Trip Report Go With The Flow...It's Spring Break, You Know! *COMPLETED*

Attention all planners (you know who you are!) ~ it is actually possible to have an excellent WDW vacation without following a pre-determined day-by-day (or minute-by-minute for you micro-planners) schedule. Even when it means missing the MK Welcome Show three times (*sigh*) or Wishes (gasp!) Even when you get stuck on a monorail for an hour and fifteen minutes. Or have to wait 40 minutes in the Main Street Starbucks and you aren't getting coffee (or even a snack).

Did you know it is possible to score a same-day ADR for dinner at Garden Grill (at a decent dinner hour)? Or snag a pre-park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace the night before? I wouldn't either, had we stuck to my plan.

Now some advance planning is always necessary, especially during the busy Spring Break period. And we are spring break veterans (having survived Easter week a few times!) so we know what to expect. That's why it was especially hard for me, the planner, to give up/adjust some of our plans and Go With The Flow! (channeling my inner Crush, can you tell?)

Now the details:
April 3-9, 2016
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Cast:
Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 (known as Em)

and our beloved Woody! He makes it possible for our Disney dreams to come true .

Goofy is his favorite!

Join us on a fun-filled week of surprises. Did we get to stay in a bungalow? Stay tuned.

 

[Tiggerish]

What a great pic! Thanks for sharing!


Then of course there was this (look how proud she is of herself!)

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And this:

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She certainly does look very proud of herself. And rightly so, IMO.

Em and I only spent an hour or so at the pool, to allow time for showers before partaking of our last appetizers/Ku U Leis in the lounge. It is our tradition to spend the last night of vacation at the MK, so we took a relaxing cruise across the lagoon when happy hour was over.

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At this moment, all is right with my world .

We spent some time on Main Street when we arrived, soaking in the atmosphere and people watching. I take note of t-shirts which amuse me or make me laugh. Here are a few (all worn by men):

I Speak Fluent Sarcasm
I'm Probably Lying
Maelstrom: Never Forget

And my favorite:
Grumpy --- It's Not Just a Mood, It's a Lifestyle

We discussed where to have dinner. The people who say that you can make a meal out of the appetizers served in the club lounges are either:
a) Lying
or
b) Eat like birds
Cause when we're on vacation, we like to eat, baby!

Pecos Bill's was our choice. I recently read someone's post that since the menu change to Southwestern fare, Pecos Bill's is expensive, empty and the toppings bar "stinks because there aren't grilled onions or mushrooms anymore." Well I won't argue expensive (but aren't all the restaurants?!) but empty?? New menu or not, we've never been in Pecos Bill's when it is NOT crowded!! And while the grilled onions and mushrooms may be gone off the toppings bar, the entrees now come with grilled onions and bell peppers ~ and the toppings bar offers fresh guacamole and a roasted corn salsa that was delicious! We devoured our fajitas and salad.

(Sorry no food pics...we began eating before it occurred to us...and pictures of partially-eaten food are unappealing, to say the least! )

We used our Mansion FP after we finished dinner. It was now dark, and HM is one of those attractions that is better experienced at night. Hanging with those 999 Happy Haunts caused a sweet tooth craving (cause when you think of ghosts, you also think of ice cream ) so a trip to Auntie Gravity's was in order. Two hit fudge sundaes and a root beer float, please!

Our last ride was a spin on the TTA Peoplemover, another attraction better when it is dark. Tomorrowland just looks cooler when the neon is illuminated:

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Did you notice the moon in the above shot?

How about now?
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For those of you looking for MSEP pictures, you won't find them in this report. We don't watch the MSEP. Oh, I loved the floats and Baroque Hoedown back in the 70s and 80s. But when SpectroMagic arrived....well, that just blew MSEP out of the water!! There were some summer nights when we would watch it twice. (@lostpro9het, the Wandas were known to shed a tear or two when watching it on our last night of vacation.) It made us mad when Disney "brought back" the MSEP and we hoped it was just for a limited engagement...it made us sick when we learned the SpectroMagic floats were left to rot in the elements and could not be repaired.

So we don't watch MSEP out of SPITE!! (However, we will be staking our spot on the curb should MK ever get Paint The Night or a new nighttime light parade.)

Due to the crowds around the hub and Main Street, we opted to take the behind-the-scenes exit out of MK.

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Little did we know it would take an hour and 45 minutes to get back to the Poly.....

Is it just me, or if you say Ku U Lei really fast, it sounds kind of like Kool-Aid??

Those t-shirts sure are attention-getters.

I love MK at night. Have never been to Auntie Gravity's--now I must try it!

1:45? Oh, no! That turned out to be some story.

We're on our way!

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Love the creativity with the water decanter. When I dined here with Drumr in September, Mickey was made from lemons.

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Though we have eaten lunch at dinner at Crystal Palace before, this was our first breakfast. I remember @HouCuseChickie (among others) giving it glowing reviews, and I was excited to try it for myself. We were seated at a table by a window overlooking the hub. Pooh came over immediately.

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Woody is a big fan of omelets so the "Create Your Own" station was a must-do for him.

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The potato casserole beside the omelet was very tasty and the bacon was cooked to crispy perfection. I finally got to have a Mickey waffle and sample the much-ballyhooed Pooh's Puffed French Toast. Let's just say it is worthy of all the praise!!!! I had to go back for seconds (and *maybe* thirds ). I even booked a reservation for our June trip while sitting at our table...it was that good!!

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Piglet stopped by...

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...followed by Eeyore

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As we ate, we saw the Mayor making his way down Main Street for the Welcome Show. A while later, we laughed as we watched the sea of humanity briskly walk towards the Castle after park opening. It was quite the sight to behold!

Tigger was the last friend to greet us:
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Two thumbs up, Crystal Palace!!

The only thing that outranks MK at night is...MK first thing in the morning for a Crystal Palace breakfast! Pooh's PFT is awesome. And so is your picture with Tigger.

I bought the same t-shirt as Em is wearing. F&G merch did a great job this year, lots of wonderful choices.

What she didn't post was the picture of me curled up on top of her suitcase!

Now THAT made me LOL.

Great TR, @Tuvalu!!

Enjoying the follow up, too. A sunny day at the Epcot Flower & Garden festival beats pretty much anything else, in my book!!

 

[Gabe1]

I'm always behind but love your trip reports! You've made me giggle with your travel day first post as we are the same.


I wish I knew the secret to sleeping the night before a Disney vacation starts. - Boy that is me too, always. If I manage an hour or two I'm blessed and we are first flight out with over an hour taxi to the airport.

we had TSA pre-check (thanks, Woody!) it was still 20 minutes to get through security. - I could only dream of TSA this short, we are averaging 90 to 120 minutes at either Chicago airport and even longer for TSA as of late. Crazy nuts. Even the last 3 flights through Pre-Cleared were beyond long. Considering how busy Atlanta is I am beyond in awe.

And now onto the rest of your adventure.....

 

[Gabe1]

The level of excitement on Woody's face is off the charts!!!

Happy Wife, Happy Life!

 

[Gabe1]

We climbed the stairwell to take in the view. This is similar to what we could see from my favorite corner room:
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.

This is a photo I absolutely love. The Poly view as it was meant to be. Would Em mind if I snarf'd it up for my Poly collection? Pretty Please?

 

[Gabe1]

This is so funny!! Wow. Pig is like a chameleon -- in that he can change his (costume) "colors" depending upon where he is traveling in the world!

Regarding your comments on the double strollers, what happened to the front-to-back kind? Years ago, I remember seeing little kids in those. It's the side-to-side ones that are wide and hard to get around, if you're trying to pass. And, I was really surprised to see your photo of people leaving them outside their door? I don't know what FL fire code is about any obstructions in public hotel hallways, but I do seriously question whether anything should be placed there, even on the side of hallways.

Not like guests can't fold them in their room right? Still I blame Disney for this stroller dilemma. The overall greed in pricing and the fall out on the buses etc a direct result of the greed. Yes reasonalble price increases are to be expected however in a matter of days guests could buy the strollers they rent now. We only traveled with a not practical for park umbrella stroller. The stroller rental bay checked our umbrella stroller and in return we rented for $5 a blue metal stroller. Those strollers took little space per vehicle to park. A second older child could ride when tired if back was laid flat. Voila a double stroller. This is one area I refuse to blame the guests as Disney by their price point for renting a stroller has pushed parents to bring their own strollers where they likely would not if priced at an acceptable level. They can fix that if they cared.

 

[Gabe1]

We made our way towards World Showcase.

Em ordered a cider flight from a kiosk in the U.K. It contained a lager and pear, blueberry and black cherry hard ciders. She and I adored the black cherry (McKenzie's...highly recommend!) and I have been on a hunt for it since we returned home.

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Mm...even though it's 6:30am I could go for some black cherry cider!

Try:
https://www.beermenus.com/beers/10919-mckenzie-s-black-cherry-hard-cider

 

[Gabe1]

Enjoyed your report and all the photos and stumbling into your follow up trip, a perfect end.

 

[Tuvalu]

She certainly does look very proud of herself. And rightly so, IMO.



Is it just me, or if you say Ku U Lei really fast, it sounds kind of like Kool-Aid??

Those t-shirts sure are attention-getters.

I love MK at night. Have never been to Auntie Gravity's--now I must try it!

1:45? Oh, no! That turned out to be some story.



The only thing that outranks MK at night is...MK first thing in the morning for a Crystal Palace breakfast! Pooh's PFT is awesome. And so is your picture with Tigger.

I bought the same t-shirt as Em is wearing. F&G merch did a great job this year, lots of wonderful choices.



Now THAT made me LOL.

Great TR, @Tuvalu!!

Enjoying the follow up, too. A sunny day at the Epcot Flower & Garden festival beats pretty much anything else, in my book!!

You're exactly right...Ku U Lei said quickly does sound like Kool-Aid! (So I guess I have to admit...I drank the Kool-Aid .)

We have been known to stop at Auntie Gravity's as early as 10:30 in the morning ("It's always time for ice cream"...right, @Longers? ) But my favorite Auntie story happened one evening last summer. Em was ahead of Woody and me in line; she ordered, paid and went to the counter. We ordered our two sundaes and the cashier handed me the receipt, mumbled "It's on Mickey, have a magical night" and promptly left her register and walked away! The only thing better than ice cream is Free ice cream! (And Em was jealous .)

Agree about F&G merchandise this year! I bought the peach Minnie for me and the purple Figment for my mom (she's a big Figment fan.)

Thanks for reading and your kind words!

 

[Tuvalu]

Happy Wife, Happy Life!

You know it, sister!

This is a photo I absolutely love. The Poly view as it was meant to be. Would Em mind if I snarf'd it up for my Poly collection? Pretty Please?

I am sure she would be flattered!

Not like guests can't fold them in their room right? Still I blame Disney for this stroller dilemma. The overall greed in pricing and the fall out on the buses etc a direct result of the greed. Yes reasonalble price increases are to be expected however in a matter of days guests could buy the strollers they rent now. We only traveled with a not practical for park umbrella stroller. The stroller rental bay checked our umbrella stroller and in return we rented for $5 a blue metal stroller. Those strollers took little space per vehicle to park. A second older child could ride when tired if back was laid flat. Voila a double stroller. This is one area I refuse to blame the guests as Disney by their price point for renting a stroller has pushed parents to bring their own strollers where they likely would not if priced at an acceptable level. They can fix that if they cared.

We used an umbrella stroller for all 3 of our children and they were no worse for wear. And by age 4, there was no more stroller! Disney is definitely responsible for the stroller monster it created.

Try:
https://www.beermenus.com/beers/10919-mckenzie-s-black-cherry-hard-cider

Have I mentioned that I have the Best Daughter Ever??!!! For Mother's Day she bought me a 12-pack:

Enjoyed your report and all the photos and stumbling into your follow up trip, a perfect end.

Thanks for the compliments!

 

[Tuvalu]

And one last kitty picture...Poly with her Poly pillow!

 

[MinnieM123]

No matter how many pix you have shared of Poly, she just gets cuter in each photo!

 

[Beckett]

Awesome trip report! I laughed at the "Tragical Express" it's funny how when you arrive at the airport this is the best sight but at the end of your vacation it becomes this I had never stayed onsite until last December and I have to say that at that moment I understood how leaving the Disney Bubble truly felt! Your pictures are great, I wish that one day I can go as often as you do, too bad I can't just drive there from where I live...have fun in your trip!

 

[Doc Disney]

No, we did not The Doc family's bus pulled up just as we said our hellos.

As soon as we got on the bus I was like noooooo we didn't get a picture

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

I loved reading your TR. It seems like you had a wonderful trip! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Tuvalu]

No matter how many pix you have shared of Poly, she just gets cuter in each photo!

And wait until you see Kona...

Awesome trip report! I laughed at the "Tragical Express" it's funny how when you arrive at the airport this is the best sight but at the end of your vacation it becomes this I had never stayed onsite until last December and I have to say that at that moment I understood how leaving the Disney Bubble truly felt! Your pictures are great, I wish that one day I can go as often as you do, too bad I can't just drive there from where I live...have fun in your trip!

Thanks for following along! We had another great trip and another is on the horizon

As soon as we got on the bus I was like noooooo we didn't get a picture

I have senior brain...what's your excuse?

I loved reading your TR. It seems like you had a wonderful trip! Thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks so much for reading! Have fun on your upcoming vacation!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Loved you report!!! (can't remember if I've already commented, so I'm doing it again!). I loved all of your pictures! I will be a faithful Tuvalu trip report reader now!

 

[Tuvalu]

Loved you report!!! (can't remember if I've already commented, so I'm doing it again!). I loved all of your pictures! I will be a faithful Tuvalu trip report reader now!

Awwwww, thanks

 

[acp9293]

Awesome report! Love the Poly. I'll have to take notes from your "go with the flow" attitude. Heading down with my grandma for 4 days and I have to learn to do that. Lol

 

[Tuvalu]

Awesome report! Love the Poly. I'll have to take notes from your "go with the flow" attitude. Heading down with my grandma for 4 days and I have to learn to do that. Lol

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Ok, so I lied about one last kitty picture! Since he was introduced earlier in this TR, I thought it was fitting to show Kona today . Only a few more days with his siblings, then Kona will be HOME.