Coast-to-Coast Disney 2011 Trip Report: Mme. & M. Bricker's Zany Holiday

minnielaw · Jul 27, 2011

WDWFigment said:
Alright - that concludes this leg of the report!

Question: is anyone still reading the report? I know WDWMagic skews towards WDW (it's in the name, after all!), so I'm not surprised that many people wouldn't care about a Disneyland trip report. I think I'll probably start a new thread for Part II, but just wanted to see if people had already subscribed to this thread.

Anyway, I've already started the WDW leg on my website, and will start posting it on WDWMagic tomorrow. You can read it a day early here: http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-trip-report-may-2011-10/

I am absolutely still reading your trip report! I have been a lurker on this site for about a year and just became a member this week. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Bricker trip reports as well as Blackthidot (love, love, love his dry wit!) and Hollybelle. Never believed that I would enjoy looking at complete strangers' vacation photos.....aren't there countless jokes about this! However, your AWESOME photography and very informative narration make me feel it's not so weird to enjoy looking at strangers' vacation photos!

So, thank you for taking the time to compile these awesome trip reports and thank you for inspiring me to join up and begin contributing to the site (even though in just a small way). :wave:

blackthidot · Jul 27, 2011

minnielaw said:
I am absolutely still reading your trip report! I have been a lurker on this site for about a year and just became a member this week. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Bricker trip reports as well as Blackthidot (love, love, love his dry wit!) and Hollybelle. Never believed that I would enjoy looking at complete strangers' vacation photos.....aren't there countless jokes about this!

Thanks for the compliment!

I totally agree about looking at others peoples pictures and reading about THEIR VACATIONS and stuff...I REALLY have to be in a mood to do that though. The last couple days I been into it though. There are a few pretty good ones up right now.

blackthidot · Jul 27, 2011

WDWFigment said:
Thanks!

ME too, I could have used a shoulder to cry on!

None of that would have happened because I would have said probably 2 hours before all this mess happened..."Dude let's just split a cab"

Sarabell · Jul 28, 2011

Just so you kow (kinda late though) I´ve also read the entire thing!

We´re staying at the All Stars Movies also in Spetember an our flight lands at 9 pm. I was thinking about going to see the monorail resorts on our first night but since I don´t have any photographic skills to justify the journey, I guess I´ll just stay in the hotel.

I love the Poly pics! that´s also my favorite resort that I´ll probably never be able to afford, but I keep telling my mom (she loves it too) that one day we´ll go stay there even if it is just for a couple of nights to get it out of our system. hopefully I´ll be able get a job, cause it´s hard enough to keep planning a trip on unemployed-mode...we can´t cancel it cause A. I´ve been waiting for 15 years already and B. We have already paid for some of it (as in the non refundable part of it) so we might as well stick to our plans. Although the bright side is I have plenty of time to do some more planning!

I know, you´re sick of reading the same thing over and over (from me that is) but I LOVE!! your pictures!

WDWFigment · Jul 28, 2011

minnielaw said:
I am absolutely still reading your trip report! I have been a lurker on this site for about a year and just became a member this week. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Bricker trip reports as well as Blackthidot (love, love, love his dry wit!) and Hollybelle. Never believed that I would enjoy looking at complete strangers' vacation photos.....aren't there countless jokes about this! However, your AWESOME photography and very informative narration make me feel it's not so weird to enjoy looking at strangers' vacation photos!

So, thank you for taking the time to compile these awesome trip reports and thank you for inspiring me to join up and begin contributing to the site (even though in just a small way). :wave:

Thanks - although I do resent being mentioned in the same sentence as that fool, blackthidot. His trip reports SUCK!

blackthidot said:
Thanks for the compliment!

I totally agree about looking at others peoples pictures and reading about THEIR VACATIONS and stuff...I REALLY have to be in a mood to do that though. The last couple days I been into it though. There are a few pretty good ones up right now.

I definitely agree with this. There are actually very few trip reports I can read all the way through. It's not that they're too long, it's that they write about completely insignificant things with a false sense of enthusiasm or just in a ridiculous way that makes me think, "are you really a for-real human being?" I get this feeling a lot more over on the Disboards where it seems like the place is over-run with a certain demographic that I don't want to insult here by mentioning...

Trip reports have to be humorous, insightful, and/or have high quality photos for me to actually read them. While I think John is pretty much illiterate, he is marginally humorous, so I do read his reports all the way through (it doesn't hurt that they're typically like 1,000 words of text).

blackthidot said:
None of that would have happened because I would have said probably 2 hours before all this mess happened..."Dude let's just split a cab"

Eh, I "melodramatize" it here, but it was actually a good time. I would have figured out a way back to my room eventually, so it wasn't so bad to have some adventure in the process.

Sarabell said:
Just so you kow (kinda late though) I´ve also read the entire thing!

We´re staying at the All Stars Movies also in Spetember an our flight lands at 9 pm. I was thinking about going to see the monorail resorts on our first night but since I don´t have any photographic skills to justify the journey, I guess I´ll just stay in the hotel.

I love the Poly pics! that´s also my favorite resort that I´ll probably never be able to afford, but I keep telling my mom (she loves it too) that one day we´ll go stay there even if it is just for a couple of nights to get it out of our system. hopefully I´ll be able get a job, cause it´s hard enough to keep planning a trip on unemployed-mode...we can´t cancel it cause A. I´ve been waiting for 15 years already and B. We have already paid for some of it (as in the non refundable part of it) so we might as well stick to our plans. Although the bright side is I have plenty of time to do some more planning!

I know, you´re sick of reading the same thing over and over (from me that is) but I LOVE!! your pictures!

We love the Poly as well, and have still not stayed there. Right now we're pinching our pennies for Tokyo, but we're hoping that it happens soon. We also would only do it for a day or two. In the meantime, the All Stars aren't bad options!

In a situation like that, there's nothing you can do but look at the bright side of things. Of course, you can't look at the bright side TOO MUCH and become completely engulfed by trip planning and not look for a job, but I'm sure you don't need me telling you that!

WDWFigment · Jul 28, 2011

From the beautiful tropical plants to the fragrant smell of the lobby to the signage all around the resort that really screams “Vacation Kingdom of the World” the Polynesian seems to have it all. I can only imagine how awesome the rooms must be!

Tired as I was, walking around that beautiful and lush resort was like being a part of a waking dream.

I have no idea how long I was even there, but judging by these photos, I documented the entire resort--inside and out--with photos during my short trip. Apparently, I even made it over the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary!

WDWFigment · Jul 28, 2011

After wandering around soaking in the ambiance and taking photos, I decided to call it a night. I went to the bus stop and waited...and waited...for the bus to Downtown Disney. It was only 12:30, but I was a little worried that the last bus to Downtown Disney had already come and gone.

Apparently, I even took a nap!

Finally, at 12:50, a bus showed up. Phew, I thought, just in time! I figured I’d go back to Pleasure Island briefly, snap some photos of the closed clubs, including the Adventurers Club, which I had never photographed properly, and be on my way. The bus driver foiled those plans, though, when he asked if I’d like to go directly back to a resort. Figuring it was a good time to call it a night, I decided just to head back to All Star Movies, directly.

HollyBelle · Jul 28, 2011

WDWFigment said:

Ahh, Tuvalu! I'm obsessed with that place. And this shot of it is fabulous! Seriously, your night shots at the Poly have me ready to pack my bags and show up unannounced asking for a room. Great stuff!

minnielaw · Jul 28, 2011

WDWFigment said:
Thanks - although I do resent being mentioned in the same sentence as that fool, blackthidot. His trip reports SUCK!

Tee hee:lol: I figured that would bug you! Antagonizing people and sarcasm are unfortunate side effects of my occupation...divorce lawyer.

I agree that there are very few trip reports that I can read past the first page...you either grab me at the outset or I am gone. Your trip reports blend a perfect amount of photography and narration....seriously, your photos are beyond gorgeous and I am constantly yelling to my husband "You have to come see this!!" Of course when reading Blackthidot's trip reports I am yelling to my husband "Oh my gosh, you won't believe this picture!! Look at that toenail!" or "Have you ever seen a girl with a hairy back???" :ROFLOL:

Based upon your BEYOND GORGEOUS photos of the Polynesian, my husband and I have cemented that resort as our choice for our first adults only trip when our children leave for college...only 8 more years to go. But, on the bright side...maybe by then we will have saved enough money to actually be able to afford a stay at the Polynesian.

blackthidot · Jul 28, 2011

minnielaw said:
"Have you ever seen a girl with a hairy back???" :ROFLOL:

Can't stop laughing at this!

popsicletrees · Jul 29, 2011

WDWFigment said:
From the beautiful tropical plants to the fragrant smell of the lobby to the signage all around the resort that really screams “Vacation Kingdom of the World” the Polynesian seems to have it all. I can only imagine how awesome the rooms must be!

The rooms do not disappoint! They are beautiful and so spacious. Beautiful photos of a beautiful resort. I'm looking forward to this leg of the report!

Hannah Montana · Jul 30, 2011

Hey Tom! I always enjoy reading your trip reports - DL and WDW. They're such a great escape! My husband and I made our first Disneyland trip last year and completely fell in love with it. We're now debating what our next trip should be - DL at Christmas or WDW at fall for the Halloween party and Wine and Food Festival. We've done WDW at Christmas 3 times and want to try something new. Opinions?

Your Poly pictures are amazing; that is one of our favorite hotels. A few years ago we took a trip with another couple and stayed a night later than them. We decided to switch hotels and stay at the Poly for that one night (b/c that was about all we could afford). We had a great time and look forward to spending a whole trip there! Can't wait to read the rest of your report!

sweetpee_1993 · Jul 31, 2011

Catching up! I try to save your updates to take in in larger portions all at the same time. I think I like to immerse and focus. LOL!

WDWFigment said:
We wandered through Golden State before spotting a short line for Duffy the Bear. Duffy the Bear seems to be a divisive issue amongst the fan community, but I really don’t have much of an opinion on him. Yes, he’s heavily marketed, but so is High School Musical and Cars. He seems relatively popular, and it just seems like way too much of an effort to get worked up about him. A lot of people really like him, so that’s reason-enough to justify his existence, in my mind. It’s not like he’s really hurting anything.

I think you nailed it on Duffy with this paragraph. Yes, I'm a sucker for anything related to dollies and Teddy bears. Aside from that, I don't get expending energy or even thought disliking something so minute. Seriously. What does Duffy hurt? If he brings enjoyment to some people why not just go on with with your day and let it be? And I still would really love to sit down with these people who have such a strong distaste for a Teddy bear and find out what happened to them that they can hate on a classic child's plaything in any form. :lol:

WDWFigment said:
I love Soarin, and this version did not disappoint. The queue was really cool, and the little details to convey the story of the “history” of the building (and Condor Flats in general, I suspect) were interesting. The attraction itself seemed better maintained than the Walt Disney World version (big surprise, right?!), and I didn’t constantly see specs and hairs on the film print taking me out of the experience. And that soundtrack...oh that soundtrack is something else!

Um, is this the queue for Soarin'??? There's stuff! To look at!!! From what I see in your pics I will venture to say that my old man will be in hog-heaven in this area. He's a huuuuge aviation buff and knows entirely too much about aircraft. He'll have a hey-day jabbering on about each picture, history, examples, specs, etc. He will love this! The film is free of hairs and particles??? More to look forward to in California! Yay!

WDWFigment said:
While the breakfast burrito was not that great, I was shocked at how good the “cooler case” Chocolate Parfait tasted! I normally avoid ordering these pre-made cooler case items, but I couldn’t resist. Plus, what’s better for breakfast than a delicious parfait?!

Oh! Oh! I can answer this question for you just from looking at your picture!!! The only thing that can be better for breakfast than a delicious parfait is a delicious parfait with a chocolate Mickey on top!!!! :slurp:

sweetpee_1993 · Jul 31, 2011

TakeMeThere81 said:
Sweetpee~ I totally get your "hair flying" post! Actually when I saw those pictures, that is exactly what I was thinking! You can feel her joy in those photos

I know, right? I haven't been on a swing in ages and on a swing attraction like Silly Symphony Swings in even longer but those photos make me crave that feeling. Its not something that ever goes away. Or it hasn't for me. :animwink: The fact that Tom can capture the emotion, that feeling, it's just beyond-words-amazing to me.

WDWFigment said:
That's fine by me, and is actually the reason I post over there first. I'd rather have more people read it there, as my site does make a small amount of money that way. It may not be much, but if it even pays for one meal at a Disney restaurant per year, that's better than nothing. I'd be writing the trip reports regardless and I have fun with the site, so anything above nothing is a nice bonus!

I didn't realize you make money from people reading your blog. Dang. I'll just go over there to read then come back here to comment. LOL! Why not help out a fellow-adventurer?!

sweetpee_1993 · Jul 31, 2011

WDWFigment said:
Consuming a Big Mac, if done properly, is a heavenly experience. The bun, like a sesame freckled breast of an angel, resting gently on the ketchup and mustard below, flavors mingling in a seductive pas de deux. Two patties of ground beef so exquisite, swirling in your mouth, breaking apart, and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread. This is God, speaking to us in food.

Love the description of the Big Mac. Back in my college days (however brief they were) I remember McD's in that sad, pathetic little town had the Big Macs priced 2 for $2 for a while. They did the Quarter Pounders for a time at the same price. If I was hungry I'd splurge and get 4. Of course those were the days when I could eat my weight in anything without causing an instant ballooning of my thighs.... **sigh**

WDWFigment said:
I definitely agree with this. There are actually very few trip reports I can read all the way through. It's not that they're too long, it's that they write about completely insignificant things with a false sense of enthusiasm or just in a ridiculous way that makes me think, "are you really a for-real human being?" I get this feeling a lot more over on the Disboards where it seems like the place is over-run with a certain demographic that I don't want to insult here by mentioning...

Although I agree that a great deal of the TRs over on Disboards are just too much and waaaaaay overly drug-out (if it takes more than 6 months to complete a TR I think maybe you shouldn't bother to begin posting until you have your text at minimum 90% complete), I fear perhaps I get caught up in the useless details in my TRs. Then again, if I write (type?) it you can rest assured it's something that caught my attention which eliminates the falseness of enthusiasm. I do write (type?) too much which I should probably try to be better about. I talk too much and think too much. I'll just shut up now. :zipit: :lol:

I've read ahead on your blog. Get that stuff posted here. There's something I wanted to say. Oh wait. Back to talk too much. :zipit::zipit::lol:

Kev1417 · Aug 2, 2011

Tom, you convinced me to seriously think about making a trip to CA in Feb. We have a wedding in Phoenix and i think i can convince the wife we should to go CA first then hit the wedding on the way back to Chicago. I'll have her check out your pictures to do some more persuading. Think 4 days is enough for CA parks? Need to justify increasing the WDW annual pass to the premier pass though too. :lookaroun

WDWFigment · Aug 2, 2011

Forgot I hadn't posted the next update here yet. I am 2 updates behind here now! I will get that posted shortly and respond to the above comments tomorrow morning (sorry, Seinfeld is calling my name!).

WDWFigment · Aug 2, 2011

We were up bright and early the next morning, ready for the Scavenger Hunt! Despite me going to bed a couple hours after Sarah, I still beat her up (poor word choice, but you get the idea), and I went out for some sunrise shootin’ at All Star Movies.

With this stay at All Star Movies, we had now stayed at all of the Value Resorts. I’ve come to determine that the Value Resorts or Deluxe Resorts are the best options for us. We enjoy the finer things, and also short commutes to the parks, and the Deluxe fits this style of touring well. At the same time, we are both kids at heart, and I enjoy what other sneer at as garish design. In that regard, the Values serve us well. The Moderates, while nice, haven’t really found their place in our touring yet. Caribbean Beach Club and Coronado Springs both look beautiful, so maybe someday soon.

Back to the topic of the Values. I think they get bashed for their design far too frequently. I think we often lose sight of something: that a big part of Walt Disney World is captivating the fancy of children. I'm not suggesting everything should be squarely aimed at kids or that all we need kiddie coasters, but I do think the Value Resorts have their place.

I know if we would have stayed at them when I was a kid, I likely would have loved exploring them. As an adult, sure, the Polynesian is much more to my liking. But for kids, giant toys and figures of their favorite Disney characters are pretty appealing!

Heck, even though I’m not a kid, I think the giant Disney characters are pretty cool. Perhaps I’m but a mere simpleton, but I like the Values, and think Disney has done great with the design of them. After seeing new design materials for the Art of Animation Resort, I’m really excited to stay there!

I had some photos I had to get of the food court, so I decided to grab a refillable mug while I was there. I figured I would be able to use it every morning of our trip, which alone wouldn’t recoup its value, but once you factor in that it’s a nice souvenir, I think it’s worth it. Much to Sarah’s chagrin, we have a cupboard full of cups like these at home. Whereas she would like to use nice kitchenware that matches, I have an eye for the eclectic, and generally use dishes based on utility. Utility in a cup boils down to the picture on it (I know this isn’t strict utility), and how much liquid it can hold. Consequently, I never use our “fancy” cups. Yessir, in these trip reports, you learn far more about us than you ever would have expected (and probably far more than you ever would have wanted).

WDWFigment · Aug 2, 2011

I grabbed a cup of Coke, sat down, and took in my surroundings. I know it’s only a Disney food court, but at this hour of the morning (it was around 7:45), it still wasn’t busy in there, and it was a relaxing place to sit. After I finished that cup of Coke, I refilled, unpacked the infrared camera from my bag, and set out to capture some more photos (yes, I realize there are no infrared photos here, I haven't had a chance to convert them yet!).

Before I did this, I figured I better check the time. Crap, I forgot my phone. I frequently do this, and it understandably isn’t on the top of Sarah’s “favorite things” list, so I decided I better make haste back to the room. I grabbed a handful more shots, then headed back.

WDWFigment · Aug 2, 2011

When I returned back, I found out that our friend who worked at Boma, and Scavenger Hunt teammate, Nick, would be at our resort to pick us up soon. I scrambled to get ready, carefully clothing myself along the way (as you’ll see why shortly), and we were out the door by 8:45.

You may remember Henry Work from the Disneyland installment. Well, Sarah and I aren’t the only ones who vacation “liberally.” Henry had arrived at Walt Disney World a few days before us (and would be going to Disneyland right after his lengthy Walt Disney World trip). After reading this, you might be thinking, “all this Henry dude does is screw around in theme parks--I want that job.” While Henry had a fun month of May, most of the time he works long hours as a web developer. I’m still not quite sure what, exactly, that means, but he spends a lot of time doing it. (Honestly, it might just be code for riding the Haunted Mansion repeatedly, who knows!)

After talking to Henry about his preparation efforts for the Scavenger Hunt the weekend before our trip, we began making half-hearted efforts to prepare ourselves. I began looking at random “details” photos on Flickr and reading posts on the Disney Shawn blog. We arrived at EPCOT early that morning so that we could spend some time strategizing and maybe even riding attractions to memorize portions. We saw Henry and his team doing the same. Unfortunately, their preparation efforts would be much more fruitful than ours.

The “preparation” started with Sarah going to the Land to get FastPasses in case we had to ride Soarin’ for the Hunt. I highly doubted there would be Soarin’ questions because of the wait, but who knows. I told her I’d stay in the Innoventions Plaza, taking photos of the character topiaries. Some time passed, so I decided to give Sarah a call. I have no clue what she was doing prior to this, but she said she would meet me at Test Track. So I headed over there, snapping some more photos. More time passed. More time than it would take to walk from the Land to Test Track, by a long shot.

Finally, I called. It turned out my teammates had gone on Living with the Land without me! The first attraction of our trip, and Sarah does it without me. The writing was on the wall, folks. If anything says “drifting apart,” it is riding Walt Disney World attractions without your spouse. (Nevermind the fact that I often ride more intense attractions without Sarah; this is somehow totally different!)

I made my way over to the Land, and waited for the rest of the team outside of Living with the Land. From there, we headed to the Hunt check-in area, as it was around 10 am. Much to our surprise, there was a huge line out there! I guess we didn’t know what quite to expect, but we certainly did not expect this many participants. After waiting about 30 minutes in line, we had our Scavenger Hunt book in hand, and were ready to begin.

Coast-to-Coast Disney 2011 Trip Report: Mme. & M. Bricker's Zany Holiday

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