Four Days to See It All - May 2023 Long Weekend Trip

[jimmymc]

Hello everyone and welcome! My name is Jimmy, and two days ago I returned home from a short but action-packed Disney World trip. One night at All Star Music, followed by three at the Polynesian, along with all four parks split between three days. For once I'm excited to be writing a trip report within a few days of actually getting home! The last time I did one of these it was spread over a few months, so I'm very excited to share my latest thoughts and feeling on the park while they're fresh.

Planning started relatively last minute for me, booking 3 months out instead of my normal 7 to 11 month DVC window. After seeing some Tron previews and pictures released by Imagineering, I decided I really didn't want to wait almost a year to be back in Disney World, so I went to see what studios and flights were available for points. At first, only Saratoga and Old Key West were open for the entire long weekend (Thursday to Monday), and I booked at Saratoga. Then when I looked at flights, the best option for Thursday didn't land at MCO until 11:55 pm, and I decided to drop one night at Saratoga to stay at the Orlando Airport Hyatt, which is frequently recommended for cases like this.

Since Tron and Magic Kingdom were going to be the main focus of this trip, I also wanted the chance to stay at a Magic Kingdom area resort. The resort studios at Grand Floridian were briefly available, however they cost a lot of points per night and aren't my favorite layout. And while I love my home resort of Wilderness Lodge, I thought I might try somewhere I've never stayed at. I waitlisted both studio categories at the Polynesian, and in the middle of March one of them came through! As for the Orlando Hyatt, about a month before my travel day, Delta cut prices on several flights, meaning it was cheaper for me to leave earlier and land around 9 pm instead of midnight. At the same time, Disney put quite a few rooms on sale, meaning the All Stars were each about half the price of the Hyatt. With the prices being that good, and DVC rooms sold out thanks to a Moonlight Magic event Thursday night, I figured why not try one of the All Star resorts, where I haven't stayed since I was 13.

Now that my schedule was finally set, we can skip ahead and start the real trip report with a travel day! In order to maximize vacation usage, I worked a normal day at home on Thursday. We are sometimes required to be in the office, but that's usually just Wednesdays, so I knew ahead of time this wouldn't be a problem. It did mean that I wanted to arrive at the airport way earlier than I normally do so I could take a 4 pm call ahead of my 6:30 flight. Waiting to leave my house at 4:30 when it ended would've cut it too close for my flight, and I really didn't want to take it in the car, so I had about 2 hours to kill in the Delta Skyclub (thank you Amex Platinum card). They served a dinner of Korean shortribs and mac n cheese, which were both very good.

(Stock pics, since I didn't get any at the airport)





The flight was on time and went pretty well. I had my normal aisle seat and was able to watch some playoff hockey on the plane using the seatback screens. Baggage claim was very fast for Orlando, and while I'm normally a big fan of rideshares to and from the airport, this time I thought I would try Mears connect. Previously I was a big fan of and regularly used Magical Express, so I wanted to see how the new service compared. Walking to that section of the airport was admittedly nostalgic, and the timing was right for me as I walked right onto the bus as the last passenger to board. 5 minutes later we were moving. I believe All Star Music was the 4th resort we dropped off at, after Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Coronado. The bus definitely took a little bit longer than a rideshare, but only by about 30 minutes, and I wasn't planning on leaving the resort anyway. The driver was friendly, and while I don't think they played a Disney video, it definitely felt like the old busses. If the service was always this smooth then I think I would always use it. Spoiler for the last day, but my arrival was more pleasant than my departure.



Since I already had my room number and magicband, I was able to walk right from the drop-off to my room in the Country Western section at the back of the resort. I read that these rooms are a hike to get to, but even late at night it didn't feel too bad. Even at 10:30 pm the main pool was still busy and showing a movie, and the food court was decently crowded despite closing soon. As cheesy as it may sound, the All Stars have great energy if you're like me and prefer active vacations over relaxing ones. But as much fun as it looked like they were having, I set my alarm and went right to bed. I had an important boarding group to get at 7 am.




Day 2, Part 1: https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...-2023-long-weekend-trip.3919375/post-64819444

 

[Counting Stars]

Terrific start to your trip report- looking forward to reading more

 

[Ensusieasm]

Great start! I can’t wait to read more!

 

[cassidy57]

following and can't wait to read more!!

 

[AgentMama]

Following!

 

[erinch]

Following!

 

[footballmouse]

 

[jimmymc]

Day 2: All the Genie+, Part 1

After yesterday's pure work and travel day, I finally feel like I'm actually in Disney World! Today is Magic Kingdom day, and as I always recommend for MK, I decided to use Genie+. I wake up to my alarm at 6:45, purchase the extra service, and switch my phone from wifi to data to maximize my Tron boarding group. Still laying in bed at 7 am, I get the Tron group first (group 10, excellent) and quickly get a 10 am return time for Jungle Cruise, one of my favorite rides in the park!





While normally I would be up and awake right away, it was a long night, so I enjoyed the comfortable bed until around 7:20. I showered and quickly packed the few things I took out of my suitcase, and by 7:40 I was out of the room and walking to breakfast. This is rare for me, since I usually just eat a protein bar and head straight to the busses, however I knew I wanted a refillable mug for a future resort day, so it was worth it to grab some real food and sit down for a few minutes. I dropped off my luggage outside, and with just my park bad I returned to the Intermission Food Court. Even at 7:50, prime breakfast time, the lines for grabbing food and checking out were only 2-3 people deep, and I had my mickey waffles, sausage, bacon, and Coke Zero in no time.



One thing I really love about the All Stars are the food courts. The menus can be pretty simple, but they also have the huge cases with cold options and snacks, there is plenty of seating, and the drink islands are huge. Again at prime breakfast time, I could've had an entire section of the eating area to myself while watching some Disney Jr. cartoons. The Mickey waffles were a little dry and crunchy, but that's no problem for a little bit of butter and syrup.



Right around 8:10 I joined the Magic Kingdom bus line right as one was pulling in, and after a smooth ride directly from Music to the park, I walked through the turnstiles right at 8:30, when early entry begins. Since I had boarding group 10, I decided to start the day in Tomorrowland. Rode Space Mountain with about a 10 minute wait, and right as I was about to board the ride my Tron window had opened. So I walked right out of the gift shop and up the ramp to the entrance. This early in the morning there really isn't a wait, so I walked right into the pre-show without stopping and practically right on to the trains! As you'll see later I didn't always have the best luck with virtual queues, but this one was pretty much perfect.



Tron was the main reason for my trip, and wow it did not disappoint! I'm used to riding intense roller coasters; my home park is Cedar Point, and previously was Great Adventure. The launch on Tron was way more powerful than I expected it to be, and flying over the crowds is an amazing feeling. I heard before that the inside portion was pretty boring, and while you're not pulling high g-forces, there are some great near-miss elements, and they use the lights and music well together. Big fan and 100% happy that Disney decided to bring this into Tomorrowland.

After exiting Tron, Space Mountain still had a pretty short line, so I got another ride in before heading back into the hub and over to Adventureland. Walked through the Swiss Family Treehouse for the first time in about 15 years, and am good for another 15, then grabbed one of the special dole whip floats with coconut dole whip, pog juice, and a cake pop. I love the unique flavors they do and get one almost every trip. Finally after finishing my float, it was time for Jungle Cruise! Always worth it to see the back side of water. I used my now available Genie+ to grab Peter Pan for later in the day, and walked over towards Big Thunder.






After a 35 minute posted wait only ended up taking 20, the heat was really starting to get to me. It was unusually hot for May this weekend, and I did something I've never done before: Tom Sawyer's Island! While being an island, they still have restrooms and plenty of working water fountains on the island, so I spent about an hour exploring the caves, sitting on some nice wood chairs, and taking advantage of the plentiful shade. It was a really nice little visit, and while I probably wouldn't take a new Disney fan over there, it's a great piece of history from the times when Country Bear Jamboree was an E-ticket attraction.





After taking the little boat back over to the mainland, it was conveniently 11:55 am, 5 minutes before the first Festival of Fantasy Parade begins! I found a shady spot in front of the Frontierland pin shop, one of my favorite places to watch from, and saw all the familiar faces roll down the street in their beautiful floats. I never make it a point to stake out a spot for the parade since I really don't think you have to. Any time of day there will be places to stand and watch available right before it gets to you. Sadly the dragon is choosing not to breathe fire around crowds of people at the moment, but I have a feeling it will be back soon.



I am going to cut the report here, since as I'm writing I realized there is a lot more to go through than I previously imagined! But I will use the last few lines here for a quick review of All Star Music resort. As mentioned earlier, this was not my original plan, but when the room went on sale for $135 plus tax (about $150 total), I thought it would be nice to get on property the night before and not need to deal with Ubering myself and luggage to the Polynesian and taking Disney transportation over to Magic Kingdom in the same morning. Between the hotel difference and using Mears, it was a savings of $150 over the Hyatt and a rideshare.

The resort itself far exceeded my expectations! The landscaping and giant music decorations looked amazing, almost like they were brand new. The renovated rooms are also a great use of the small space if you only need one bed to sleep in, as you get an entire table with two chairs in the space normally occupied by the pulldown. The room was clean everywhere you could see, although I did find dust on top of the TV and other pieces of furniture. While the pools are plain, they are also huge, meaning you and your family can find a little bit of space for yourselves even at crowded times. They also have games like ping pong, shuffleboard, cornhole, and others around the main pool area, plus the standard Disney pool bar. They were also showing a movie you could see from the water the night before. If I need a place to stay and nothing is available through DVC, I would gladly book here again.

Day 2, Part 2 coming soon!

 

[buteraa]

Following along and agree that All Stars are great for the money.

 

[DisDreaming4116]

Following and looking forward to your report!

 

[suse66]

So glad to see this report! I am doing one night at Music due to a late arrival for my summer trip and am glad to find a positive review! I am also a WL girl as I own at BRV.

 

[jimmymc]

Day 2: All the Genie+, Part 2

When we left off, I had just finished watching the Festival of Fantasy parade from Frontierland. It's the only place I know of where you can watch it from the shade at noon, since most of main street and the hub are completely exposed at that time, so I definitely recommend giving it a shot. Up next is when the Lightning Lane marathon really begins! While watching, it had been 2 hours since making my Peter Pan return time, meaning I could book another, so I got Under the Sea for about the time the parade ended. I then made the slight mistake of trying to follow the parade through the Liberty Square bottleneck and going towards the back of the park, which was stressful, but eventually I made it through. It was also at this point that I saw 7 Dwarfs Mine Train was sitting on the brakes empty, meaning it was evacuated, which will come into play later.



Under the Sea didn't have a terribly long wait, but it's always nice to walk right on a dark ride. As soon as I scanned in I booked the Mad Tea Party, for 10 minutes later, meaning I could go on as soon as I exited. Under the Sea is a lot of fun and I think an underrated dark ride. My only complaint is that it seems to stop all the time since the unloading ramp is really short, but what can you do. Mad Tea Party was also a lot of fun, since I personally am a spinner and get quite the arm workout every time I ride it. While continuing to monitor 7 Dwarfs I picked up a return time for Buzz Lightyear and walked right over there.

Upon exiting Buzz, I finally saw the news I was hoping for: 7 Dwarfs was back open! The queue was right where it transitions from outdoors to indoors, and there happened to not be a lot of LL guests in line at the same time, so I was able to get on in about 20 minutes. Unless it's an after hours party, I usually skip this ride, and while it's not the best coaster in the park, I still love getting on when I can! While in line I also booked a Haunted Mansion LL for about 30 minutes later.



After 7 Dwarfs it was about time for Peter Pan, so I made my was over to the Lightning Lane cast member holding a sign in front of Philharmagic and waited 20 minutes to get on. Not bad at all for such a popular, low capacity ride, but also tied for the longest wait of the day. I used to think this ride was overrated, however over time I feel like I notice more details every time I ride it, and now I'll make it a point to get on when the line is reasonable. From there I walked to Haunted Mansion, which also had quite the LL backup, but it was only 15 minutes before I entered the stretching room.



I think this is the point where hunger set in, so I was walking back towards the front of the park and noticed zero line for the cheeseburger springrolls and had to stop. The special was a pastrami and swiss, so I got one of each and both were delicious. Probably not waiting 30 minutes for them any time soon, but if the line is shorter then I highly recommend it. I sat and ate them in front of Crystal Palace while planning my next move. I knew I wanted to watch Happily Ever After this night, however I had already been on quite a few rides in Magic Kingdom and was thinking about taking a break. Looking at the app for a few minutes, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway was available at 3:50, so I decided to grab it and head to Studios!

On the way out, I took my time walking though the different stores on Main Street and around the train station (somewhere I hadn't been in years!) And right as I was planning to leave the park, I saw Festival of Fantasy coming around the hub and thought "Why not?" So I sat on the curb in front of Tony's and watched a second time. The moment Mickey went by, I was walking to the busses.



Getting to Studios was easy; five minute wait for a bus, and it was at most half full. By the time I made it through security my time was called, so I went straight to the Chinese Theater. Something off was going on when I arrived, as we stood still right at the scanners for about 10 minutes before either line moved, but I managed to scan in and make it to the preshow in just a few minutes. Every went smoothly until right when Mickey saved us from an industrial accident, and we got to enjoy the cast telling us to remain seated for another ten minutes while the ride was stopped. I could never figure out what happened either time, since I think the ride has a separate loading area for people who need help getting in and out of the cars.



Once we finally made it back to the station, it was time for a Tower of Terror LL, so I walked over there and directly into the pre-show room. The second wait was unfortunately backed up all the way to the show exit, so it was about 15 minutes before actually riding. I love this ride, and with all elevator shafts running the line usually moves quickly. Now it was definitely time for a break, so I went right back up Hollywood Blvd. to the park exit and caught the bus to the Polynesian. My room was ready earlier in the day, and I walked right from the bus towards the little DVC triangle.

The room was 3rd floor of the Tokelau building, right where I had requested since it's the closest DVC area to the pools and main building. I love coming into the DVC rooms with the little kitchenette area for drinks and snacks and the couch to sit down on after a long day of walking. While I'm not going to say these are my favorite DVC rooms, I do love the overall theming of the hotel, and having two huge bathrooms would be a big advantage with a family. I also love the Lilo and Stitch artwork behind the two pull-down beds. Bell services had my transferred luggage to the room in around 10 minutes, which I think is the fastest I've ever had at Disney.






After relaxing on the couch for a while, I put on my swim trunks to take a quick dip in the Oasis pool, the smaller and normally quieter of the two. I say normally because both pools were packed today, so I just took a dip long enough to cool off. I'm not that experienced with Florida weather, but it seemed abnormally hot for May. The Oasis Bar and Grill also has a mug filling station that's open the hours of the restaurant, which is way more convenient than going over to the main building. I grabbed some powerade first and then Coke Zero on my way out.

A quick shower and rinse later and I was ready to head back into Magic Kingdom. I had a really tough time deciding where to eat tonight. I could've joined the walkup for Ohana, Kona Cafe, or Jungle Skipper Canteen, but I also wanted to use Genie+ to it's full extent. Capt. Cook's hasn't been my favorite in the past, and I feel like I eat at Casey's all the time since MK doesn't have the most variety. I finally settled on trying one of the specialty hot dogs at the Lunching Pad, mainly because I saw Tim Tracker eat them a few weeks ago and they seemed pretty good. I ordered the Cuban Sandwich hot dog while waiting for the boat and enjoyed a nice scenic ride over to the park. Boat>resort monorail when it's not opening or closing time.

At some point during the resort break I booked a Space Mountain LL, which I could time nicely with my dinner and getting a spot for Happily Ever After. As I was walking into the park, Space Mountain went down, and I got a multiple experience pass plus the ability to book another LL, which I did for Pirates. The hot dog was fine; I really liked the mustard mayo and relish they used, but the cheese sauce was basically flavorless, so it tasted like I was just eating a hot dog with the mustard sauce and pickles. Not a waste, but I won't get it again.

Normally going across the hub from Tomorrowland to Adventureland is easy, and I won't hesitate to schedule things back to back. But with it being 8:15 and people already crowding around for fireworks views (which you really don't have to do), it took some intense crowd navigation to get around everything. A key is that they keep the path between the fountains and hub grass clear for wheelchair fireworks viewing, meaning you can walk through there right up until the show starts. Once I made it though, I walked right into the merge point and was on/off the ride with plenty of time to space. Pirates is a lot of fun, but never wait more than 30 minutes. It's completely dead later at night, early morning, or during parades. With about 15 minutes to spare, I found a spot between the partners statue and the entrance of Tomorrowland, allowing for perfect access to my new 9:15 Space Mountain LL reservation.







I adore Happily Ever After and am so happy it returned. Enchantment was nice, and had it not followed HEA then I think it would've been a great fireworks show, but HEA just knocks it out of the park. Between all the shows I've seen in Florida, Disneyland, and DL Paris, past and present, it's my favorite. So after watching with a huge smile on my face and seeing Tinkerbell fly, I joined the rush of the salmon over to Space Mountain and grabbed my third ride of the day. I used to think it was kind of rough, but for some reason now I can't get enough of it. I like the out of control feeling I guess.

For the last few rides I wanted to do, there was no real efficient way to go about them, so I just sucked it up and added a few thousand more steps to the counter. From Space I was able to use the multi-experience pass for a second ride on Haunted Mansion, then my final lightning lane of the night on Big Thunder. And last. but certainly not least, I entered the 7 Dwarfs queue 10 minutes before park closing to take advantage of the 30 minute wait. I walked off at 11:20 pm as cast members were directing us through the castle and to main street.

For one final stop, I grabbed a huge bowl of mint-chip and cookies n cream ice cream with fudge, caramel, and whipped cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. I know it's just Edy's and for that reason I rarely go there, but it really hit the spot this late at night. I joined some locals who had the same idea and we chatted for another 30 minutes while sitting in front of the partners statue, just staring at the castle. By midnight we were the last people remaining int he hub, so I walked back towards the lights and took the boat back to my resort. 17 hours after leaving my room at Music, I could finally get some sleep. Thankfully tomorrow is a resort day and I have no need to wake up early!

Final Ride Summary, with time saved from LL:

• Space Mountain
• Tron
• Space again
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Jungle Cruise LL 55 min
• Big Thunder
• Tom Sawyer's Island
• Under the Sea LL 30 min
• Teacups LL 15 min
• Buzz Lightyear LL 45 min
• 7 Dwarfs Mine Train
• Peter Pan LL 80-20=60 min
• Haunted Mansion 50-15=35 min
• Runaway Railway LL 70-10=60 min
• Tower of Terror LL 40 min
• Pirates LL 35 min
• Space LL 35 min
• Haunted Mansion ME 25
• Big Thunder LL 25 min
• 7 Dwarfs Again

Total time saved = 460 minutes, or 7 hours and 40 minutes worth of waiting
Total price: $23.43 ($22 plus tax)

 

[jimmymc]

Day 3: No parks?

Welcome back to day 3 of my trip report. Today I did something that hasn't been done since my very first Disney trip when I was 11: a full day with no parks. I've had arrival and departure days with no tickets, but before this, every full day in Orlando (but one) has featured either a Disney theme park, Disney water park, or day trip to Universal or Sea World. My first trip to Disney World was three days: Magic Kingdom, the pool at Port Orleans Riverside (we hopped over from French Quarter), and Epcot before continuing on to the beach. That was almost 20 years ago, so it's basically a new experience.

The day started waking up around 9:30, definitely later than normal. I took my time getting up, taking a quick shower, and getting right into my bathing suit and shirt. I placed a mobile order for Tonga Toast at Capt. Cook's and walked over there around 10 to pick it up, along with a mug full of lemonade. This early in the day, the Florida weather is perfect, so I sat outside and enjoyed the breeze. From there, I walked over and grabbed one of the last free chairs at the Volcano pool.

While it was a bit more crowded than I would've liked, there was still enough room to swim in the pool without bumping into other groups. The line for the slide was also never more than a few minutes. I talked to a few different families who were local to Orlando and grabbed a room just for Saturday night, meaning they had two full days to use the pools. It seems like this is a popular option for holidays and birthdays when you already live in Orlando and visit the parks regularly. The pool itself definitely lives up to the hype. Zero entry on one end, plenty of space, a waterfall, a fast slide, and a big water playground for kids.

I grabbed a few different drinks from the Barefoot Pool Bar: the Captain's Mai Tai and the Voyager. This bar is amazing; it has a big drink menu and features several different dole whip flavors, each of which can be had on their own or mixed into drinks. The food options are pretty standard, and I'd recommend getting something at one of the restaurants inside if you can, but they are convenient. There is also a service window outside of the pool area, so if Tiki Terrace is busy, you can always walk down past the marina to the bar. I stayed by the pool for a few hours before another quick shower and heading to Disney Springs.

Random picture from the staircase at the end of the building:


Once the chlorine smell was gone and I was feeling rested, I hopped on the bus over to Disney Springs without much of a plan. I intentionally chose Saturday as an off day, thinking the parks would be better on Sunday. I was right, but that also meant the Springs were packed well ahead of the normal evening crowds. I stopped by Gideon's first, and the return times were about 8 hours out. I passed since I already had dinner plans elsewhere. Then I grabbed a snack at Pepe by Jose Andreas, the quick service location attached to Jaleo. The chorizo and manchego sandwich was really good, and the churros were just OK, I wouldn't get them again. Jaleo is one of my favorite restaurants on property, but this place has very little in common with the main menu, and I'd only recommend the pressed sandwiches as a snack.

Around now the rain was coming on and off, so I ducked in and out of a few stores. Disney Springs is probably my least favorite area of Disney World, and I'm honestly not totally sure why I came out here at all, but I do love some of the restaurants and World of Disney. I also got a few pins from Pin Trader's. Next time I'll probably spend more time at the resort and only visit Disney Spring to eat if I have a reservation somewhere good. I made it to the Boardwalk just stop just before some heavy rain came down and headed off to my next destination.

While I haven't yet stayed at the Boardwalk, I really love the location. Between the art gallery, entertainment, and food, any Crescent Lake resort would be fantastic for an off day. After a little bit more walking and a margarita from Boardwalk Joe's (pretty good, not outstanding), it was time for the day's main event: dinner at Flying Fish. This restaurant had high expectations from everything I heard, and I'm also a big fan of seafood, so I've been looking forward to this since booking at 60 days.





The first think you'll find is the massive drink and wine menu. None of the cocktails really spoke to me this night, except maybe the Vanilla Manhattan, but they also have an upscale bar if you'd like to try something different. Rather, I had a glass of the Cloudy Bay Tekoko from their rare wine collection. I usually drink red, but I was planning for a lot of seafood and wanted something to complement it. The full book is about 10 pages long between cocktails, wine, and beer, so there is most likely something for everyone.



For my starter, I had the lobster bisque. If any of you have ever been to the Jersey shore, there is a restaurant called The Wharfside, and they make some of the best lobster bisque I've ever had. It's my standard for judging all soups. Flying Fish was about as good. While not quite as sweet, it featured a lot of lobster meat, helping to justify the $18 price tag. It was more herbal and finished with chive oil, making for a unique twist on a classic seafood dish. If you want a warm, thick appetizer, I think this is a great choice.



My main was the plancha-seared scallops, served on a bed of grits and corn with a peppadew sauce. This was the star of the evening, as every part of the dish was delicious. Scallops were fresh and cooked just right, the grits and corn were well-seasoned, and the peppadew sauce was absolutely amazing. I would've bought that sauce in a jar if they sold it on your way out. The only criticism I have is that I didn't like the corn stalk garnish. I'm sure the scent helped enhance the flavor, but the texture clashed with everything else on the plate. They were easy enough to pick off and enjoy what was underneath. If you like scallops or want to try them but haven't found the right venue, I can highly recommend this dish.



I decided to skip dessert, since I was heading back to the Poly for some more evening fun. After a 10% Disney Visa discount, the total bill plus tax and tip was $110, about what I expected. The wine was $29 (the above photo is a little outdated), but they had glasses for $11 if you didn't want to spend as much. Most of the entrees are over $50, including mine for $51, so while it is a splurge, I think it's definitely worth it. I've heard great things about the non-seafood dishes too, in case someone in your group doesn't like fish. Once I left the restaurant, I took a short walk around the Yacht and Beach Club, two resorts I haven't seen inside of before, watched an amazing acrobat whose name I forgot, and took an Uber back to the Polynesian.



After getting out of my nicer clothes and putting the swimsuit back on, I set out for the perfect evening end to the day. It was about 8:30, so I quickly mobile ordered the bread pudding from Kona Cafe, grabbed it and some hot chocolate from the drink area, and grabbed a spot on the beach. The Electrical Water Pageant came by at 8:40, right as I was sitting down, then the fireworks went off at 9. The Poly offers a straight-on view of the show, and you can even see Tinkerbelle fly from all the way across the lake. I do wish they pumped in the music a little louder, but I understand not wanting to blow anyone's ears out if they stand close to a speaker. I personally think dealing with the hub crowds is absolutely worth it for HEA, however if you don't have a park ticket, this is a pretty good option too.




For the rest of the night, I took advantage of a near-empty pool that stays open until 11. No wait for the slides, no competition for chairs, and no need to worry about the sun. Late night pool was definitely the right choice. I think this was also the night where the refillable mug paid for itself. For my first resort day in a long time, this was a pretty great way to spend part of my vacation. I think I'll avoid Disney Springs in the future unless I have a plan to do something, since the shops don't interest me outside of World of Disney and Pin Trader's. If you really want Gideon's, I think it's worth waking up a little early and getting on the first bus of the day. That way even if there is a waitlist, you can still sign up, eat lunch, grab the cookies, and head to your next destination.

I can't wait to try another off day on my next trip. Between the pools, eating, drinks, and resort hopping, even someone like me who physically can't sit still on vacation can enjoy it. But one is enough, and tomorrow it's Animal Kingdom rope drop!

One last piece of advice, the to-go portion of bread pudding is huge. You can easily share with a friend, or be like me and still full the next morning.

 

[dizneedoll]

Excellent resort day! I went on my first solo trip this past January and I loved it! I love reading others’ solo trips too. Like you, I’m not into Disney Springs either. I go only to bring my son home those Gideons cookies! Looking forward to the rest of the TR.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

Great trip report! Can’t wait to read more.

 

[footballmouse]

We always have a couple of resort days. If I'm going to pay that kind of money to stay there, we using the amenities! Glad you enjoyed the pool.

 

[jimmymc]

Day 4: Up Early

Today kicks off the second of 3 parks days. Since my reservation was for Animal Kingdom, it was time to wake up nice and early to rope drop Flight of Passage. I woke to my alarm around 6:20 am to get a quick shower, and I was on the AK bus by 6:50 for a 7:30 early entry. I actually filled the mug with coffee and some extra caramel sauce the night before, planning to make it iced, but I was honestly still so full from the bread pudding last night that I dumped it out and just had water in the morning.

I decided I wasn't doing Genie+ today, however I did buy an ILL for Flight of Passage at noon. Even though I was ropedropping, normally the line is so long that this extra is the only way I'll ride it twice. For high quality rides I generally don't have an issue paying to get on a second time; I will see if the $13 pays off today. The bus dropped us off at 7:10 and I wasn't too far back in line. It seems like there were fewer people than my last visit, and that was for a 6:30 start time. The gates opened at 7:25 and I was off.



I would day about 80% of ropedroppers are going to Flight of Passage on any given day. The way it works is that after scanning in, you immediately go to the left for early entry scanning, then proceed through the park until you hit the bridge to Pandora. From there, you'll be held right up until the ride is ready for guests, then led down the right side of the land until you're almost on the boardwalk to Africa, and finally back through the extended queue and into the main ride. While it may seem line a massive crowd, you basically never stop moving. It's almost too fast, since you can't see the cool stuff at the end of the queue. During the 15 minute walk from the bridge all the way up to the grouper, I never stopped moving and was put right into one of the longer lines. Thanks to being a single rider, I was immediately put in the first room available. Side note, this ride is designed with a single rider queue and absolutely needs one. Every time I ride it, without fail, a cast member walks down the grouper lines asking for solos. Throw us a bone and let us get on faster!

After essentially walking on, I got off the ride at almost 8 am exactly. While I think the graphics could be improved in some places (way too much motion blur), it's still a fantastic experience you don't get anywhere else. Definitely worth waking up early. Next stop is the Safari! Post at 15 minutes and I did actually wait about that long, but going on the morning is really the best time to go and it's rarely shorter than that. I won't go through every animal, but the highlights were a baby rhino walking with its mom, two big elephants charging each other, a very close encounter with a giraffe on the road, and a pile of lions laying on one of the rocks with a perfect view. I could easily stay on the truck for two or three goes, but I have a Yeti to find.



Quick pit stop, since my stomach decided to go from too full for coffee to starving in two hours flat. I grabbed a chocolate frosted donut from Joffrey's, which was way overpriced and not very good, but the only option I could get that early without walking all the way to the Starbucks at the front of the park. After that it was actually time to find the Yeti! Expedition Everest is my favorite attraction in Disney World. For a long time when I wasn't going to WDW very often, I took frequent trips and worked at my local Six Flags Great Adventure, plus Busch Gardens and Hersheypark. I've been on over 100 roller coasters, and the more intense, the better. Everest does a fantastic job of combining story, theming, and thrills in one huge ride. My first ride was a walk on through the normal line, then I rode two more times as a single rider with zero wait.

After Everest, I kind of had a weird scheduling conflict. Both Finding Nemo and Festival of the Lion King have their showtimes on the hour, most hours from 10 to 4. I wanted to see both, but they're on opposite sides of the park. I also figured I wanted some real food, and Satuli Canteen is pretty much the only place in Animal Kingdom I eat, so I also wanted to stop over there. Long story short is that I didn't really have a plan, so I decided to eat now and think lated. At Satuli I got two of my favorites: a steak and noodle bowl, and the kid's cheeseburger pod meal. A tip for anyone heading there who is very hungry: the bowls aren't very big, and they seem to be shrinking every year. While a drink is up to about $5, the kids meal is $8.59 and includes a drink, meaning you're paying $3.59 for the extra cheeseburger pod and a few snacks. And if you're not super hungry but just want to add the pod, you can make both kids meal sides tangerines and eat them later.



Thinking it over, I realized I had seen Festival of the Lion King a few times during previous trip but never Finding Nemo, so I prioritized that one. I spent a little bit of time walking around Pandora before making my way back across to Dinosaur. Got on with a 5 minute wait, and while not the best ride I think it's easily worth the air conditioning when it's a shorter line. Then it was time for Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond! The show uses live singers with puppets to tell the story of Finding Nemo, and for the first viewing I enjoyed it! The singers were very good, and the puppets were an interesting way to tell the story on stage. The performers are definitely why you go see this show, and I'm happy Disney has at least some interest in continuing to use stage shows.

Since I was in the area anyway, I grabbed 3 more rides on Everest, also one in the normal queue and two single rider. The 20 minute wait this time around let me get a nice look at the amazing theming, and at this point I think I'm on a first name basis with the Yeti and some of those explorers. I also picked up a new Everest shirt and a few pins, the main souvenirs for this trip. At this point it was close but not quite time for Flight of Passage round two, so I walked back through Asia. I thought about getting on Kali River Rapids, however I just wasn't feeling the water this trip so I did the animal walk instead. Only one tiger was out, however there was a herd of water buffalo right by the bridge you walk over halfway through, and the bird room is always cool. I also took a look around the shops in Africa before heading back into Pandora.

I walked up to the queue right as my time was called, scanned in, and took the slightly different trek up the hill, past the waterfall, and into the caves. There were only 4 or 5 people ahead of me in the Lightning Lane, so I was on in no time. Still just as great as earlier in the day. The ILL ended up saving me 75 minutes, however I was checking at other times in the morning and the line got as low as 55 minutes. This is in contrast to my visit last year, where the line never dipped below 120 minutes and ILLs sold out by 9 am. I think this is part of a general trend where parks are less crowded, especially in the summer, and Fall/Christmas is becoming the time to go. As a solo traveler, I still think it was worth $13, however if I were with a family or other group and we could keep each other company in line, I would probably wait to see how the lines were. It seems like whatever the line is at 9 am it will also be at noon or 1 pm, so judge for yourself if it's worth the cost and don't stress about getting it at 7 am.

While I could've stayed around longer, I did have another plan. I wanted to tap into Epcot right at 1:45, grab a Guardians return time, and then take the Skyliner over to Studios to get on a few more rides. I had a dilemma when planning this trip. I knew I had 3 park days, one of which will be my departure. I also knew I wanted to get on TRON and Guardians as much as possible, which requires morning return times or ILLs. And I wanted to see Animal Kingdom, however because it closes early it can be tough to hop there and still do what you want to. So this is how I ended up with the crazy plan of 3 parks in one day! So I grabbed the bus to Beach Club, finally got my first mug fill of the day, and tapped into Epcot at 1:50. I couldn't just tap in and leave, so I walked through the UK and Canada stores for about 10 minutes first, then took the Skyliner over to Studios. I also grabbed an ILL for Guardians at 8 pm, just in case something went wrong with my reservation.



I had an Oga's reservation at 3, so I didn't plan on doing any attractions right away. I spent the hour checking out some of the details around Galaxy's Edge. I was considering doing some of the bounty hunter missions, but the line just to receive them was pretty long, so I mainly walked through the marketplace. My time was called, and I got a nice standing place at the bar. I really miss when they had stools in here, but I guess that was just a 2020 precaution and was never meant to stay around. I've had most drinks there already, and was temped to get a Cliff Dweller just for the Porg, however for that same price I got two T-16 Skyhoppers, my favorite drink on the menu. It's also unique to Disney World, so I make it a point to get one when I'm here.

Upon walking out of Oga's, Smugglers Run was practically a walk-on, so I actually decided to watch the Hondoless preshow (I hear he's been broken for a while). Normally I go single rider, which puts you right in the Falcon's common room, but this is a pretty good queue to walk through when it doesn't stretch all the way outside. I was assigned engineer and gladly pushed those buttons. Oddly enough, I've been gunner a good number of times from the single rider queue, but as a solo, you're probably never getting pilot anyway unless the cast member is nice enough to let you wait. I don't mind the button pushing job, but you're too far away from the screen to really feel immersed in the ride, so I can understand why the single rider queue is always so short. After the ride I got a ronto wrap from Docking Bay 7, one of my favorite food items in the park.





Next was the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, a show that I've lover since I was a kid and still try to see every trip. Yes it's basically the same, but it's so cool! Even if you get there last minute, make sure to walk down towards the front. Since cast members don't usually make people squish in anymore, you can usually find a few open seats anywhere in the arena. After the show, Star Tours was a walk on so I got a quick ride in, and since Rise was unfortunately still down since I entered the park, I walked over for one quick ride on Tower of Terror before taking the boat over to Epcot. A tip from the driver: the Yacht and Beach club stop is actually best for getting off if you're going to Epcot, since tying off at the Boardwalk and park take so long.

My time was close enough that I walked right over to Guardians, cutting through creations shop just to see if they had anything interesting. I scanned in, and the line was decently long. I found out when getting up to the front that one of the two loading platforms was down, meaning the secondary line was taking a long time. Altogether it was about an hour before getting on, but I got September and that made everything worth it! Thanks to that wait, it was already ILL time when I got off, so I went right back to the entrance and into the preshow with no wait. By the time it was all done, the loading platform was back up and running, so it was only another 10 minutes, and I got September again!

The last things I needed to do was watch Epcot Forever, a show I only saw once before in the pouring rain and without most of the fireworks. I went towards Mexico for some Flower and Garden Festival dinner. I had the Taco Vampiro from Mexico and the Cheesy Crab Wontons and and Spicy Mala Chicken Skewer from China, all 3 of which were great. After that, I went to La Cava del Tequila, my favorite bar in all of WDW property, to get a drink for the show. I actually tried the Horchata instead of the margaritas, and it was just fine but nothing special. The blood orange is still my favorite, followed closely by the avocado and top shelf.

I ended the day watching fireworks from the bridge between Mexico and Future World, which as long as you're tall enough to see over the planters offers an amazing view of the lagoon. While I can't say it's my favorite show visually, I really like the idea of a show featuring the history of Epcot and Figment. You don't really need to stake out a spot, just stop where you are at 9 pm and look in the general direction of water. Once the show concluded, I made my way to the monorail and back to the Polynesian! Loving the location of this resort, and I even had time for a quick dip in the quiet pool before actually going to bed. Tomorrow is my departure day, meaning it was also time to pack up. Since my souvenirs consisted of the mug, 4 pins, and a shirt, it was easy enough to add those in my suitcase.



I feel like today's report is a bit more negative than others, and the reason is that it was an exhausting day. I really just can't ignore a park for an entire trip, which led to running over to Studios twice. If I had to replan this day again, I would've started in Animal Kingdom, still tapped in to Epcot and actually stayed there for a bit, then maybe do a midday break at the pool and return for fireworks. Then tomorrow could just be Magic Kingdom again instead of going back to see the rest of Flower and Garden. Oh well, lessons learned for next time. One of these days I'll get a park ticket and keep my step count under 30,000, but today was not that day.

Tomorrow starts in Epcot and end in my own bed!

 

[The Iron Giant]

Great report and it sounds like you had a great trip! Thank you for taking the time to write it up!

 

[jimmymc]

Day 5: Flower and Garden

Well the sad day has come, when I have to leave Disney World and return to real life. Luckily I have a park ticket and a late flight, so there is plenty of time for Disney magic. My reservation is for Epcot, so I wake up at 6:50 to get a virtual queue and finish packing. Drop my bags off at bell services and grab a mug full of Coke Zero before walking over to the Epcot Monorail. This little perk is quite the advantage of the Polynesian over monorail resorts. The resort monorail seems like it takes forever to catch and ride, so walking directly to the one you really want is nice. Packing took a bit more time than expected, and I arrived later to Epcot than planned, meaning the lines had already built up at the popular attractions. Not a huge deal, since this was meant to be a slower day, but I think next time I'll really try to get moving earlier.



I walk right from the front gate to Frozen Ever After, and even though the line is wrapped around the Norway courtyard, it moves quickly during early morning hours before Genie+ guests arrive. It takes about 40 minutes to get on, which isn't great but also way better than normal wait times. Got off the ride around 9:30 and my Guardians group had already been called! This part was pretty frustrating; it seems like they called the first 30 groups all right at 9 am, meaning that everyone went right there upon arriving in the park, and as a result the queue was out the door and almost at the scanners. While it sucks to wait for something you reserve, it's also one of my favorite rides in all of Disney World, and ended up being about an hour wait (luckily both tracks were loading today). I got "One Way or Another" for the first time, and I think that's my new second favorite, only behind September.

After Guardians, I did a quick single rider queue on Test Track, which took maybe 5 minutes, and headed to the festival booths in Epcot. First stop was a blood orange margarita from La Cava, and it was delicious. I passed by Mexico, Norway, and China since I ate there last night, and started looking at Germany. They had the same staples they always do of potato pancakes and melted cheese, and nothing looked particularly interesting in Italy, but I loved their Lady and Tramp topiary. My first food stop was the Japan booth for the creamy shrimp udon. I really like udon noodles, and this was a unique flavor that was also pretty filling.




Walking two more pavilions and seeing a long line for the France booth, I notices Remy's had a 45 minute wait and decided to hop in line. The wait ended up being 45 minutes exactly, which I think is worth it. Ratatouille is one of my favorite Disney movies, and I love how much the France area and DL Paris embrace him. I browsed the French shops for a few minutes before continuing around World Showcase.





Truth be told, I already knew a few dishes I wanted to get from passing by the booths yesterday, and they were in Canada and the Honey booth outside of Figment. Those dishes were the seared scallops from Canada and the Pollinator Flatbread and Honey Cheesecake from the honey/butterfly booth. First came the scallops, and they were delicious. It was 6 or 7 tiny scallops, about the size of a nickel, served on boiled potatoes and green beans. The scallops were good on their own, but the real flavor came from the brown butter vinaigrette and bacon bits covering the entire dish. That dressing was delicious and I think could go on almost anything. The pollinator flatbread consisted of honey-whipped mascarpone and goat cheese, caramelized onions, prosciutto, arugula, a honey balsamic vinaigrette, blueberries and bee pollen. It was sweet and savory, emphasis on the sweet, and all the strong flavors melded together well. I would definitely get either option again.

For a lunchtime dessert, first I had the honey mascarpone cheesecake from the same booth as the flatbread. This is the only dish I've had before, and it was clearly worth coming back for. The cheesecake itself is light and slightly sweet, and it comes with honey whipped cream, crystal honey, honeycomb, and dehydrated honey all on the same plate. Clearly it was designed with Winnie the Pooh in mind, but I was able to enjoy it just as much. My second dessert and final F&G item was the tarte chocolate mogador from France. The dish is a chocolate tart shell, filled with gooey brownie batter, walnuts, and a raspberry coulis. This wasn't just rich, it was Bill Gates winning the lottery and betting it all on the Mets in 1986 rich. And absolutely delicious, so I will definitely get it again in the future, but it's a lot for one person on a hot weekend in the Florida summer. This is the perfect French winter dessert, when you need to bulk up for survival. I also enjoyed the sparkling raspberry rose wine from the French booth, which was ok but I'd recommend one of the slushies or heading inside to the wine shop if that's what you're looking for.

After filling myself with delicious food, it was time for the finale of the trip: hopping over to Magic Kingdom for a quick ride on Tron. Right after getting the Guardians virtual queue, I managed to score a 2:05 ILL for TRON, giving me just enough time to ride and get back to the Poly for a 3:20 Mears connect pickup time. I snuck out the International Gateway exit and walked over to Beach Club (but not before stopping for another mug refill). Unfortunately I just missed the bus, and I was getting worried that the 15 minute wait for the next one would take too much time, but I had nothing to stress about. I was dropped off at Magic Kingdom by 1:55, and around 2:05 exactly I scanned my magic band and walked right into the preshow room. This time I was up in the second row, but unless you're in the front I don't think it makes too much of a difference on this ride.







I was off the ride by about 2:20, more than enough time to make my way back to the resort with time to spare, so I took a few minutes to just look at the details on the castle. Normally I make it a point to spend my last night at Disney World in Magic Kingdom, watch Happily Ever After, and stay in the hub and on Main Street as late as possible, just absorbing the magic. The short nature of the trip kind of derailed that plan, so I took a few minutes to drink some water on the hub grass and pay extra attention to the Main Street windows on the way out. I left the main gates right as an express monorail rolled in, so I jumped on that and took the short walk over from the TTC. I also grabbed one last iced tea from Capt. Cook's before picking up my bags.

So this might not be the best note to end a trip report on, but my experience using Mears Connect from the Poly to Orlando International has discouraged me from recommending them in the future. Rather than a large motorcoach, we were picked up in a Ford Transit Van. On its own that wouldn't be too bad, however the van was really cramped, had no legroom, smelled like dirt, and made 4 other resort stops before we left property. It was over an hour before we even started towards the airport, and every seat on the tiny van was filled. If there were a way to guarantee less time spent on the bus and a nice motorcoach then I would love to recommend them, but I think I'll stick to rideshares in the future. For two or three people, the price ends up about the same or sometimes better than Mears, and for a solo I think it's worth it for the time savings and comfort. Rideshare drivers in Orlando are in my experience fantastic, and I think you have a better chance of something going wrong with Mears than with a rideshare.

Orlando International was smooth. Only 2 or 3 people in front of me for the Delta bag drop, and precheck had zero line compared to 30-40 minutes for regular. Precheck is really worth the price just for Orlando, so I would recommend anyone get it if you go to Disney once a year or more. Once through security I stopped by the Club Lounge to take a shower. It's included as a benefit with my Amex card, but if you're looking to head straight to the airport after a park day, the lounge also sells passes for $50 per person. The food is pretty bad, but they have a full bar, the seating is comfortable, and the shower was very nice. If you're just hungry, the Delta lounge has much better food, but you can't buy day passes there any more. While sitting in the lounge I also received a little Magic Moment by being upgraded to Comfort+, with an entire row to myself. So thank you Delta for making the last leg of my travel day a bit better!





So that concludes my trip, seeing as much as I could in only four days! My flight landed in Michigan about 100 hours after leaving, and I can happily say I packed a lot into a shorter visit, making it to all four parks and taking advantage of the amenities on my first ever stay at the Polynesian. It was definitely busy, I had a lot of fun and also learned some things for my next visit. I think I will save my final thoughts and a room review for the next post. See ya real soon!

 

[erinch]

Loved your report!
What DVC rooms do you like the best, if not Poly?