Our 'Ohana is Making a Splash on Safari: Reporting LIVE from...AKL (8/6)

[eeyorepixie]

so happpy you got your request!!! I guess I am so happy because that is my room request too

 

[iloveeeyore]

Perfect ! - DGrD and I will be staying at Poly for the first time in Dec. - and I'm thinking of taking 2DNephs 1DNiece and DGrD to WDW this same week next year. I always swore I'd never return mid-summer - so I will love hearing how the heat and crowds go for you - and whether or not the parks are still overrun by tour groups. So thanks for reporting - and ENJOY!!

We use Tour Guide Mike, whose advice is priceless during times like this. I highly recommend!

Thanks so much! The bbq pork tacos or the peanut chicken!

You must be so excited right now!!

I'll find out Sat. Night. And yes, we are over the moon. The photographer at Chef Mickey said our happiness made her day. Our pic came out so corny and she was cracking up at us.

OMG!!!! Reading your trip report is making me too excited to get any work done today, LOL. Congrats on getting your room request!!
I'm anxiously awaiting your next update, LOL!

I can relate. I felt the same way reading other reports when I was planning

Ah, it's a good start when you get your room request granted

Oh yeah!

so happpy you got your request!!! I guess I am so happy because that is my room request too

I had requested 3rd floor volcano side in either Samoa or Fiji. So thrilled with our view!

 

[iloveeeyore]

I forgot to mention that the CM who checked us in told us that the Poly is at 100% capacity this week.

The GCH and the main entrance and the area around the volcano pool seemed very congested. We wanted to take a few pics but couldn't find many spots that were unoccupied. I think it might have been like that cuz close to check-out time?

After a restroom break and browsing around the lobby and Boutiki, we checked our carry-ons with bell services and took a monorail ride. Not just for the monorail but because I needed to upgrade my ticket to an annual pass and purchase TIW card.

We boarded the monorail at 10:51. We were walking down the ramp from the monorail station toward MK at 11:01 when i received the txt that our room was ready.

The MK didn't seem that crowded at 11:00. The CM who upgraded my pass said it wasn't too bad for this time of year. I was done with my business by 11:20 and i could not believe the crowds pouring in only 20 minutes.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We were ordering lunch at Captain Cooks by 11:40 and our buzzer went off by 11:46. The food was very good the place was clean and not crowded. We had our choice of a few tables indoors which was good because it was getting very hot out. I think it hit 93 today but several people told us it had been hotter yesterday. There was a 40% chance of t-storms all day but no rain so far.

At CC's I ordered hawaiian flatbread, Bells had the noodle bowl with chicken and Aladdin and Herc both got the aloha pork sandwich with hawaiian chips. We all tasted some of everything and we all thought everything was yummy. We all agree that we would each order any of those items again easily. We couldn't even pick a winner. All equally good. We also bought our refillable mugs. Love the light pomegranate lemonade!

Big thumbs up for CC's!

 

[paras4ri]

Yay for refillable mugs - what are the drink choices? We haven't stayed at a Disney resort to get them since 1999! I love the Swan and Dolphin but we are SO excited to be staying at the Poly - and Pop soon!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Yay for refillable mugs - what are the drink choices? We haven't stayed at a Disney resort to get them since 1999! I love the Swan and Dolphin but we are SO excited to be staying at the Poly - and Pop soon!

I know there's coke, diet coke, coke zero, sprite, rootbeer, and light pomegranate lemonade, coffee and teabags, hot chocolate. I think i also saw orange soda but not sure. I will check tomorrow. I didn't notice iced tea but i feel like it's there. I will check on that too.

 

[iloveeeyore]

I have to interrupt my own tale to interject HOLY COW NIGHTASTIC IS UNBELIEVABLE INCREDIBLE AWESOME STUPENDOUS!! Wonderful view from Poly beach too. Gotta go to bed now. Rope drop tomorrow.

 

[logpey]

This is wonderful, getting actual live updates, I will be there Saturday, and you've made me almost burst with excitement!!!

 

[gellybean]

Your live TR made my night/day!! So exciting to read live feedback while someone is in the world. To feel just a little of the magic vicariously through you may get me through the next 3 days. (Ticker is wrong... added a night on the front of the trip and didn't want to lose the progress my ticker had already made so I kept the old one)

That's crazy that the Poly is at capacity. for getting your room request!! I requested Samoa, quiet pool side. Hoping I get my request too. Didn't put a floor request in and now am wondering if I should call back and change my request. I don't think it's too late. Hmmmm... how is the noise level on the Volcano side?

Glad to hear Nightastic is AWESOME! We have plans to watch from the Poly beach, from MK and from Cali Grill. Gotta get all the firework viewing in that we can!!

Have a fabulous trip! Can't wait to hear more! We stayed at AKL in January and love love loved it! Hope you enjoy it as well!

Edited to ask - what time should we try to be at the Poly monorail stop to make rope drop at Magic Kingdom (opening at 9am)? I've never attempted rope drop before, and definitely am clueless as far as how morning 'rush hour' affects the monorail wait times from Poly to MK! Thanks!!

 

[eeyorepixie]

I am a TGM'er too but I am in the AVC TGM combined with the DIS you are sure to have the best trip! They have just announced the MSEP will be extended, I am hoping the Summer Nightastic Fireworks will be extended too. Have a dolewhip for me!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Do you notice that the resort is at capacity? Just curious if it has had an effect on Capn Cooks or the pools at all. So happy that you are enjoying your time and sharing it with us - thank you!

 

[bluejasmine]

Thanks so much for all the live reports! Im so jealous!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Yay for refillable mugs - what are the drink choices? We haven't stayed at a Disney resort to get them since 1999! I love the Swan and Dolphin but we are SO excited to be staying at the Poly - and Pop soon!

There is orange soda for sure and also an iced tea machine with a few varieties of sweet and unsweetened tea. I had some tonight. So yummy. Also powerade in blue. Plus all of the above-mentioned.

This is wonderful, getting actual live updates, I will be there Saturday, and you've made me almost burst with excitement!!!

Saturday! That's today now since its after midnight. See you later!

Your live TR made my night/day!! So exciting to read live feedback while someone is in the world. To feel just a little of the magic vicariously through you may get me through the next 3 days. (Ticker is wrong... added a night on the front of the trip and didn't want to lose the progress my ticker had already made so I kept the old one)

That's crazy that the Poly is at capacity. for getting your room request!! I requested Samoa, quiet pool side. Hoping I get my request too. Didn't put a floor request in and now am wondering if I should call back and change my request. I don't think it's too late. Hmmmm... how is the noise level on the Volcano side?
I only notice noise in the middle of the day when the party and games are going on and im on the balcony. With the door closed we hear nothing. The view is beautiful on this side. Personally i would request a patio or balcony. We are really enjoying our balcony.
Glad to hear Nightastic is AWESOME! We have plans to watch from the Poly beach, from MK and from Cali Grill. Gotta get all the firework viewing in that we can!!
We are seeing them from all 3 of those places, too!
Have a fabulous trip! Can't wait to hear more! We stayed at AKL in January and love love loved it! Hope you enjoy it as well!

Edited to ask - what time should we try to be at the Poly monorail stop to make rope drop at Magic Kingdom (opening at 9am)? I've never attempted rope drop before, and definitely am clueless as far as how morning 'rush hour' affects the monorail wait times from Poly to MK! Thanks!!

We haven't been to MK rope drop yet, we will saturday but we will be at monorail no later than 8-8:15. We like to be close to the rope.

I am a TGM'er too but I am in the AVC TGM combined with the DIS you are sure to have the best trip! They have just announced the MSEP will be extended, I am hoping the Summer Nightastic Fireworks will be extended too. Have a dolewhip for me!

Thank you! I also have an alterego on TGM! Role whip tomorrow!

Do you notice that the resort is at capacity? Just curious if it has had an effect on Capn Cooks or the pools at all. So happy that you are enjoying your time and sharing it with us - thank you!

We have eaten at CC's twice and both times we had our pick of tables. The line for the volcano slide was very long thursday from 3 pm, but it was fine at noon-2 and the pool itself was not bad. We were able to get lounge chairs at 3 pm and there were dozens available on the beach. The only time it felt really packed here was when we checked in. The monorails to mk and epcothave been a breeze.

Thanks so much for all the live reports! Im so jealous!

You're not far behind!

Thanks for reading everyone. I had a phone battery issue today, sorry slow updates!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday after lunch we came up to our room around 12:15 and our bags arrived 5 minutes later. The room is beautiful and the view is gorgeous. Such a lovely view for a garden price.

Plus the location is amazing. We are steps from CC's to fill our mugs and so close to the gch and pool

I can't say the room is completely pristine. There is a wax stain in the middle o the carpet and some moisture stains near the AC vent on the ceiling. There is also some staining in the counter around the sink and in the bar area. They are not dirty, but stained. This doesn't really bother us because we already adore the Poly, but i can imagine if we were first-timers with worries and doubts these issues might turn us off. There is definitely some minor wear and tear showing. Also, the carpet in the hallway is in major need of a shampoo. Outside everything looks gorgeous.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Oops sorry i posted the same photo twice above. Too hard to go back and fix.
After unpacking we rented water mice (sea raycers but Aladdin insists on water mice) OMG so much fun! The kids each got to drive their own boat so we rented4. I know, neither one has a license, Belle is 15 for one more day and Herc is only 13 but they said as long as a parent signed a waiver they could drive their own boats. I was so thrilled by this and so were they and honestly it was one of the best things we have ever done. There's no ride like this in Disney World...oh, wait...;

So after 30 minutes of tearing it up on the lagoon we relaxed in the pool together. The line for the slide was too long to wait on (by now it was about 3) so as just swam. The ground near the pool was so hot i burned my feet walking from my chair to the pool. Be careful!

Oh during some parts of the afternoon there was loud pop music playing at the pool but it wasn't happening when we were swimming. We love the new loop music by the way and even enjoy it underwater!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Dinner thurs night was at chef mickey's. I was a little apprehensive about it because we didn't have a great experience last time and the food was pretty bad, plus all the negative recent reviews, but i have to say we were very pleasantly surprised. I will save all the details for my dining report, but let me say everything was great! The service, characters and food were much better than we expected and we would not hesitate to go again at all. We left very happy and full and in a real disney kind o mood.

Btw, from the Poly to CR took 8 minutes and from CR back to poly was 5 minutes. No lie. I timed it

After dinner we got back in the volcano pool this time rode the awesome slide and watched ewp and fireworks from the beach. I just love ewp and summer nightastic is simply magnificent! That's all i can say.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Friday was an epcot all day until you drop day. Quick breakfaat at empty CC's at 7:20, and left our room a little before 8 and took 8 minutes to reach monorail boarding area (walking to ttc). Got to epcot at 8:19 after 9-minute ride. There weren't very many people there for rope drop. Aladdin was second in line at the soarin fp booth...second behind...a brasilian tour guide who got close to 100 fast passes! Lessons: yes there is at least one VERY LARGE tour group still here and do NOT get in the fp line behind someone wearing a lime green shirt that says brazil on it!

Other than this minor issue, we bad a good touring day in epcot. It was HOT but there's a lot inside and it seemed like all the crowds were at tt and soarin. We managed to ride soarin twice, sum of all thrills, mission space orange, test track, SE, LWTL, behind the seeds tour, two KP missions, maelstrom, rio del tiempo, chefs de france lunch, san angel inn dinner and illuminations.

For now, nighty night!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Aloha! Rise and shine. Magic kingdom today!!

 

[eeyorepixie]

Aloha, great picture! My friend just got back and said there were a bunch of Brazilian tours when she was there, so if there is only one now you are doing good

love the water mice and it does sound fun, storing in memory bank for when kids get to be teens.

Enjoy the castle princess!!!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Aloha, great picture! My friend just got back and said uthere were a bunch of Brazilian tours when she was there, so if there is only one now you are doing good

love the water mice and it does sound fun, storing in memory bank for when kids get to be teens.

Enjoy the castle princess!!!

Re the tour groups yes we only noticed that one and only because it directly impacted our touring plan so drastically. Because of it our fp return time was 10 and our standby wait was 20 minutes. It kind of threw the rest of the plans a little off even though we did exactly what we were supposed to, with Aladdin being only 2nd in line.


Re the water mice, you can drive with the kids a passengers which im sure is fun too but we also waited until ours could drive. Much more fun for them plus the boats go faster the lighter they are.