there right at 5:45 after I had to run back in and get my camera. The Magic Kingdom ferry boat was coming back when we were heading down the stairs and it was a Kodak moment. So I had to take a picture. Or two. Or three.

We got to the lounge and I didn't see Adrienne anywhere. I thought the lounge was just this little bar area but it is a very nice larger area with nice servers. Wow. I'll come back here again. Rich and I ordered a couple of drinks with Rich ordering the Backscratcher. That drink came with a real wooden backscratcher that he could keep. Just the look of the drink was hilarious and I had to take a picture.

Adrienne and Rudy arrived shortly after and it was very close to the Torch Lighting Ceremony. They ordered drinks and then Adrienne and I escaped for the ceremony. We made it just in time. It was a great ceremony and I was surprised that we were led outside for it. But the torches were lit, we saw a very nice embodied man and Adrienne got the pictures to prove it. Rich and Rudy stayed put in the lounge and let us enjoy the eye candy. Adrienne and I returned to enjoy our drinks and to await the arrival of Rudy, Jr. and Alex who promised to be there by 6:15. They did show up right around that time and took another table for two close by. Adrienne, Rudy, Rich, and I visited and talked and sipped while Rudy, Jr. and Alex had their drinks and then ordered appetizers even though we were going to dinner. Can you tell they are teenage boys?

We were enjoying the conversation so much that it was around 6:50 when we decided we better get over to the Grand Floridian for dinner. Our server here, by the way, was wonderful and kept an eye on us and the boys throughout the whole time. She divided up the bill between the two families which was extremely nice. Rich put our tab on our room key. Visa will love us.

We monorailed over to the Grand Floridian and Adrienne led us to 1900 Park Fare. I've only been to this resort once and that was for lunch a few years ago (at the Grand Floridian Café). I'm not very familiar with the grounds. I checked us in since the seating was in my name and we were given a pager to wait 10-15 minutes. I needed a maintenance break so I went off to do that while the others waited. On the way out of the bathroom, Adrienne came in. She was laughing and said the pager went off and Rich was freaking since I wasn't there. My man needs to calm down a little, don't you think? We joined the guys inside the restaurant and our server explained the buffet. There were two sides to it and she said that some of the items were repeated on each side but there were different items to the left and to the right. There was also a separate kids area with more comfort foods. Everyone went up to begin.

I was looked at the choices to the left and had some potatoes and corn when Adrienne just made my night. She said they had mussels to the right! Wow! One of my all time favorite foods and I hadn't expected it. I immediately loaded up my plate with mussels and practically skipped back to the table. I did manage to stop at the dessert table on the way back and pick up a wonderful chocolate cupcake with icing. Hey, why wait until you are stuffed to have dessert? Joy, joy, joy. The others did more balanced meals. Rich and the boys made ample use of the kids area. Mac and cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs. Rich has such simple tastes. What did I do? Why do I find myself just pigging out at Disney World? I had two more desserts and I believe four or five more plates of mussels. I certainly got my money's worth!

This is a character buffet and we are all adults so we didn't expect much interaction. For the beginning, we were right and we were left alone although we did enjoy seeing the faces of the little kids with Tigger, Pooh, and Eeyore. Rabbit was outside greeting people as they checked in and/or left. No sign of Piglet, my favorite. And I even wore my Piglet sweater! Oh well. Towards the later part of our meal, we had Eeyore come over. I had to say that Rich is just like Eeyore and so Eeyore played around with Rich for a while. Adrienne took the pictures. Then Tigger came over and bounced a little. I would have gotten up and bounced with him but he was directly behind me and I would have knocked him over getting up. Pooh made an appearance with us too. Adrienne snapped pictures with various people in our group and the characters. The boys weren't too embarrassed and neither was Rich. We had a great time but it wasn't intrusive. I highly recommend 1900 Park Fair for the characters and the food (especially the mussels!). Except don't order the wine that I did. I figured it would be at Disney prices but I think $10.75 is a bit much for something I could buy by the bottle at that price! Rich got the bill (the server here split it as well) and went into sticker shock. So he made me pay it. I put this on the room key too so Visa will really love me.

The boys headed to the Grand Floridian arcade (these guys visit every single Disney arcade) while the adults enjoyed more food (I had another plate of mussels) and visited. Adrienne surprised me with some stickers and a copy of her latest book! She autographed it right there for me. I have all her books now. Thank you Adrienne!

Earlier, Adrienne had made a comment to our server about Piglet not being there. The server said "he's out greeting people at the podium"! Whoo hoo! Sure enough, I could see pink out there. After we settled the bills, we went to meet Piglet. My favorite! He hugged me and Adrienne took my picture with him. I'm sure it'll turn out really stupid because I was so happy to see the guy. I don't get into the characters but I finally get to meet Piglet! My night was made - desserts, mussels, and Piglet. Pure Disney magic.

We retrieved the boys and decided to walk back to the Polynesian and go by the wedding pavilion and enjoy the nighttime view of the Magic Kingdom area. It was a very lovely stroll. We did see the Electrical Water Pageant and I saw that the very last feature is of the American flag. Such a nice moment for me.

The adults wanted to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Polynesian beach and the boys wanted to go to the Contemporary arcade which, in their opinion (and many others), is the best on Disney property. The fireworks weren't going off until 10:00 so we had plenty of time beforehand. We went to check out Adrienne's room first. They had a similar setup as ours but their bathroom was a lot bigger than ours. Certainly needed with four almost adults (Rudy, Jr. and Alex are bigger than me, though!). But, the double sinks were inside the bathroom area so they didn't get one sink outside which is really what Adrienne wanted. Their closet was smaller than ours. One thing Adrienne did say was that the day bed was big enough that Alex was sleeping on it and was very comfortable so the boys didn't have to share a bed which is nice with teenagers. I must say, even Rich said that these rooms could easily sleep five.

We passed some time playing trivia. Rudy, Jr. had done some "crime" earlier in the summer so Adrienne made him write up trivia questions for me. As part of my business, I hand out Disney trivia cards so he was trying to stump me. We all had a good time trying to answer them. Rich and Rudy bowed out and talked about things (baseball salary cap and each of the men had a differing opinion - I think they tied on this one). I was trying to answer the trivia. I think I did OK. Maybe a D+ or a C-.

As it got closer to 10:00, the boys made their exit to the Contemporary with instructions to be back no later than 10:30. One nice thing about Disney World - if your kids are responsible enough, you can let them use the Disney transportation and get off on their own. In this case, all they had to do was hop on the monorail and ride to the Contemporary. The adults went over to our room so I could show Adrienne our view. Adrienne had her sinks, I had my view. We both agreed we love the Polynesian. Why did I stay here? I'm so spoiled now. Rudy did mention that he didn't like the third floor - he preferred the first which is where they were. I think you can mark down that two completely different couples were very satisfied with their rooms at the Polynesian.

The four of us walked to the beach for the fireworks. We didn't get the music but that was OK. Fireworks are fireworks in my opinion and I can take them or leave them. But these were enjoyable and were greatly enhanced by some kids on their balcony that were oohing and aahing. As Rich said "size is important to these kids". The little fireworks would go off and there would be silence. The big ones would go and they'd go crazy. It was very funny. The only bad thing were the supposed bugs. Rudy, Rich, and Adrienne went to stand on the grass because they said they were being bitten up. Nothing happened to me. I jokingly said it was because the mussels were done up in garlic but no one disagreed. There's the secret to not getting bitten by bugs - eat lots and lots of mussels!

After the fireworks, we said goodbye to Adrienne and Rudy. We had so much fun with them tonight. I only wish it could last longer. But I'm sure they'll be back. They might have teenage boys but unlike my son, Rudy, Jr. and Alex still have the Disney magic. They want to come back. So Rich and I made our way to our room and relaxed for the rest of the evening. It had been a long, long day for us so we did lights out fairly early.

Kids of the Day - the ones on the balcony enjoying the fireworks. And Rudy, Jr. and Alex. Such great teenagers that still keep the Disney magic alive. It was great having them throw out the trivia and we all learned some Disney stuff. Thanks guys!

Icing Moment/Sprinkle Moment/Candle Moment - I had so many of these today. Seeing Rich seeing the osprey. It's a little thing but it made him happy. Surviving the seat belt seat at Twilight Zone and realizing that I enjoy the ride a lot better from here. Laying in the hammock with Rich. Watching the boats going back and forth, seeing the monorail and just rocking back and forth. The mussels at 1900 Park Fair. Yum! And the best - seeing Adrienne and Rudy again. Watching the fireworks with them and just having a great visit. Our lives are so different yet we get along so well. That's easy to do via internet but when you meet in person and you just mesh, that's the best.

Day Four - Sunday, July 28, 2002

We tried to sleep in but the ducks were a squawking again and so were the kids in the hallway. That was fine and lasted until about 9:00. And then the housekeepers went insane out in the hallway or in the room next door. "I didn't know you were working today", "Well, it's check out day, I work on check out day". Ugh! Check out time wasn't until 11:00 and we had express check out so we could just leave. The only thing we wanted to do today was Alberta Bound at 1:30 (I hoped, I didn't have their official times) so we were going to wait until 11:00 to leave. At the most, it would take us an hour to get ready and pack up the little we had. But now we had so much more time. Gotta find that silver lining in every cloud.

Rich got ready and I worked on the report. Rich made use of the balcony again and read and fed the ducks below. Now I guess we know why the things quack so much. Kind of like a baby - feed me, feed me! How can you resist a quacking duck wanting food? We couldn't even do it three floors up. I packed up my stuff and saw that it would take Rich about a minute to finish up his. Then I got ready and we relaxed in the room until right before 11:00. We loaded ourselves up and made our way to the car. Goodbye to the Polynesian. I did tell Rich that I definitely wanted to come back. He said "sure, in your dreams". Well, *I'mthe one that makes the reservations so he has no choice in the future. Next time we have a one or two night stay, I know where I'm looking first. I do have to say that the first thing I checked out was the printout I had of the new discount rates available until the end of the year. The Thanksgiving trip is coming up and, well, the Polynesian is a choice.

Besides Alberta Bound, the other thing we "had" to do was to find that Stitch plush for Chris. We knew they had it in the Polynesian gift shop but Rich didn't want to walk from the car to the lobby so we decided to pick it up at the Swan gift shop or the Boardwalk gift shop. We should have walked the few yards to the Polynesian one. Hint - when you see something at Disney World, GET IT!

Rich drove us over to the Swan and I remarked that I didn't think the day was that bad as far as weather was concerned. Rich was another story. I think his shirt was sweated through before we even hit the International Gateway. BTW - the Swan and the Boardwalk gift shops didn't have the little Stitch plush we were looking for. Mouse Gear, here we come.

We made our stop in Canada and had our favorite server again. She really is a nice woman and loves to talk to the guests. We talked about Alberta Bound because Rich had never seen them. The server said they were "OK" but she liked Off Kilter better. I think it might be too bad that Alberta Bound uses the Off Kilter stage because they will always be compared to them. The server said Alberta Bound would be a group that her mother would like (the server is in her 20s). Maybe I'm more of the easy listening crowd because I really like Alberta Bound. What would Rich think? He loves Aerosmith and Nine Inch Nails and 311 and Venaculas. Heavy stuff. But he plays Off Kilter all day.

We tried for the Stitch plush (yes, we spoil our "kid") at the shops right at the World Showcase entrance. Nope. Not Stitch as a dog. Stitch as Elvis and Stitch as the science experiment (I hope all this makes sense when we finally see the film) but no Stitch as a dog. We even tried the kiosks near the fountain. Nope. No Stitch. Into Mouse Gear. I asked Rich if we should just walk over to the other entrance since we knew that's where the plush was but he said "no, I want air conditioning". The poor man was absolutely soaked!

So we waded through all the people looking at the merchandise. I just wanted the darn dog or whatever and get the heck out of there. I picked up the Stitch and had Rich check out. Thank goodness our shopping was done. After our purchase of the day (Chris can thank us later), we headed for another stroll along World Showcase. We did stop and watch the fountain show which had just gone off. Another nice Disney touch. Rich also wanted to make use of the misters at the "kids" fountain. This is a fountain off to the side of the World Showcase/Future World walkway (the one that connects the two) that sprays water straight up in the air. Kids love it and they have misters for the weary parents to enjoy. There was a mister empty so we enjoyed. After that, I played "kid" and went into the fountain. Aahhhh!!!!! I might be wet, but I'm cooler. Rich thought I was nuts.

Rich needed a maintenance break so we stopped in Norway. I waited on a bench outside in the shade. The Cast Members here were women today. Darn. After Rich came out, I said that if he needed food to speak up. He glanced around the countries and asked what was available. Actually, both of us waited pizza but, unfortunately, none is available in World Showcase. What is up with that? We settled on pork fried rice and fortune cookies in China. Actually, it was so hot, I really didn't want that much to eat. We didn't even sit outside which is where we like because of the heat. But we had a nice break and then continued with our walk.

I wanted to pay my respects to the World Trade Center flag again so I went into the American pavilion. Rich stayed outside because he still had the remnants of our Canadian beverages (how he can drink things that are warm is beyond me) and you technically have to enter an attraction to see the flag. I'm of a split mind on if I should have done this. On the one hand, it was emotional. On the other hand, I thought I had healed and closed.

First of all, the flag exhibit was the only one that had anyone around it. About 20 people. All quiet and respectful. I went up to see the pictures off to the side and heard a woman talking with a Cast Member. This woman had been at Ground Zero on September 11th and had been searching for a friend after. Fortunately, she did find her friend but the woman said that so many people that she passed every day were lost. I had to leave. I went out to Rich and couldn't even speak. I thought I'd make it through a Disney trip and not cry. Almost did it. But Let's Roll.

We ended up back in Canada right around 1:00 and I had Rich get me a beverage again. It was hot! Plus, I wanted him to have one last encounter with his favorite server. Have to have some excuse. There were already a few people waiting for Alberta Bound which was surprising. The three older people on the benches in front of us acted like groupies or something.

Like last month, there was some delay in getting Alberta Bound going. I guess the stage and the crew are set up for Off Kilter so having a lower keyed band there takes a little to get used to. Finally, everything was ready and the band started. It was the same set I saw last month which was fine. Jason plays the fiddle and the mandolin, April (I'm sorry but I called her Angie in the earlier trip report) is on guitar and vocals, Mitch is guitar and vocals, and Bob (a new guy - I don't remember the other guy's name) is on the upright bass. I thought the show was excellent. April (who has an amazing voice) did "Chain of Love" which was originally done by Anne Murray and "Still the One" which was originally done (and I think written by) Shania Twain. Both of those songs are so special for me. Reflects my life with Rich and Chris.

I asked Rich later what he thought of Alberta Bound. He did what I think everyone will do. He did what his beverage server did. He compared them to Off Kilter. They are not and never will be Off Kilter. Alberta Bound is easy listening. Off Kilter rocks. There's the difference. Totally different experiences. I like them both. Actually, they are both in my "must see" book. To Rich, Off Kilter rules, Alberta Bound is an "if we're in the area, we'll see them". He did say that if they were the only group in Canada, they would be worth seeing more.

After the show, I waited out the groupies and then talked to Jason for just a bit. It was getting late and they had to get ready for the next show (and we had to head back to Georgia). I told Jason that I thought the group was doing a good job. Rich joined me and Jason asked if we had ever seen him sub with Off Kilter. Yep, that's why I caught Alberta Bound last month and why I wanted Rich to see them now. Their manager was there and she said she remembered me from last month. Keep this group around, please! It didn't rock Rich's boat but they are a nice alternative. OK, Rich likes Mo Rockin' and I don't. He likes the Japanese drummers and I think they are boring. To each his own and when Rich finally writes a trip report (like that'll ever happen), he can give his opinions and trash mine.

Then it was time to head out and the day and the heat and everything just got to both of us. It would be a long drive back. We parted ways after we left Epcot at the International Gateway. I took the Yacht/Beach Club route and Rich took the Boardwalk one. BTW - the Boardwalk is probably a shorter route by about a minute. Rich has a longer stride than me and he beat me there just barely. We met up at the car in the Swan parking lot and, unfortunately, had pretty much of a silent drive home. Rich started us out and I slept for the first couple of hours. Then we stopped for gas and I took over driving. And drove all the way back. Neither one of us felt like stopping for anything but maintenance. We were back with the cats by 9:45.

We unpacked and the cats were very understanding. I think they realize that we do come back after these trips. Even spastic Belle made an appearance within a half hour. We had our report from the cat sitter and Rich called her cell phone to let her know that we were back. We didn't do that one time and she had to call us - excellent piece of mind to know that our three "kids" are taken care of no matter what.

Kid of the Day - Rich's favorite beverage server in Canada. We wanted to get a Guest Comment card but forgot on the way out. I haven't mentioned her name but will send a letter to Disney management about how special she makes us feel.

Icing Moments - for me, seeing Alberta Bound again. I really like this group. Rich could take them or leave them. For Rich, well, getting home to the cats.

Final Thoughts and Overall Impressions

We made the trip to meet with friends and managed to turn the weekend into one that I will always remember. Of course, meeting with Adrienne and her family was *thehighlight. I will always do a trip report if it means getting people together like we did.

I fell in love with the Polynesian! Rich isn't going to like that because it is one of the most expensive resorts but wow! Our room was fantastic. We had more than enough space and I can't even describe the way I felt about the view, which is so important to me. I could just sit on the bed and glance out at the Grand Floridian and the Wedding Pavilion and see the boats and the water sprites. Rich could enjoy the balcony (it was much too hot for me out there - I'm a wimp) and watch the birds and the ducks. I might not ever stay here again but I'm glad I got the chance. Faxing the room request really paid off this time and made for an even more magical visit.

We did two attractions. Twilight Zone and Rock N Roller Coaster. I loved the seat belt seat at Twilight Zone and had a blast without the countdown and having the second to last seat on Rock N Roller Coaster. The rest of the time, we just enjoyed each other and the other offerings Disney World has. That time in the hammock with Rich just on the beach and taking it easy was so, so nice. Look past the rides and go for some down time every once in a while.

Both our meals out were fantastic. Well, the Germany one was after those rude people left. Great conversation with total strangers. And the meal at 1900 Park Fair was wonderful. I think it still would have been wonderful even without the mussels! The server commented on how many I packed away. Oops. But it was a buffet and all you can eat, right? Right?

A couple of hints. We saw so many people with water bottles. Which was good. It was hot. But then they would throw away the bottle. Why not just fill it back up with the free water from the many, many water fountains? I had a bottle but thought I forgot the water bottle strap (Disney sells these for $3 and they are great so you can carry the bottle slung on your shoulder or around your neck). Turns out the strap was in the bag the whole time! Another hot weather tip is to maybe carry an extra pair of socks with you. I got wet after going through the New York Street fire hydrants and then again through the fountain at Epcot. I also had soaked socks just because it was so darn hot. Having a fresh pair available while in the parks would have been nice.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Exceptional

The Ugly

The traffic jam on the way down. What road control person in their right mind would take down the two left lanes on a three lane highway right after rush hour? Outside Atlanta? Rich handled the situation well but it made him tired and it didn't do much for me either. An hour wasted. I guess some liability insurance company needed to have those lanes closed so the guys working those 20 yards would be safe. Too bad medical insurance will go up because of all the high blood pressure caused.
The Bad

That rude couple at the Biergarten. First, them cutting in front of us to check in and then their total unacceptance of sitting at the table. I don't know if it was having to sit with other people or the fact that we ordered beers. But whatever because after they left, we had a great time.
The heat. I hate to mention Florida weather in the Bad or Ugly section (the weather will be the weather and there's not much you can do about it) but this heat was a killer sometimes. We've had a really hot summer in the south and Georgians are complaining about it. Nothing can be done - just go on. But be prepared with sunblock and water bottles and/or water fountains.
The Good

Alberta Bound. For me at least but Rich will never write a report so too bad about his feelings. I really like this group and they have vastly improved since last month. They are more relaxed and more interactive with the audience. April's voice is a knockout (in my opinion but I can't sing worth a darn). Rich did remark that it's amazing the high level of talent that Epcot gets.
Seeing the American Flag float on the Electrical Water Parade. Nice touch Disney.
Playing the trivia game with Rudy, Jr. and Alex. Thanks again guys! I didn't do very well but it was a lot of fun. And we learned things.
The torch lighting ceremony at the Polynesian. It's just a simple thing but something that Disney World doesn't have to do. And the man that lit the torches was definitely eye candy.
The Exceptional (and where I start to gush)

The dinner at Germany with complete strangers and we all had such a pleasant hour of visiting. Well, after that other couple left. Good food, good beer (sorry rude people), and excellent conversation. Thanks Tracy and the Philly ladies (I never got their names!).
The room at the Polynesian. I have always had great luck with faxing my room requests and Disney didn't disappoint here. All I asked for was a quiet room for two adults with a nice view from the balcony. I was prepared for anything but somehow, Disney can read minds and gave me exactly what I wanted.
The Goodnight Kiss viewing from the Polynesian. We don't do Magic Kingdom that much anymore since our trips are shorter and this park is usually the most crowded and has the most kids. But being able to see this from across Seven Seas Lagoon was just wonderful and romantic. And the fact that it's just different lights on the castle but the image amazed Rich is beyond words. My husband is a very practical person (I half expected him to say they should turn out the lights to conserve energy) but he loved it.
The dinner at 1900 Park Fair (why do so many of my exceptionals involve food?). The buffet was great, the characters interactive but not bad. Any place with mussels has *gotto be on the exceptional list. And I got to meet Piglet!!!!!!
Laying in the hammock with Rich on the beach at the Polynesian. Taking a break with your special someone while you watch and hear everyone else having fun. Sometimes when you're at Disney World, you feel like you have to be at a park, doing something. I think we'll try a lot more down times in the future.
The seat belt seat at Twilight Zone. Perfect for me. I enjoyed this attraction so much more from this seat. I think future rides will be a piece of cake. I won't specifically request the seat belt seat (I think it tends to screw up the seater person too much) but I won't run from it either. But I might have to fight Rich for it!
Seeing the flag from the World Trade Center. It was emotional (especially the second time) but it was healing. It was my first real viewing of something from the tragedy. It helped. My feelings about September 11th can never be put into words but maybe one day.
The Better Than Exceptional

Meeting with Adrienne and her family. We might be separated by distance but this computer keeps us very close. We've even called each other on the phone to talk about important things in our lives. Seeing them in person was just so special. And it was like we just saw them yesterday even though it's been a year. Rich and I get along so well with the entire family and I hope they feel the same way. I'm sure this won't be the last meeting between our families. Remember my motto - "We're Seven Hours North, Let's Go!"
The next trip will be over Labor Day. I really wanted it to be a longer trip but work prevents that. (That darn Baloo is dancing around singing "Accounting Necessities" again). Rich and I will be staying in the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savannah view. Yep, I think those down times will be plentiful in just a few weeks.

Feel free to email me with comments or questions. Just put "trip report" in the subject line. My email filters are on high alert these days.

Sheri Niklewski