A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: A March 2011 Disney Wedding/Honeymoon Trip Report

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

My parents decided to wander around the resort a bit and get their bearings. They found Sunset Pointe while they were out there and loved it. How could they not with this view?

Our luggage arrived and we started unpacking. Soon after, Kathy called and said they were back in their room... so we went to get our stuff. I was having separation anxiety from my dress. :lol: While we were over there we drooled a bit over the view from their room. Nanea Volcano and the Wedding Pavilion... GORGEOUS! This may just be the best room view I've ever seen; certainly the best one I've ever seen in person!

Brett was carrying the tubs with all of our wedding day stuff in it, which left me with my dress. By the time we made it back to our room I felt like I’d put in a full hour long workout; my arms were killing me. Maybe someone needs to hit the gym a little harder, hmm?! It’s amazing how heavy my dress really was, because when it was physically on me, it felt light as could be. Anyhow, we got back to our room, finished unpacking and got ready for the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show. Luckily, I also remembered to call our planner, photographer, and hair/makeup folks to let them know our room number. I couldn’t believe it... we were getting married in less than 24 hours!

We left Tahiti around 4:30pm to start our trek to Luau Cove and meet up with everyone. I didn’t notice this until I looked at the picture after we got home, but even the signage right in front of our longhouse suggests guests use the monorail at the TTC to get to the Magic Kingdom:

We hooked up with Kathy, Danny, and Derek when we hit Samoa. I called my mom as we made it around the marina to tell them where we were. It turns out they didn’t get into their room until after 4:00pm, and their luggage had just arrived (with a busted up 12 pack of Diet Dr. Pepper

). Brett and his parents moved along and I ran into Fiji to talk to my parents as they finished getting ready.

They had a great view...

Although, it was hard to enjoy it because it took 10 minutes to get the patio door open. It was sticking really badly, and after opening and closing it the one time, it was too much of a hassle to fight with again. In addition to that, one of the knobs on the sink in the bathroom fell off in my dad’s hand when he went to turn it on, and there was a pair of dirty socks at the edge of one of the beds; a bed which was definitely broken. It’s like a leg was missing... the bottom left corner was lower than the rest of the bed and it was completely crooked.

There wasn’t even Mickey soap/shampoo in the bathroom. And I didn’t find this out until a couple weeks ago when my mom and I took a short girls trip to the World and she got all excited over the soaps in the bathroom at Port Orleans. She had no clue what I was talking about when I commented on how they aren't as nice as those given out at the deluxes and DVC villas. Ugghhh.

My parents weren’t that put out by it and were taking the “It’s no big deal, it’ll be okay” approach, but it upset me; mostly because it was their first trip and I wanted everything to be perfect. Regardless of that though, in my opinion, a room that goes for a rack rate of $540 per night in peak season should NEVER be in this kind of condition when a guest checks in. I thought they should call about the issues, because I figured the folks at the front desk would make it right, but my parents had a good point that they didn’t have time. Plus, it would’ve been a major inconvenience to try and switch rooms the morning of the wedding, so I let it go. I just really hated that this happened to them.

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

Moving on...

We checked in at Luau Cove around 4:45pm, got lei’d, and then stood for the super expensive, “who-in-their-right-mind-would-purchase-it?” photo op.

Ta-Da... I am that person! :lookaroun :ROFLOL:

Of course, they waited until our table had consumed half the bud light keg before asking if we’d like to purchase the photo, so I wouldn’t exactly say I was in my right mind. Sneaky, but smart. Impulse buy at the time? Yes. Super glad I have it now? Absolutely. I kinda find it to be better than the group shot of all of us in wedding attire, so I’m really glad we purchased it.

After the picture, we stood around taking a lot more. What else are you supposed to do when they ask you to arrive 30 minutes early and then ask you to wait 30 minutes before going in?

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

It was hilarious, all the guys ended up wearing green polos. And here I had totally forgotten it was St. Patrick’s Day.

Kathy, thinking she was being all stealth, pulled my mom aside to conspire about something. She couldn’t have been more obvious about it. :lol: And she kept turning around and looking at us while she was talking, I guess to see if we were on to her, which we clearly were. :wave: You know, I never did find out what it was all about.

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

Soon enough 5:15pm rolled around and it was time to go find our table. We had great seats near the stage, albeit, they were the teensiest, tiniest, shortest chairs ever. You know though, with access to an open bar, this was a much safer alternative for all us drunks who might fall out of 'em! :lol:

We didn’t mind the tiny chairs though, because the view was great. There were a couple of menus out, although, I’m not sure why they even bother with that considering the food is already waiting for you when you arrive at your table!

First was the pineapple bread, salad with mango dressing, and fresh pineapple. Yes, please!

Followed by heaping mounds of barbecued ribs, roasted chicken, Polynesian rice and veggies...

Shall we title this next photo “Gluttony?”

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

There was beer, too. And lots of it! I can’t recall the last time I had a bud light... it really is about like drinking water. :lol: But no one should ever complain about all-you-can-drink beer so I happily accepted it.

Kathy decided to have a strawberry daiquiri instead. I squealed like a little girl when I saw the souvenir glass (which is actually plastic). Of course, Kathy gladly ordered another daiquiri so I could have this fabulous set of plastic ware(!). Talk about taking one for the team. :lol: That a girl!

The servers certainly kept the drinks flowing throughout the evening. Check out these wine glasses... it’s quantity over quality tonight! The wine snob in me is wondering how in the world you swirl that for a good bouquet. :lol:

Oh yeah, and believe it or not there was more than just food/alcohol at this shindig; although, you’d never know it based on the pictures and commentary up to this point. As we were enjoying the apps and entrees we learned that Leilani was going off to college.

And soon enough, birthdays were being celebrated:

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

Next, they were welcoming couples up to celebrate their love for one another. Sure, why the hell not? I’ve had quite a few beers and I’m feeling all lovey-dovey on the eve of our wedding, let’s get things started...

Now, we’ve been to the luau before and USUALLY once one couple gets up to dance, two dozen others follow suit. Not this time. We were totally the only people dancing for the whole 3 (but felt like 30) minute song. AWKWARD much? I think so. :lol: :lookaroun

There were chocolate mousse volcanoes waiting for us when we returned to our seats.

But more importantly... our beers had been refilled while we were dancing. Bless you, servers, bless you!

After enjoying dessert, we ordered our last round of drinks and took a few pictures while we waited for the rest of the show to start.

meganw1985 · May 8, 2011

Freak outs began about 2 weeks ago. I've only had a couple, but I feel the anxiety welling up inside of my chest more frequently lol. My bachelorette party is this weekend, and I am definately going to welcome the good night with my girlfriends and presumably LOTS of shots at the piano bar!

I have to ask, because I have always wanted to do it, was the luau worth it? The food looks fantastic, but so is the food at Ohana (although the entertainment there is somewhat lacking) haha.

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

“Last call for alcohol”

meant that it was time for the real show to start…

Once the guys came out, from somewhere behind me I heard Kathy loudly wish for a wardrobe malfunction! Someone cut that lady off. :ROFLOL:

Hmm... I have to wonder if they use the Wii Fit Super Hula Hoop to stay in shape?!

foreverbelle · May 8, 2011

Ah your making me jealous...lol. I so want to get married all over again just to experience the excitement!!

I am loving the trip report and I love the whole flip flop idea. It was an idea that was nixed at my own..so I love them. And very cute.

The Spirit of Aloha looks great. Its one I have never done...but it looks like you guys had a lot of fun...which I expect since it was the eve of the wedding.

I can't wait for the rest of the report!! And so jealous you'll be back down in 4 days!

WDWFigment · May 8, 2011

^Hilarious account of Spirit of Aloha. I've often wondered whether anyone purchases the photos they do at some of these locations, but if I went to one that offered bottom-less drinks, I might easily become one of those people. Plus, it was your wedding trip, so you get a pass.

I know what you mean with Bud Light. I find Disney's beer selection, overall, to be seriously lacking. Even World Showcase is somewhat sub-par. (Le Cellier, on the other hand, does have good beer, but the carts in Canada do not!)

Looks like you had a great time at the show!

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

After Leilani’s solo, it was time for some crowd involvement. Within seconds she had Brett up on stage.

Here he was getting his instructions, which as I understand went something like this “We’re going to represent Tahiti… so dance Tahitian.” Ummm… okay!

The penultimate act was up next…

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

The fire guy came out next for the grand finale. And that’s when we realized they skipped one of the dances; the one representing Samoa, I believe. Does anyone know if they no longer do this one, or if it was just an anomaly for the evening?

My sister's name, Lani, was derived from the name Leilani, so it was kinda cool how her name was tied into our wedding weekend:

When the show was over we took our time exiting Luau Cove. Danny and Derek disappeared… I think they took off for the Magic Kingdom. There was still a good bit of time before the Electrical Water Pageant was set to start, so we decided to do a little resort hopping on the monorail. The monorail was absolutely packed, so much so that making the loop wasn’t that enjoyable. After the Grand, we decided to skip the Contemporary and just head back to the Polynesian.

One of the things I was looking forward to most about the “wedding weekend” was having everyone relax and enjoy Wishes from the beach at the Polynesian. Brett and I did this every night of our engagement trip and it was just perfect. So, Kathy, Brett, my parents, and I found some lounge chairs and got comfortable. Unfortunately, there was about an hour between the Water Pageant and Wishes and it was definitely cooling down. We had to go grab some towels from the pool area to cover up with while we were waiting. As we were sitting there listening to the boats go back and forth across the lagoon, it hit us that the boats would be blowing their horns all throughout the wedding the next day!

:lol: Over the course of time we were waiting, the horns sounded no fewer than 10 times. And every time it happened we all burst into laughter. Ahh well, looks like it would add some Disney ambiance to our wedding!!

Finally the fireworks started. However, there was one major problem… we didn’t have any audio. What?! For some reason the audio at the Polynesian wasn’t working, and let me just tell you, Wishes totally lost its power. I was so disappointed, mostly because my parents had never seen it before, and I had planned our evening around it. Otherwise, we may have gone off to the Kingdom for a bit that night.

After the fireworks we all said goodnight and then Brett and I headed off to Tahiti to get some rest before the big day. While Brett and I didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, we never really considered not spending the night before together. It was actually really calming and surreal. We talked a lot about how, even though at times it felt like we’d been together forever, our wedding day just seemed to have appeared before us. Where had the past seven years gone?

Okay, that's it for tonight, my friends! Up next... wedding day at the Polynesian!!! :sohappy:

steph88 · May 8, 2011

meganw1985 said:
Freak outs began about 2 weeks ago. I've only had a couple, but I feel the anxiety welling up inside of my chest more frequently lol. My bachelorette party is this weekend, and I am definately going to welcome the good night with my girlfriends and presumably LOTS of shots at the piano bar!

I have to ask, because I have always wanted to do it, was the luau worth it? The food looks fantastic, but so is the food at Ohana (although the entertainment there is somewhat lacking) haha.

Megan, surely any experience that offers an open bar is DEFINATELY worth it! We should so do this on our next trip!:ROFLOL:

meganw1985 · May 8, 2011

Yeah pretty much, open bar is a great selling point! Although possibly not a good idea, as I would feel it was necessary to drink as much, if not more, than humanly possible...

Ok, we can't hijack Holly's wedding thread lol. Back to the good stuff.

Ariel484 · May 8, 2011

Bottomless drinks!! Woohoo!

Love your pictures from the luau, especially the one of Brett doing his Tahiti dance :lol: The couples dance (er...COUPLE dance) sounds totally awkward, like you said...I definitely lol'd at that.

The view from Danny and Kathy's room...wow! Totally fabulous. That's really too bad about your parent's room, but it sounds like they went with the flow nicely. I think my reaction would have been more like yours.

That's so cute that you guys spent the nice before your wedding together...otherwise you wouldn't have had that great memory. You two are so adorable.

I can't wait for the ceremony recap! Did you get your professional pictures back already? YAY!

Pluto Princess · May 8, 2011

Yay Holly! I am so excited to see you finally started this report! :sohappy:
Can't wait to see all of the wedding day and honeymoon pictures! Great report so far! Anxiously awaiting more!

P.S. I LOVE the character signed flip flops! Such a great idea!

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

steph88 said:
Love the trip report so far! Anc congratulations on the wedding! I keep telling my fiancee that we should just go to disney and get married, but he's extremely stubborn lol. And you have totally inspired me to have characters sign my shoes! :sohappy:

Thank you so much! And yeah, if the fiance is vetoing a Disney wedding then you totally have to have some Disney inspired shoes. That is a definite!

crystalight33 said:
Yay!!! I'm so excited you've started posting your report! I love the signed flip flops! Such a great way to have some characters at your wedding without the high $$. Can't wait for the rest!

Thanks, Krista! And yes, you're right, the character inspired flip flops were $1345 cheaper than the actual characters! :lol:

WDWFigment said:
Yeah, that's exactly why Sarah and I both carry cameras. With the exception of dark rides (when I use it), the 30mm is always on her camera. I switch lenses much more frequently based on circumstances. If you're looking for a longer focal length, I would not limit yourself to a prime. Check out the 70-200mm f/2.8. The price of the Canon might be a bit much, but check out the Sigma and Tamron versions.

Yeah, DLR and WDW in the span of 3 weeks, life is rough. We weren't originally planning on doing the DLR trip, but we have research for the Unofficial Guide that we need to get done during Destination D, so we scheduled a last minute trip. The only downside to the weekend is that we have to get that done, do the Scavenger Hunt, Destination D activities, AND Pixar Weekend stuff. It is going to be one jam-packed weekend!

Love your shots at the Poly!

I've looked at the Canon 70-200 but simply can't justify that purchase. I'll have to do some research on the Sigma and Tamron. I'd love one of those lenses, but don't want to lug it around and wouldn't know what to do with it if/when I change it out. I hate carrying a bunch of gear and limit myself to whatever will fit in my handy crumpler. Maybe I should start carrying along a point and shoot in my bag for the character shots and self-portraits. In fact, I think the photopass photogs would have less trouble messing a shot up with that one. :lol:

I'm on the same page with regards to life being rough. I was just at Disney three weeks ago for a work-related visit. I will have visited the World three separate times during the 2011 Flower and Garden Festival. If we see you running by us, I'll take your picture, wave, and assume you're following up a clue from the scavenger hunt. I so can't wait to hear about that!!

And thanks for the photo compliments... it means a lot coming from you.

meganw1985 said:
Freak outs began about 2 weeks ago. I've only had a couple, but I feel the anxiety welling up inside of my chest more frequently lol. My bachelorette party is this weekend, and I am definately going to welcome the good night with my girlfriends and presumably LOTS of shots at the piano bar!

I have to ask, because I have always wanted to do it, was the luau worth it? The food looks fantastic, but so is the food at Ohana (although the entertainment there is somewhat lacking) haha.

I have no doubt that Steph will deliver on those piano bar shots at the bachelorette party!! :lol: :sohappy:

As for the luau, yes I think it's worth it. The food is good, but doesn't compare to what you get at Ohana; although, I am obsessed with Ohana so take that into consideration with regards to my opinion. Obviously, having bottomless drinks at your disposal certainly factors into the price if you are a drinker, but remember that they do a "last call" before the real show starts, so you don't have a full two hours to get your monies worth. It's more like a little over an hour, I'd guess. The entertainment is great. The premise of the show is a bit hokie, but the culture specific dances are great and the fire guy is simply amazing to see. And keep in mind if you have Tables in Wonderland, it can only be used during the late show and not the 5:15pm show.

foreverbelle said:
Ah your making me jealous...lol. I so want to get married all over again just to experience the excitement!!

I am loving the trip report and I love the whole flip flop idea. It was an idea that was nixed at my own..so I love them. And very cute.

The Spirit of Aloha looks great. Its one I have never done...but it looks like you guys had a lot of fun...which I expect since it was the eve of the wedding.

I can't wait for the rest of the report!! And so jealous you'll be back down in 4 days!

Oh, Aleisha, I'm totally making myself jealous as well. I know once I post the report the wedding is truly over. :lol: Can you tell I'm still struggling with this?!

I hate that the flip flops got nixed at your own wedding; they definitely came in handy for me. We did a lot of walking around and at the end of the night Brett was the one with aching feet, not me. I still had a spring in my step.

And you're right, even if the luau hadn't been the greatest on it's own, the fact that it was the eve of our wedding certainly amped up the excitement.

WDWFigment said:
^Hilarious account of Spirit of Aloha. I've often wondered whether anyone purchases the photos they do at some of these locations, but if I went to one that offered bottom-less drinks, I might easily become one of those people. Plus, it was your wedding trip, so you get a pass.

I know what you mean with Bud Light. I find Disney's beer selection, overall, to be seriously lacking. Even World Showcase is somewhat sub-par. (Le Cellier, on the other hand, does have good beer, but the carts in Canada do not!)

Looks like you had a great time at the show!

Ahh... the funny part of the story is that I initially shot down the picture without giving it half a glance. But then I flagged down the guy, like, 2 seconds after he left our table. I almost resisted... almost! But they snagged me anyway. I do appreciate the pass, though. :lol:

I totally agree with you about the beer selection. I'm a Blue Moon girl though, so luckily they carry that. However, we like to try new varietals all the time, and you can only pay a premium for the old standby so often. The Wave, which is known for its unique wine selection (all screw tops), has great beer as well. Brett got a flight the last time we were there that was exceptional.

steph88 said:
Megan, surely any experience that offers an open bar is DEFINATELY worth it! We should so do this on our next trip!:ROFLOL:

I couldn't have said it better myself!!

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

meganw1985 said:
Yeah pretty much, open bar is a great selling point! Although possibly not a good idea, as I would feel it was necessary to drink as much, if not more, than humanly possible...

Ok, we can't hijack Holly's wedding thread lol. Back to the good stuff.

Hence, the lifesaving little chairs (and a room at the Poly to stumble back to!). May I suggest booking Tier 1 to ensure you're not far from the ground when you fall out of your seat! :ROFLOL:

Ariel484 said:
Bottomless drinks!! Woohoo!

Love your pictures from the luau, especially the one of Brett doing his Tahiti dance :lol: The couples dance (er...COUPLE dance) sounds totally awkward, like you said...I definitely lol'd at that.

The view from Danny and Kathy's room...wow! Totally fabulous. That's really too bad about your parent's room, but it sounds like they went with the flow nicely. I think my reaction would have been more like yours.

That's so cute that you guys spent the nice before your wedding together...otherwise you wouldn't have had that great memory. You two are so adorable.

I can't wait for the ceremony recap! Did you get your professional pictures back already? YAY!

Yeah, Brett's Tahitian dance was pretty awesome. I knew they would come for at least one of us during that segment because we had willingly gotten up for the super awkward COUPLE dance. I thank the tiki gods that it was him and not me. :ROFLOL:

Brett's fam totally won with the best room view EVER!

I think I would've been a nervous wreck not spending the night before the wedding with Brett. And really, who are we trying to kid? We lived together for almost three years before the wedding, so I don't think it was that much of a stretch that we'd spend the night together. I mean, it's not like I miraculously woke up looking like a bride... that part took a lot of work. :lol: Work that didn't take place until after he got out of my hair!

I do have the pro photos, which is one thing I wanted to make sure I had before posting the commentary. I think both the text and photos are necessary to really tell the story (any story), so I wanted to make sure I had all of it before I started posting.

Pluto Princess said:
Yay Holly! I am so excited to see you finally started this report! :sohappy:
Can't wait to see all of the wedding day and honeymoon pictures! Great report so far! Anxiously awaiting more!

P.S. I LOVE the character signed flip flops! Such a great idea!

Thanks, Melanie! I should have the first part of our wedding day up tomorrow sometime.

becanya · May 8, 2011

I loved reading your posts about the Luau...that was our very first experience ever at Disney when we went the first time. So special! Although...I have to say, I didn't enjoy that dessert...am I the only person who didn't enjoy it?

The rice and ribs were my favorite though, and the bread. Oh, and I got a pina colada...and we still have the glasses. I'm with you, they are super cool, even if they are plastic. You guys just look beautiful, and I'm so excited for you. I hope writing the trip report has been therapeutic for you!

HollyBelle · May 8, 2011

becanya said:
I loved reading your posts about the Luau...that was our very first experience ever at Disney when we went the first time. So special! Although...I have to say, I didn't enjoy that dessert...am I the only person who didn't enjoy it?

The rice and ribs were my favorite though, and the bread. Oh, and I got a pina colada...and we still have the glasses. I'm with you, they are super cool, even if they are plastic. You guys just look beautiful, and I'm so excited for you. I hope writing the trip report has been therapeutic for you!

I'm ABSOLUTELY with you on the desserts. I like most any dessert, and I'm not a fan of that one. I love hearing that an experience at the Poly was your first Disney experience. How awesome is that?!

I've written everything up through the wedding, and it has definitely helped. I will honestly admit though that I was traveling for work in the early part of last week, and I was sitting in some random hotel room in an unknown city, crying and typing all at the same time... that's therapeutic, right?! Maybe not the best way to work through things. :lol: I have a feeling that actually posting it will help more. Mostly because it provides an outlet for me to discuss it with all of you. Just reading your post, and Shannon's, last night has already helped.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: A March 2011 Disney Wedding/Honeymoon Trip Report

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