An Island Frame of Mind (A Cam and Luke Trip Report) COMPLETED 8/6 - Page 14 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That is really beautiful. To be so close to all the Transportation had to be a magical surprise!!! If I had a bucket I would put this Resort on the list!!!!
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Wow those new studios look beautiful! And that view, stunning! Tahiti was always my favorite longhouse so I'm so happy that's what they converted to villas
We had never stayed here before so we were totally swept away by the whole concept.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
I work a long weekend and I'm already 13 pages behind!
Great start! When we drove and stopped in Valdosta, we stayed at Drury Inn. Really nice place! Highly recommended. We also like stopping in Valdosta because it is such a short drive on that next day.
You had a great room at the Poly! Love the bathroom with a rain shower head. Are there 2 bathrooms in a studio?
Signing in - can't wait for more!
Disney calls it a split bathroom because there is only one toilet. Reminds me a little of Disney cabins on the cruise ships, except that you have two showers, one a tub/shower.
I love your room and the view. 2 bathrooms is great!
Keep in mind that it is not 2 complete bathrooms because there is only one toilet. But it is still a sweet deal!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
Holy crow!! Your room is beautiful!! I, too, would have had just about the same minor issues with it, but overall, it's beautiful and that view is just killer!! I love your monorail pics and can't wait for you to get to Epcot!!
The minor issues were totally canceled out by that view and proximity to transportation.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That is really beautiful. To be so close to all the Transportation had to be a magical surprise!!! If I had a bucket I would put this Resort on the list!!!!
When we were headed to the Express Monorail, Luke decided to time it from our room to the platform. It was only 4 1/2 minutes. Sweet!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
The room looks beautiful! Love the décor!
I love the island theming here. I love your new sig pic, too.
2days away from the boards and I miss some beautiful photographs. The Murphy bed looks great for kids, though I think an adult might have their feet sticking off the end of the bed!
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The room, the view, the lobby, everything! I love it all!
I know that I have said that the AKL is my favorite resort, but it really is tied with the Poly. The Poly was our first stay on property and I have loved it ever since!
Your pictures are beautiful!
I can't wait to stay there again someday!
A nice start to your trip and you got to WDW in good time! Quite sad you had to see the aftermath of that crash! Glad the spider is just a memory now and didn't bring any of his siblings along with him! I guess you found out that tacos and driving do not mix!
What a nice studio you have as it's so large and spacious as well as being so well appointed! That is some view you have! It seems so close to all your transportation options. When I stayed at Rarotonga, I was next to the GCH and about a 5-6 minute walk to the TTC, which wasn't bad. I used to love watching the monorail pass by my room!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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2days away from the boards and I miss some beautiful photographs. The Murphy bed looks great for kids, though I think an adult might have their feet sticking off the end of the bed!
I didn't think to try out the bed, but it was small.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheezie
Yeah, I was wondering if an adult would fit on that bed. Probably not!
Love the pics and the updates Cam! I think I've just added the Poly to my resort bucket list.
I've definitely put Poly on our list to return to over and over.
The room, the view, the lobby, everything! I love it all!
I know that I have said that the AKL is my favorite resort, but it really is tied with the Poly. The Poly was our first stay on property and I have loved it ever since!
Your pictures are beautiful!
I can't wait to stay there again someday!
The Poly is right up there for me now, too. I just love the island theming so much. AKL was our first stay on property and I think wherever you stay first has a special place forever after.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Just checking in...
A nice start to your trip and you got to WDW in good time! Quite sad you had to see the aftermath of that crash! Glad the spider is just a memory now and didn't bring any of his siblings along with him! I guess you found out that tacos and driving do not mix!
What a nice studio you have as it's so large and spacious as well as being so well appointed! That is some view you have! It seems so close to all your transportation options. When I stayed at Rarotonga, I was next to the GCH and about a 5-6 minute walk to the TTC, which wasn't bad. I used to love watching the monorail pass by my room!
We were so blessed in several ways with our location.
While I was going slightly crazy over our room and it view at the Polynesian Village Resort, Michael (rhinohunter) had sent me a text. But since I had forgotten to turn my iPhone ringer back on this morning, I hadn’t noticed it until we sat down in the monorail for our ride to Epcot. In the text he let me know that he was in line for Soarin’ and would be riding it twice. I sent back that we were on the monorail, but I would need food before any rides. The ride to Epcot was relaxing, though we noticed something that would become the trend on this particular trip – little air conditioning. We weren’t that hot yet so no big deal at this point. I got another text from Michael that Judy was in the Art of Disney, and then she was going to Sunshine Seasons for food.
As we circled the Epcot aboard the monorail, I was already in awe of the flowers and topiaries, even noting changes from last year’s layout. Luke mentioned that bag check was short. Since we were not commandos in exiting the monorail, the bag check line grew quickly. But I found a short line as the area had begun to clear out again. Once through the ticket scanners, we stopped for the obligatory front of the park photo, and this time we had the Flower & Garden Festival signage in the background.
Taken with our camera:
PhotoPass Photos:
This is a cute little video that I was totally surprised to find on PhotoPass when I checked this day's photos.
Luke tagged along after our photos while I took one after another after another of the F&GF centerpiece. I squealed when I came around to the back and caught my first sight of the new Chip and Dale topiaries.
I almost got exactly what I wanted, but I didn't click fast enough to get the monorail before it snuck behind Pluto's nose.
But I think this one works rather well. Scrapbook material!
Here are my boys, Chip and Dale.
Now we needed to take care of some business before proceeding forward. Our TiW card needed renewing, so we were off to Guest Relations. After paying, the CM reminded us that if we lost it, it would be $50 to get another. Luke would guard this card, keeping it most secure.
Now for that matter of food. Since we were nearing our first FP+ time for Test Track, we decided to head in that direction. Luke didn’t feel hungry enough for Electric Umbrella, and that is when I got the brilliant idea to try Taste Track for a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. He just wanted a few bites, at least that is what he said. I selected the Fontina & Tomato Basil sandwich, which is served on sour dough bread with a balsamic spread. Luke isn’t real fond of basil, but since he didn’t want much to eat, he’d be fine with a little of it. With each sandwich, you are offered a choice of soup or salad. My plan had been a soup, but we had immediately noticed the heat and humid when we got out of the Edge back at the Poly. At this point it was scorching and soup sounded ridiculous. We opted for the salad, which happened to be a Caesar. In addition we got two drinks. While I waited for the order, Luke took the drinks and found a shady tall table where we could eat and be a wee bit cooler. I also sent Michael a text to let him know what we were doing. The plan now was to meet up around mid-afternoon. Luke and I both loved this sandwich. Trust me, he should know as he had almost half of it. In the end, Luke decided maybe he didn’t hate basil after all. Sharing the sandwich and salad, we both were satisfied. Luke was stunned to discover that I had already finished my drink as well. I tell you, it was blazing hot. Taste Track will definitely be a return quick meal spot for us in the future. Delicious!
When we were finished dining, we still had a bit of time before our Test Track FP+ window opened, so I asked if we could explore the nearby gardens. But first, I got all excited over Cool Wash, a place we usually just rush past. I loved all the Coco-Cola references.
Our first garden was the Cactus Road Rally where the Mater and Lightning topiaries reside. I enjoyed this garden last year, but thought it was laid out even better this year.
I did pick up a Garden Passport 2015 at the Cactus Road Rally, getting my first garden stamp. The Passports were really neat this year as they not only included the gardens, but had a checklist for the topiaries and places for food booth stamps. Even the merchandise kiosks had a checklist.
Finally, our FP+ time had arrived, so from there we were off to the FastPass entrance at Test Track. Our wait to enter the room and design our car was minimal, but we basked in the air conditioning and didn’t mind at all. Luke designs the car with some input from me. His main goal is for it to be both cool in design and powerful in speed. I think he managed that. In fact, we won every category for a change. Of course, no one else in our car designed a car or they didn’t scan their bands before boarding.
Stock photos included with Memory Maker that may work their way into my scrapbook as they are just cool.
My photos of Luke's car.
The above two photos were taken in the design room. Ride photo below.
This photo was taken at the end of the ride where you can see how your car stacked up against others designed this day. Luke's really did do well in comparison.
Corvettes are just super cool and made in Kentucky just an hour from where we live!
We explored some in the car display area before we left in hopes of finding Michaela and Judy. While on the ride, I’d received another text that he was still in line for Soarin', but should be off by 3:00 at which time he and Judy would head to Mission: Space where his FP+ overlapped ours. With some time to spare before then, I was ready for another garden, Gardener’s Palette. This one impressed us so much last year that we used several things we learned here for our own yard and flower pots last year. The set up was very similar to last year, so I just took a few photos.
Luke noticed another garden nearby that if it was there last year, we totally missed it, Prehistoric Plants garden. All the plants would have been around in prehistoric times, and each flower pot included a dinosaur. I thought it was a nice way to possibly include kids in the exploration of the garden.
Just thought to check my Garden Passport 2015 about the Prehistoric Plants garden. It was NEW this year.
It's location next to Ellen's Energy Adventure was perfect, too.
We were beginning to fry in the sun again, so I asked Luke if we could browse Mouse Gear while we waited for the Baileys. He was ready for A/C so no twisting of the arm was necessary. I had told him earlier that I wanted to look for the monorail/Spaceship Earth Pandora charm. I figured if any place would have it, it would be at Epcot in its biggest gift shop, Mouse Gear. Several other guests were crowded over the Pandora display, so I browsed around the area, checking out the F&GF Dooney & Bourke purses. I was disappointed at the size of the crossbody bag, which was tiny, so no F&GF D&B for me. We looked at watches and other fine jewelry, and finally the other guests moved on. I began scanning all the charms available. I was not seeing the monorail/SE charm anywhere. A young CM asked if I had something particular in mind. I told him what I was looking for, and he scanned the cases, checked the drawers, and even when backstage to look. While waiting for him to return, Luke was looking up and around. He asked me if I had ever noticed the display across from fine jewelry. So we wouldn’t forget I took a photo. And then since we like them, I got another couple of photos, one of Donald and one of Goofy.
Not one charm was found. He told me that they had had some, but as soon as they got them they were gone. He also said I should check out Uptown Jewelers at Magic Kingdom because they were the premier place for Pandora right now. I thanked him for all his help because he really was the perfect CM, and we headed back out to find our PassPorter friends.
Outside, we saw a greenery adorned golf cart occupied by two flamboyant gardening ladies. They were swamped by guests wanting photos. I got a few shots of them, but couldn’t seem to get around to ask for them to pose. Instead I turned my attention to Buzz Lightyear’s topiary. Then my opening came and I got the two lovely ladies to pose for me. They were so exuberant and joyful. What a fun job! Just a few days ago when I was editing this series of photos, I realized that Michael had been in the background. I hadn’t originally noticed him as I was concentrating on these fun ladies.
He is on the left in an orange t-shirt in these two photos. In the first he is posing with the Buzz Lightyear topiary.
In this photo he is just behind the ladies, and has put his hat back on. Too funny that he was sneaking in to my photos.
NEXT: Gotcha! You thought I would finally get to our meeting up with Michael and Judy. But 50+ photos is enough for one update. I’ll be back in a couple of days, and we’ll all finally meet rhinohunter and his sweet wife in person or 3D as fellow PPer Dora once said to me.
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Love the room! I keep a nightlight in the toiletry bag at all times, but glow sticks work great too!
What a GREAT idea!!!! I have a ton of glow in the dark bracelets floating around. We've been stockpiling them because Nolan always talks about how wearing something like that makes dark rides "less dark"
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
I love all the beautiful topiaries! Your lunch sounds good too. Too funny about Luke liking basil now. I guess it has to be Disney basil.
Love that he know likes Basil! That lunch sounded perfect and I've added that spot to my list now...my ever growing list
The comment about air conditioning has me worried - is it a problem with the monorail? July is always miserable - but a monorail with a lack of air conditioning in July
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!!!!!!!!!!! That is really beautiful. To be so close to all the Transportation had to be a magical surprise!!! 
If I had a bucket I would put this Resort on the list!!!!
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Your room is beautiful!! I, too, would have had just about the same minor issues with it, but overall, it's beautiful and that view is just killer!!
I love your monorail pics and can't wait for you to get to Epcot!! 
Glad the spider is just a memory now and didn't bring any of his siblings along with him! 
It seems so close to all your transportation options. When I stayed at Rarotonga, I was next to the GCH and about a 5-6 minute walk to the TTC, which wasn't bad. I used to love watching the monorail pass by my room! 
I selected the Fontina & Tomato Basil sandwich, which is served on sour dough bread with a balsamic spread. Luke isn’t real fond of basil, but since he didn’t want much to eat, he’d be fine with a little of it. With each sandwich, you are offered a choice of soup or salad. My plan had been a soup, but we had immediately noticed the heat and humid when we got out of the Edge back at the Poly. At this point it was scorching and soup sounded ridiculous. We opted for the salad, which happened to be a Caesar. In addition we got two drinks. While I waited for the order, Luke took the drinks and found a shady tall table where we could eat and be a wee bit cooler. I also sent Michael a text to let him know what we were doing. The plan now was to meet up around mid-afternoon. Luke and I both loved this sandwich. Trust me, he should know as he had almost half of it. In the end, Luke decided maybe he didn’t hate basil after all. 
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