Trip Report **Completed** It's My Birthday (and its a hot one...)!

Hey guys my computer isn't here yet but I really want to start my TR so I'm slowly uploading pictures hoping my computer can handle it So, it will be a slow start but here we go!!

Who?
Just my Mom and I (Mary and Megan)...as if you don't know us by now

When?
July 4- 14th!

Where?
The Polynesian

Why?
I'm off all summer and I always wanted to go to Disney for my Birthday so why not!

T-1 Day
I finished residency the Friday before leaving but this day was insane for me trying to get a bunch of training and applications done before I left. I was also trying to finish ALL our packing...since we are not light packers... These are just my two suitcases

Anyway we were finally all set to go and we were out for a quick walk before bed when my sister called me and told me Max (my nephew) was having trouble walking. Long story short she had to take him to the ER but it all turned out OK and it was just swelling in his knee from his recent ear infection. Luckily we knew all was OK by like 10:30 and could still get some rest!

Day 1 - July 4, 2017
We had a later flight (aka not 6 am) so we could sleep in a bit, but we were going to Disney so I still woke up at 6am I still didn't drag myself out of bed until 7 am though, don't worry
We got ready and took our usual "kidnapping" pictures

Soon enough it was 8 am and we were off to the airport !
Southwest in our airport had a new self check in thing so we tried it out. This gave my flash backs to when I flew out of Canada to Punta Cana and struggled with self check-in but this was much easier and it only took me a few minutes to figure out the luggage tags The whole thing, however, made my Mom very nervous so she was glad I was doing it
When we brought our luggage to the counter the worker was saying that we MUST be going to Disney World (based off the DME tags and the Minnie Mouse suitcases) and how he and his coworkers go to Disney several times a year too We were lucky to have TSA pre-check and the TSA worker was so sweet about our matching shirts and saying she loved them. Anyway, the whole experience was very pleasant and I looked at my phone when we were through and it was 8:27 am. Drove to airport, checked luggage, and went through security all in 27 minutes
We were pretty hungry so checked out the Anchor Bar's breakfast menu but we were not feeling it (and we are creatures of habit) so went to get our usual bagel breakfast

Petey was there of course

We enjoyed our bagels then headed to our gate to wait. It was a VERY slow airport day (probably since its a holiday) so it was kind of nice to relax in the quiet. Soon enough we were on the plane!
When I got up in the morning my Lambie (yes I have one) was on the floor by my carry on. I had no idea how she got there but it was like a sign that I had to bring her so I did

Magic Bands unite!

We were lucky enough to be seated in row 3 and there was a dog behind us which made it even better
Our flight was actually about 20 minutes longer than usual but we entertained ourselves with The Keepers from Netflix (love that you can download stuff to use offline) and we had a fantastic flight crew!
You all know what happens first at the airport (well besides the bathroom...)! The fonorail!!

Next up: down to DME!

 

[Doc Disney]

I don't think I've ever heard positive things about the Spirit of Aloha show! I'm so happy that you had such a good time. It looked like fun and the food looked pretty good too!

All the reviews are seriously horrible! I have no idea why! I was paying attention the whole time to everyone around us and everyone was talking about how good the food was and how they really enjoyed the show !

 

[Tuvalu]

BOG ~ lunch. Always lunch.

 

[LadyBelle]

They are awesome and definitely a must! They last several hours and if they showed any sign of becoming dry we would just wet them in a bathroom. I got my Mom's frog togg off amazon. I've had mine for years but probably came from there too. They were truly a life saver in the heat

I totally did not like my Frogg Togg. After I used it the first time, I didn't realize that it would dry stiff as a board and if you kept it folded, it would get moldy. I use mine just about every day in the summer when I play tennis, so I picked up a Mission cooling towel. This one is like regular fabric, is machine washable (and dryable, but I air dry mine), and keeps this really cool.

This is not a paid advertisement....lol...

 

[kaitertot5249]

All the reviews are seriously horrible! I have no idea why! I was paying attention the whole time to everyone around us and everyone was talking about how good the food was and how they really enjoyed the show !

That's so strange! I wonder if it's just really inconsistent with some shows being great like yours was and others being sub-par. .

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 6 continued
Lots of AK pictures..

View from Everest

Not sure how thrilled my Mom was about it but I made a second FP for Everest

After our rides we went and grabbed a popcorn snack from the Thirsty River Bar. This place has fresh popcorn which is good to know since finding popcorn around Rivers of Light seems impossible
We sat down for Rivers of Light about 45 minutes early and there were already a bunch of people there! I was worried about turning in old FPs but they didn't even look at the date. I still confirmed it was OK to go in . I will reiterate I don't think the dining plan seats are the best but once the show starts I usually forget. We were kind of behind a pole but could still see OK.

I tried to just watch and not take any pictures but I couldn't help myself...

Next up: more Rivers of Light

 

[Doc Disney]

BOG ~ lunch. Always lunch.

Agreed. I will probably stick to lunch from now on

 

[Doc Disney]

I totally did not like my Frogg Togg. After I used it the first time, I didn't realize that it would dry stiff as a board and if you kept it folded, it would get moldy. I use mine just about every day in the summer when I play tennis, so I picked up a Mission cooling towel. This one is like regular fabric, is machine washable (and dryable, but I air dry mine), and keeps this really cool.

This is not a paid advertisement....lol...

The stiffness is definitely odd but I have had my Frogg Togg for many years and never got mold! I usually fold it up and let it sit outside to dry though I have other cooling clothes I run with similar to what you are describing but I like that I don't get wet with the Frogg Togg

 

[Doc Disney]

That's so strange! I wonder if it's just really inconsistent with some shows being great like yours was and others being sub-par. .

I'm sure its inconsistent because I feel like a lot of things at Disney are. However, I do read negative reviews about the food at Hoop Dee Doo all the time and we love it so perhaps we just aren't super picky with our foods haha

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 6 continued

Hello pole!

We really enjoyed seeing Rivers of Light again I can't recommend it enough! I can not wait for the rest of my family to see it I was so worried they were going to cancel the show because there was very clearly lightening in the area but I think they just chose to ignore it
I reallyyyy wanted to see Tree of Life awakening so we stopped by the tree and waited a bit

We saw something that was like a general animal thing and I was wondering if that was Tree of Life awakenings but as we were walking out a different one played that seemed more like what we read it was like It was beautiful! Animal Kingdom at night is just stunning.

While waiting for the bus I noticed a family behind us because the Dad was wearing a Buffalo Bills shirt so I said something to my Mom. Turns out my Mom actually knew them! What a small world! We chatted with them while waiting for the bus and got to share some Disney favorite things to do. Anyway, on our bus ride back to the Polynesian I got a text from @samantha788 saying she and her friend were heading to the Poly for a drink and asked if I wanted to meet up. In answer to @DisneyJeff 's question I did have a WDW Magic meet up!

It was so lovely to meet Sam! We chatted about Disney (of course), our upcoming Birthdays, her amazing job and crazy Buffalo weather. I wish I wasn't so tired and delusional from a week of heat because I cut our meeting short. My Mom chose to stay behind because she was so tired

Next up: Day 7 (already?!)

 

[amjt660]

Glad you had your WDWMagic Meetup with Sam

Max

 

[blreinsel]

So jealous you girls got to meet up! Wish I could have made it.

 

[wdwfamilynh]

Really?! Everyone thinks I'm weird when half the time I like them and the other half they disgust me

Right there with you

 

[Doc Disney]

Glad you had your WDWMagic Meetup with Sam

Max

It was so nice to finally meet her! We missed each other in previous trips

So jealous you girls got to meet up! Wish I could have made it.

We missed you!!!

 

[DisneyJeff]

Anyway, on our bus ride back to the Polynesian I got a text from @samantha788 saying she and her friend were heading to the Poly for a drink and asked if I wanted to meet up. In answer to @DisneyJeff 's question I did have a WDW Magic meet up!

It was so lovely to meet Sam! We chatted about Disney (of course), our upcoming Birthdays, her amazing job and crazy Buffalo weather. I wish I wasn't so tired and delusional from a week of heat because I cut our meeting short. My Mom chose to stay behind because she was so tired

Love it!!!

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 - July 10, 2017
This morning we slept in a bit (kind of....). Our plan was for HS so we got down to the bus stop at 8:05 then proceeded to wait 40 minutes for a bus. There was this sweet Mom near us who missed an earlier HS bus because she was helping other people fold up their stroller. I felt so bad for her and her son because they were going to try and sign up for Jedi Training and the bus was so delayed in coming. Her son was so disappointed and the Mom kept apologizing to him for missing the first bus and promised him a special prize if they can't get signed up. The little boy was so well behaved and grateful. It was just nice to see a kiddo who was clearly not super spoiled. I did notice the bus stop CM slip her some FPs for her patience Anyway, everyone else was getting really mad and blaming the bus stop CM as if he has something to do with it. One guy was really losing it and especially lost it when a scooter pulled up since "he had been waiting 40 minutes and this family gets to get right on." I mean I'm sure we were all thinking it but no one else said it out loud . Anyway, two buses finally came and everyone that was waiting got on the bus! Truthfully, though, we had back luck with buses at the Poly and it was pretty frustrating.
Anyway, today would be the day of a 1000 character pictures. We noticed Donald was out as soon as we walked in and I can't turn down Donald in his OG outfit so we hoped in line

Daisy came out just as we were finishing with Donald so we got in her line (after I teased Donald about her being with other guys )
She really liked my hat because it has sparkles on it

We never ate breakfast so had our sights set on some sweets for breakfast. We headed into the Trolley Car Cafe and picked up two cupcakes. We brought them across the way to Starring Rolls to eat them. Even though Starring Rolls is closed I like that they kept the tables there. We actually started a trend and other people started eating breakfast there once they noticed us
Mom picked the Cars 3 cupcake which was strawberry cream

I chose the Darth Vader cupcake which is chocolate and peanut butter

I really should have just gotten a breakfast sandwich from Starbucks because I wasn't feeling this cupcake. Its not that it wasn't good I just really am not a sweets person. I think my Mom said her cupcake was OK
We had our first FP for Star Tours so we headed over there. Its so weird to see the construction going on !

Its funny considering how many combinations there are we got the same one we had last time
After Star Tours we ran into Chip and Dale !
They liked my Moms shirt and when I asked them if it was because they didn't grow up yet they said yes

After Chip and Dale we wandered by and Goofy was out so why not ?
He was afraid of me because he thought I was a Storm Trooper I assured him I was just wearing a shirt.

We then decided to meet Doc McStuffins after this I love Doc, but so does my nephew Max so we wanted to send him a picture
I told Doc I was a doctor too

Next up: more characters I'm sure

 

[DisneyJeff]

I always seem to get the same combinations on Star Tours as well. My least favorite scene is the pod racing scene and I feel like I get it every time.

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
As usual we were semi-suffering from the heat so we headed into the Launch Bay for Air Conditioning
I really wanted to meet BB8 so we hopped in line

BB8 is so cute but this M and G is so awkward
The CMs talk for him (obviously) and BB8 was saying something about my shirt apparently so I assured him I was just a rebel in disguise (as per his suggestion). He does say bye when you leave though so thats pretty cute
Chewbacca had a short wait so we hopped in his line too. He also was mad about my shirt, but I stole BB8's line and told him I was a rebel in disguise

I kept saying to my Mom I really made a blunder by wearing that shirt
It was finally time for our next FP so we headed over to TSM

I won....as usual And I got best in the car!

I was too short for good construction pictures

Inadvertently got a light fixture picture

We decided to meet Cruz Ramirez after this

We had obviously not seen Cars 3 and only saw the preview so we were confused why she had Dinoco on her hood
We went back to One Man's Dream after this (for more AC). I was curious to know what the replacement preview was since the Cars 3 trailer was gone. Well, much to my surprise ....

Thats right! The regular film!! I was so happy to see One Man's Dream again!!! The only thing I was bummed about was that there was a woman in front of me on the phone the whole time. Don't stay for the movie if you are going to be disruptive .
Anyway, we somehow talked ourselves out of Tower of Terror again so I switched that FP to the Disney Jr. Live show just so it would expire quicker and I could pick up a FP for later in the evening We headed out of HS after a morning full of M and Gs

Next up: lunch time and drink time

 

[Doc Disney]

I always seem to get the same combinations on Star Tours as well. My least favorite scene is the pod racing scene and I feel like I get it every time.

I always get the Wookiee planet and Naboo. Like that exact combination I think I have had at least 3 times! I don't think I ever had the pod racing one?

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
Back at the hotel our room was already cleaned! Horray!

The crew was just chillin'

We decided to eat some lunch at Capt. Cooks
My Mom had chicken nuggets and fries. However, she ordered it as nachos and fries by accident Don't worry I was standing there to correct the order. It was probably because I was hemming and hawing about what to order and kept mentioning nachos

I wanted to try something new so I chose the Pan Asian noodles with vegetables

I really wanted to like this...but I didn't There were a lot of strong flavored vegetables in there. The noodles were good though! My Mom could tell I was struggling and told me not to eat it because she knows how weird my stomach can get
I fought it a bit, but then conceded and ordered a flat bread which was yummy

After eating we headed to the pool and relaxed as usual. I keep forgetting to say we did try the slide at the Poly and it was horrifying . A kid of up there warned us it was dark and it was really dark and kind of small! We only did it once hence no pictures
It started raining pretty hard and lightening so obviously we got kicked out of the pool. It was good timing, though, because it was around 3:00 meaning we could get ready and head to Trader Sam's!
We checked in for Trader Sam's at 3:30 and we were already like number 5 on the list. We waited in the hallway until 4 pm then got our page and headed in
We are creatures of habit and sat in the same place we did last time

I ordered the Mosquito Mojito. This one doesn't come with any special presentation

My Mom ordered the shrunken zombie head and our waiter walked around like a zombie before presenting it

Next up: more Trader Sam's

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued

We both really enjoyed our drinks and we had a blast again watching all the activity It was still pouring when we finished so we relaxed in our room a bit before heading back to the HS.
We had a long bus wait again
I was able to get a TSM FP so we headed over there. It was still raining but very lightly so we didn't need any ponchos (we had yet to use the ponchos we bought at AK several days earlier...it became a challenge for us ).
At TSM we got to go to the third track! Woohoo! I didn't get yelled at this time either
Its so cute back there!

Giant door

We had dinner coming up so we headed over to Mama Melrose's This was originally where I was going to have my Birthday dinner but I changed my mind so we made it this day instead

Blurry dark picture of my Mom

Next up: dinner