‘Why yes, I AM smokin' the GOOD stuff!’ 22 - 29 August 2007 Trip Report - Page 4 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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‘Why yes, I AM smokin' the GOOD stuff!’ 22 - 29 August 2007 Trip Report - Day 1(PM)
Hi Everyone!
Thanks for reading so far and your patience! My sister decided to change ISPs and didn't think to get a modem with Wi-Fi capability so I've been knocked offline for awhile. I'm getting a broadband card today for my laptop so I should be back in business shortly.
The 'Why yes, I AM smokin' the GOOD stuff!' Trip Report
22 August – 29 August 2007
Trip report --> Day 1 (PM) –DDP at Captain Cooks and storming the Magic Kingdom!
Dining With Captain Cook
Captain Cooks is my favorite counter service restaurant at Disney. First off it’s located in the Polynesian Resort which means less theme park ‘madness’. I love how serene it is and it’s the ideal place to regroup. My PDD daughter loves it and she really recharges here with all the Hawaiian music, décor, lush foliage and ‘begging’ ducks outside. I haven’t been here before it was refurbished but I will say that there is plenty of space to sit and eat inside and the décor is gorgeous! . Makes me feel like I’m in Hawaii instead of Orlando. That’s why I stay at the Polynesian.
Ordering is pretty simple. There are about three (3) touch-screen stations that guide you through ordering what you want. Avery knew exactly what she wanted so she ordered for herself and her cousin. I didn’t see what dessert options were available for the kids so I went and ordered a cheeseburger and noodle bowl for the teens, and a grown-up grilled cheese for myself. We finished our order, got our order ticket and went to pay.
Now here is where things got a bit difficult. I’ve never used the meal plan so I didn’t know if we had to pay first and get our desserts or get our desserts and then pay. A line was forming behind me and some folks obviously looked impatient but I didn’t care. The CM helping me didn’t rush me at all and wanted to make sure I got what I needed to use the meal plan successfully. Turns out you could bring your dessert items to the counter and pay first. I just told her what desserts we wanted (a cupcake and two chocolate-dipped Mickey bars). The kids had a choice of pudding or chocolate chip cookies. I got chocolate pudding for Avery and vanilla for Yisrael. We got our pager and were all set and ‘educated’ on how to use the meal plan at Captain Cooks.
Our food was ready within about 5 – 10 minutes. In the meantime the troops went and got their fountain drinks then sat back down to marvel at how aggressive the ducks at the Polynesian are about begging for food. The pager went off and my godsister and I got our food. Everything was fresh, hot and very tasty. My nephew didn’t really like his noodle bowl and didn’t say why. Teen brooding. Everyone else loved their food, especially the kids as their food came in plastic Mickey-shaped plates. If I would have paid out of pocket, I believe for all five (5) of us the cost would have been around $60.
With our bellies all full and magic in our eyes, we were ready to make the foray into the Magic Kingdom! Monorail, here we come!
I Call ‘Shotgun’!
I love, absolutely LOVE taking the monorail into the Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian. First, if you go in the morning there’s the Kona Island coffee bar right next to the doors that go out to the monorail on the 2nd floor of the GCH. Second, it isn’t that crowded as folks have gotten off at the TCC. Third, it sure as hell beats having to walk from the car to the monorail! My nephew Yisrael loves trains so he had eyes as wide as saucers when we stepped into the monorail. He didn’t quite understand why we had to stop at the Grand Floridian instead of going straight to the park but I told him we’re riding the ‘local’ monorail instead of the express from the parking lot.
The MK didn’t seem that crowded upon our arrival. I stopped at Guest Services and was able to easily upgrade my nephews and godsister’s 1 day base tickets to 8 day base tickets, and obtain a GAC for my daughter. Since my daughter and I have annual passes we’re just hanging on to our 1-day tickets to upgrade to APs next year. Since I’d forgotten their Disney Dollars in our valet-desk checked luggage, I had to charge the tickets to the room. That’s why I like having charging privileges—if you ‘forget’ the cash for something, you can use your KTTW card. Just be sure to keep track of what your spending limit is and how much you’ve spent.
We spent the bulk of our time strolling down Main Street U.S.A and checking out the attractions in Fantasyland. We did the requisite ride of it’s a small world, Peter Pan’s flight and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. We were going to do Dumbo but DN#1 decided it was too hot and he didn’t feel like doing it. The others didn’t feel much like doing it either and they were bugging me about when they could go ‘see’ their hotel room.
Okay, it’s 4pm. Is our room ready? I call the number from my cell phone and sure enough our room is ready! So back to the Polynesian we go via the resort monorail! Woo hoo! The kids have already figured out they have it ‘made’ being able to travel this way.
Our Digs For The Week
We were assigned room 1609 in the Samoa longhouse. This longhouse is situated directly across from the volcano pool and is about a 45 second walk from it to the GCH and 30 seconds to walk to Captain Cooks and Moana Mickey’s Arcade. I mention the latter two because if you have teens who like to eat and play video games, being close to the GCH is a very good thing. Samoa is in the middle of it all and it’s location is perfect if you have young children as well. It is also the most requested longhouse for garden views at the Polynesian so if you have your heart set on Samoa, be sure to have in mind a suitable ‘backup’ choice.
Our 'home' longhouse.
The view from 1609 Samoa
Saying our room was ‘perfect’ sound simplistic but it’s true. The room smelled freshly-cleaned and the temperature was cool—much to our relief after being out in 95 (100 w/ the heat index) Florida weather. My daughter actually said, “we’re home!” when she got into the room then proceeded to yell ‘shoo’ at the ducks on our patio. My godsister was quite happy to find out the couch flipped over to become her ‘bed’ and a tiki lamp was perfectly positioned for her to read at night. My youngest nephew loved the tiki statues and the ‘tiki drum’ nightstand while my oldest nephew loved the oil painting on the wall and the theming of the room. And of course, they loved the view of the volcano pool from our room. DN#1 actually asked if lava came out of the volcano.
Oh, did I mention the kids LOVED the 32” flat-screen TV? The first thing my daughter wants to see is…you guessed it, the Disney Top Ten as hosted by Stacey.
The bed in our room after I've 'decorated' it.
Chowin’ Down with Pooh and Friends
Because the MK closed at 9pm (this is the ‘off’ season), we decided to have a leisurely dinner at the Crystal Palace about an hour before the Wishes fireworks. It’s a good thing we had reservations because there were a lot of ‘walk ups’ wanting to eat there who were turned away. While my godsister watched the kids, I checked us in, got our pager and we were buzzed in about 20 minutes. 20 minutes is long enough time for the kids to get restless even though they got to see the castle changing colors at dusk, then decide at the last minute that they needed a ‘pee’ break.
Fireworks tip! If you’re dining at the Crystal Palace, you can sit on the porch and watch the Wishes fireworks show from what has to be the BEST vantage point for viewing in the MK. Second to this would probably be outside of Casey’s or the Plaza Restaurant. The ‘mosh pit’ in front of the castle looks tempting but you really can’t see as much there.
The Crystal Palace is a gorgeous Victorian atmosphered buffet restaurant that brings back memories of Mary Poppins when you walk in. We weren’t seated near the windows like I wanted but I totally forgot to request that at the podium. My bad. Our table was near the booths on the far side of the dining area. Not long after we were seated our waiter came to get our drink orders and let us know what items were on the menu. My daughter cut right to the chase and asked our waiter, Kip, “What food do you have for kids?” One thing I love about the Disney CMs is that they really make the kids feel special. He took his time explaining to her where the kid’s buffet was and what cool items they had.
Since Avery knew the drill with buffets she was off and running with her godsister in tow. My two nephews looked at me kind of strange and I had to tell them, “Go get what you want for dinner!” I guess they thought I was kidding when I said for this trip, they’d get to choose from a lot of different foods. Quincy (my oldest nephew) headed straight for the fish and shellfish. Yisrael (my youngest nephew) just followed Avery and Devin (my godsister) around. Soon they returned with their bounty of shrimp, mussels, Chilean salmon, chicken, salad, maraconi and cheese and the ubiquitous chicken nuggets.
Character interaction was wonderful but the characters were slow in getting to us. The dining room was packed with people but the kids (read Avery and Yisrael) were kind of impatient and kept asking when Tigger, Pooh, et. al were coming to our table. One by one they visited and Avery didn’t hesitate to give them each a big hug and ask for autographs. Her cousin Yisrael was speechless to meet Tigger. LOL! Even the teens loved getting photos with all of the characters and their autographs.
Pretty soon we started to hear the fireworks show start. Since Yisrael is a pyro-nut like I am (we both love Crazy Harry from the Muppet Show), he was itching to see them. His brother Quincy was too but was more subtle about it by asking, “Auntie, can we go outside and see the fireworks?” I shipped them ALL outside so I could enjoy some peace and quiet with just me, my diet coke and the rest of my wonderful Chilean spiced salmon. While they were gone, I got to witness a ‘boxing match’ between Eeyore and Pooh. And when the big, loud, fireworks finale happened, Eeyore ran into a corner like he was ‘scared’! It was a hoot!
One good thing about getting the last seating is the characters really loosen up a bit.
The dessert selection was a big hit with everyone. From the cookies to the cakes and pies and the soft-serve ice cream station, all the kids LOVED being able to pick out their desserts. I had to make sure they didn’t ‘overindulge’ but that they did enjoy themselves. Used one table service (TS) credit per person for this meal. So for today that’s one CS, one TS and I’m well on my way to being a ‘pro’ at using the DDP. It’s even sweeter when it’s F-R-E-E!!!!
By the time we left dinner, the park had closed and the place was so lovely and quiet that the kids were amazed. Some CMs were out with signs that spelled ‘See You Real Soon!’ and had Mickey glove hands. Very cool! Quincy noted that he wanted some Mickey hands before we went back home. The resort monorail was waiting by the time we got to the platform and within about 10 minutes we were back at the Polynesian. I was grateful for our room being in the Samoa longhouse as we were quite full and didn’t feel like walking far. Well, that’s what I thought until the kids started clamoring, “We want to go swimming!!!!!”
Did I mention I only got 20 minutes of sleep last night?
Swimming In Paradise
I've always loved swimming at night in Florida because it's slightly cooler and usually less crowded. At the Polynesian there were very few folks in the pool at 10:30pm. The kids got dressed then flew out of the sliding door out to the Volcano pool. I think they left skid marks in the grass. My oldest nephew came back in 5 minutes because the towel cabinet down by the pool was locked, so I had to give them their beach towels to use. I locked the door and went to have a nice hour nap or so cuddled up with my Captain Jack Sparrow pillow from the Disney Store. The kids swimming at night in the Nanea Volcano pool
Tip! --> Definitely invest in one of those little watertight cases on a lanyard. They sell them in BouTiki with the Polynesian Resort logo on them. The teens had them with their KTTWC inside and it stayed nice and dry despite a few hours swimming and dunking in the pool. I think they cost around $6 - $8. I have one from the Polynesian and a larger one from the Disney Cruise Line.
I think Captain Jack Sparrow was about to kiss me in my dream and then I woke up and realized I had to get the kids out of the pool! It was around midnight and I thought they’d be the only ones in there. Turns out they weren’t. A few other families were enjoying a quiet swim while watching the castle change colors in the distance. While the lifeguards aren’t on duty after 10pm, you won’t get chased out of the pool unless you’re REALLY loud and rowdy. The kids told me that a CM came down to the pool to give them fresh towels. Talk about service!
The kids passed out in bed in record time after changing out of their wet suits. Eventually I passed out but not before setting the alarm clock on my cell phone to get up at 6am. Tomorrow we had a fun-filled day at the Magic Kingdom to be kicked off by breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. Breakfast was at 7:20am. I have four kids plus myself to get ready with only one bathroom. Tomorrow morning is gonna be interesting!
Next up Food and fun at Chef Mickey, Tomorrowland and Adventureland, and yet more swimming in the volcano pool.
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Trish (AKA Mum to 'Princess Avery')
Hittin' WDW since Space Mountain was 'Coming Soon'
So glad you're up and running again. What a great way to start the vacation! Dinner (virtually) alone with the characters sounds great! Hope you're not late for breakfast tomorrow....
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Tanya
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Great Trip Report and thanks for the tip about seeing wishes from Crystal Palace! I'm gonna use that to our advantage!
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Howdy from Texas!
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Great update....I had started this a few days ago and was waiting for an update...
Must say you are the best aunt I know...(and a saint...4 kids alone at WDW... )
Loved your matching outfits...at least if one of them got lost you can tell security...I am looking for the kid dressed just likethe rest of us....lol
I can understand you love for the POLY...it has long been my dream (unfilled) that is until April...my sister talked me into it....she said with the five of us in one room it would be like paying for a moderate between each of us....
OK...she sold me and I can finally share my dream with my girls....
Can't wait to hear the rest of your wonderful trip....(and i know it must have been great since you are back in one piece.... )
I am loving your TR its really great...and I agree you really are the best aunt ever...its making me really excited to take my niece to WDW in two weeks..
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Love your matching outfits. Love the view from your room. Love your tips! Looking forward to more.
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ºOº ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
Glad to see you back, Trish! And what a fabulous start. The Crystal Palace is one of my favorites, and I'm starting to think it's been too long since I've been there! More, please!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Congratulations on getting such a great room location! It sounds like you had a really great first day. I'm glad you had a chance for a little quiet time during dinner while the children watched the fireworks. I can't wait to hear more soon!
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Fireworks tip! If you’re dining at the Crystal Palace, you can sit on the porch and watch the Wishes fireworks show from what has to be the BEST vantage point for viewing in the MK. Second to this would probably be outside of Casey’s or the Plaza Restaurant. The ‘mosh pit’ in front of the castle looks tempting but you really can’t see as much there.
More please 
how you decorated the bed! Can't wait to hear more
)
ºOº ~*~ 
More, please!
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