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]

So,Brook and I have never seen Avatar. We have no interest. What is the deal with these banshee things? I see kids with them on Facebook all the time....

We are however, excited to see Pandora and ride both new rides. Is seeing the movie essential?

The banshees are animals in the movie that play an integral part and they made small robotic versions of them that you can buy! They are super cute!! I don't think seeing the movie is 100% essential but it will help you understand things a little better. I do think you can appreciate how beautiful the land is without seeing it!

 

[kaitertot5249]

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

You're not weird at all, I'm the same way! I need to be in the right mood to have them otherwise they make me a little nauseous. Sometime I absolutely love eggs and other times I can't stand the site of them. I'm the same way with salmon.

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 4 continued
We sat in the shade waiting for our next FP and checked out the QS Yak and Yeti menu thinking maybe we would try it for lunch but my Mom didn't see anything she would eat and honestly neither did I. I thought they had a different menu but I must have been thinking of the table service one
Anyway our next FP was for Kali River Rapids! A first for us!

We got a locker for our stuff because I was worried about getting my big camera wet. I was pleasantly surprised that it was free for two hours! It did say something about not opening it once its closed but I read that after opening it like 5 times and it still worked
Sorry these pictures are blurry because my waterproof camera isn't so great

These are my only two pictures I guess I took only video of the ride! I was super convinced that were were going to be the ones who got soaked and I got pretty wet on my one side but it didn't seem like anyone got soaked! I think we hit the big hill at a weird angle! We enjoyed the ride and it was longer than I thought it was going to be actually. We saved this ride until a time it was hot out because we typically don't enjoy water rides. Well, we picked the right time because we dried by the time we got to the front of the park!
Since we were heading out anyway we decided to stop at Rainforest Cafe for some lunch!

It was pretty crowded inside but we always just eat at the bar. Its usually open and the bartenders are so nice!

For lunch we shared the cheese sticks (aka mozzarella sticks) and quesadillas. These were both super good!

What was not good, however, was their tap water. My Mom couldn't taste it but it literally tasted like metal . I tried to drink it just so I wouldn't become dehydrated but it was a real struggle
Anyway, after lunch we headed out and to our bus

We waited a long time for a bus but eventually made it home. I can tell you the heat must have made me delusional because otherwise I have no idea why I took this picture

My Mom decided she wanted a cupcake so we grabbed one from Capt. Cooks. She clearly got to it before I got my picture
This is for all you cake lovers out there

Next up: relaxing time

 

[Doc Disney]

You're not weird at all, I'm the same way! I need to be in the right mood to have them otherwise they make me a little nauseous. Sometime I absolutely love eggs and other times I can't stand the site of them. I'm the same way with salmon.

I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone Salmon on the other hand always makes me sick

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 4 continued
When we got back from AK our room wasn't cleaned yet so we hurried out and down to the pool. We were in the pool for several hours because it was so hot and the water was the perfect temperature. I love the Polynesian pool because of its zero entry. We would just sit on the sloped part and relax! Like I said we aren't typically good at relaxing but when its hot you really need to. Usually the pool activities annoy me but for some reason my Mom and I loved watching them this time around. Kids are hilarious! We watched them play these water bucket games which were so funny because the big kids would get so frustrated with the little ones. We also watched the hula hoop competition and there were some kids that were so good at it! I felt like we were weirdos for watching the competitions of kids we don't know but when you looked around everyone else in the shallow end was watching and laughing too when most of them didn't have kids either
Anyway, we finally did leave the pool only to find that our room had not been cleaned yet. It was like 4:00 at this point Oh well, we got dressed and headed to the Tambu lounge for a drink.
This one is for you @blgauger! My Mom had her usual the Pina Colava

I had a mojito

We are so nice and sent this picture to my sister Jill who loved the Tambu lounge

Well we enjoyed about half our drinks (all we could stomach - the heat makes us not like to drink apparently) and we headed to the bus stop to head back to AK.
We waited almost 40 minutes for a bus to come . It was OK though because we had given ourselves about an hour and 15 minutes to get to AK and we were happy we could just walk to our final destination for dinner right when we got there instead of having to sit somewhere in the heat. I'm not sure if you guys are gathering this or not but we don't do well in heat
Where we we going for dinner? Tiffins of course!
We checked in and we were seated pretty quickly in the Grand Gallery again. They treated us like true celebrities for coming back, like falling all over us to say thank you for returning Apparently they don't have too many repeat guests

We refrained from cocktails because we just weren't feeling it so we ordered pop instead. Our waiter was super great but I was going to kill him if he mentioned the price of the dining package once more. I was shielding my Mom from the price since it was my treat and I was going to murder him when he kept saying it

Anyway for appetizers my Mom stayed with what she knew and chose the Apple Walnut Salad

She really liked her salad!
I chose to veer from my last visit and decided on the bread service with Tadka, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, Zhough Yogurt

I have no idea why my bread service pictures are so bad. I will blame the heat

This was so yum!! I loved all the breads and the dips. I'm a sucker for any kind of bread and dip though so I was bound to like it. My mom even tried some and she enjoyed it too (although I don't think she will admit it).
Actually none of my pictures from this meal are that great. I must have been starving and rushing through
For entrees we both ordered the Wagu Strip Loin and Braised Short Rib. I remember last time not caring for the Short Rib part but this time I liked both parts equally. Same as last time I would call this dish incredible. Easily on the top of my favorite things to eat at Disney. I feel like the chimichurri sauce has a lot to do with it.

Next up: dessert

 

[12in12]

That cupcake your mom had is adorable! I don't even care if it was good, I would buy it just for the cuteness factor.

 

[blreinsel]

Ugh drooling over your mom's Pina Colava! Tiffins is on my list of places to try! Gotta get a paycheck first though.

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 4 continued
Here is a random wall picture for you

My only gripe about Tiffins is the tables for two. They are so close to other tables for two! Each set of two tables is in a half wall so its like you are literally in a small room with other people. It didn't help that the other people next to us were super obnoxious and kept looking at our stuff and asking what it was. They were also drunk and kept ordering cocktails. They also were on their phones the entire time which is a huge pet peeve of mine! Get off the phone and enjoy your meal and your company! Sorry rant over. Next rant is that the guy on the other side of us ordered the whole fish and its mouth and eyes were directed at me the whole time Not really a rant, more of a "I'm grossed out" story. Thankfully the half wall partially shielded it
For dessert we both switched it up and ordered new things
My Mom chose the Passion Fruit Tapioca Creme

She said it was good, but very sweet!
I chose the Sorbet tasting. I was actually in the bathroom when our waiter came to take our dessert orders so he and my Mom chose for me. I wanted the vanilla but I ended up with the Kaffir Lime Syrup and Passion Fruit Curd ones

Mine was also very sweet but still it was actually very refreshing! This was a good dessert for me since it was nice and light
They also surprised me with a Birthday plate

That was so sweet of them! The one chocolate it came with for sure had alcohol in it and it was very strong tasting
After our amazing meal we waddled our way outside. We did get a parting gift of some homemade chocolate since we were return guests

I kind of forgot about it and it melted a little in my backpack but I put it in the refrigerator and tried it a few days later and it was super yummy! White chocolate with a hint of orange
We can not recommend Tiffins enough! I worry that it will close because its still not very crowded even with Pandora being open. The one podcast I listen to said its definitely in danger of closing . That would be so sad!! If you are worried about eating there because you are picky eaters so are we and we found plenty of foods we enjoy!!
Earlier in the day I was on MDE and found a FP for the Navi River for later in the evening so I grabbed it! So, after dinner we headed back to Pandora

We really took our time exploring some more and even Face Timed my sister and my nephew Max so they could see it too (although seeing it in person is much different).

Next up: more Pandora

 

[Doc Disney]

That cupcake your mom had is adorable! I don't even care if it was good, I would buy it just for the cuteness factor.

She said it was good but she likes the Wilderness Lodge cupcakes better because they have caramel in them Its super cute though!

 

[Doc Disney]

Ugh drooling over your mom's Pina Colava! Tiffins is on my list of places to try! Gotta get a paycheck first though.

Haha yea its very pricey but if you do go I would recommend going for the dining package. Not so much for the seats at Rivers of Light because they are so-so but because of the value. The wagu beef entree is $53 so might as well get the dining package and get to try an appetizer and dessert for just a few more dollars than the entree alone would cost you

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 4 continued
Insert 100 comments about how amazing Pandora is here (you all know I love it...no need to keep saying it )

For those of you who are regulars to my TRs you all may have noticed something missing....a vital element to most of my TRs....

Thats right....Light fixtures. Well, I really tried to hold myself back this trip and not annoy you guys with all the lights but I could not help myself with this one from the Navi River Journey que
This is the only picture I have of the Navi River because I really wanted to just take it all in and enjoy it. I actually went into it with low expectations based on what I heard about it and also with the reminder to myself that its a boat ride and a classic boat ride is Disney's thing
Well, we loved it! It was short, but beautiful. I think the low expectations helped because it was actually longer than I thought and the animatronic at the end was amazing!!! I think this ride made more sense to us because we saw the movie so maybe thats why we liked it
? Either way I would recommend it! However, I do not think I would wait very long for stand by for it. I would also recommend doing the Flight of Passage FP since you have to choose one and hope to pick up a rolling 4th for this ride
Anyway after out lovely ride we said goodbye to Pandora and headed over to the Lion King show. We waltzed over like 5 minutes before it started and I was expecting a packed show but it was fairly dead inside! Apparently the last show isn't very popular

Next up: more Lion King

 

[jasmine72]

Where is the "Music of Pixar" located? Is it new?

 

[Spacer]

BuffaLove!
I was super excited to see a fellow Buffalonian, I had to make an account so I could comment lol
Love your TR It's making me so excited for my December Honeymoon trip!

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 4 continued

We only had three tumble monkeys so sadly no tumble monkey show for us. Thats kind of a bummer since its a huge chuck of the show. I guess if it was your first time seeing it, though, you wouldn't know any better
When we got out of the show the sky looked crazy

It was thundering and lightening and truly it came on so quick. It was not like that when we went into the show.
We went to get our picture by the Tree of Life but since the lightening was too close the photographers were packing up. A woman asked me to take her family's picture and in exchange she took one of us

The coloring is so weird because thats actually what it looked like outside
We assumed it would start pouring at any minute so we stopped in a shop and got some ponchos before heading to our next FP....Dinosaur!

When we got out of Dinosaur it was still thundering and lightening but still no rain. We walked over to the R of L dining package entrance and waited for a few minutes. The CMs didn't want to officially call it but they pretty much said it wasn't going to happen. We decided to just leave since we saw R of L before and it started to sprinkle so we wanted to get out of there before the down pour. We literally ran to the bus but strangely it never actually rained . We did find out a few days later that there were tornadoes in the area though. That might explain the weird sky!
Anyway back in our room it was finally cleaned

My scavenger hunt game continued with Mousekeeping

After a long day we reflected back and realized we actually got most major things down at AK ! What a successful day! Off to bed we went!

Next up: Day 5

 

[Doc Disney]

Where is the "Music of Pixar" located? Is it new?

Hi! Yes it is new. Its in Hollywood Studios on Sunset Blvd where the Beauty and the Beast show is during the day time. Sadly its only temporary though and at least for now it is scheduled to end August 27th

 

[Doc Disney]

BuffaLove!
I was super excited to see a fellow Buffalonian, I had to make an account so I could comment lol
Love your TR It's making me so excited for my December Honeymoon trip!

Haha! Well officially welcome to the boards. There are a few of us here from Buffalo Thank you for following along, I am glad you are enjoying it! I'm so jealous you are doing a honeymoon in Disney! Thats my dream

 

[CtDisneyGuy33]

Oh man, now I will be questioning if I need a Banshee. But then again, I act like a small child, so I might be good.

Did you try one out???

Day 4 continued
Woohoo photo pass is working again and I got the part I needed for my computer so I can get back to writing ! (just a short post though because the download thing is driving me nuts right now haha)
Here are some of the PP pictures you missed out on earlier
Usually my hair does well in heat...but not this trip
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The Pandora pictures literally look fake. When I posted them on Instagram I made sure to note that it was a real background (just not a real banshee )
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Ok anyway back to where I was. One last line picture! I can't wait to eventually wait in stand-by for this attraction so we can see the que. But, for now, I was happy to skip the 250 minute wait
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We actually had a quick FP line because we were a party of two and we could skip ahead! The whole pre-show I thought was cool! The ride vehicles were interesting but not as uncomfortable as I thought. The ride itself was incredible. It is for sure my new favorite ride in all of Disney World! I don't want to spoil it for people so I won't go into too much detail but I think my friends here at home are sick of me talking about it I assure you all I am not a cryer (even though it seems I cry all the time at Disney), but I cried during the ride I was just so amazed by it - thats how incredible I thought it was . All I'm going to say is that its a must-do!
After the ride we explored the gift shop and the land a little bit more. I really wanted to buy a banshee but really didn't need one and my Mom kept telling me it was a waste of money since I am not a small child
We did check out the Pongu Pongu because I wanted to see the drinks but we didn't get any at that time and decided to get them when we came back in the evening later in the week.
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Eventually we had to say goodbye to Pandora and head to our next FP - Everest!
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We had some pretty annoying people in line for Everest with us which was annoying because we were in what I like to call a slow pass line (i.e. when the line takes forever). Specifically there was a small boy behind us who was practically leaning up against my Mom. Its 100 degrees outside ! Personal space is essential!!! For some reason, even though she has been on it a million times, my Mom held my hand going down the hill
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After Everest we had our final FP coming up but had like 20 minutes to wait (with me moving it up). Here is a direct example of our faces when dealing with the heat
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Next up: something new for us!

 

[newhorizons1]

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

No! I completely relate! I go through phases with a lot of foods. It was miserable when I was pregnant though!

 

[Songbird76]

Day 4 continued
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We only had three tumble monkeys so sadly no tumble monkey show for us. Thats kind of a bummer since its a huge chuck of the show. I guess if it was your first time seeing it, though, you wouldn't know any better
When we got out of the show the sky looked crazy
View attachment 218881
It was thundering and lightening and truly it came on so quick. It was not like that when we went into the show.
We went to get our picture by the Tree of Life but since the lightening was too close the photographers were packing up. A woman asked me to take her family's picture and in exchange she took one of us
View attachment 218892
The coloring is so weird because thats actually what it looked like outside
We assumed it would start pouring at any minute so we stopped in a shop and got some ponchos before heading to our next FP....Dinosaur!
View attachment 218893
When we got out of Dinosaur it was still thundering and lightening but still no rain. We walked over to the R of L dining package entrance and waited for a few minutes. The CMs didn't want to officially call it but they pretty much said it wasn't going to happen. We decided to just leave since we saw R of L before and it started to sprinkle so we wanted to get out of there before the down pour. We literally ran to the bus but strangely it never actually rained . We did find out a few days later that there were tornadoes in the area though. That might explain the weird sky!
Anyway back in our room it was finally cleaned
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My scavenger hunt game continued with Mousekeeping
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After a long day we reflected back and realized we actually got most major things down at AK ! What a successful day! Off to bed we went!

Next up: Day 5

Glad you were safe!! My mom always warned me that any time you see that dirty yellow colored sky, that's Tornado weather. My husband swore to me that the Netherlands don't get tornadoes...I've seen that color sky here twice, and both times they had reported funnels. Glad it didn't actually rain on you! Did they close all the outdoor stuff because of the storm?

 

[Brian & Jill]

BuffaLove!
I was super excited to see a fellow Buffalonian, I had to make an account so I could comment lol
Love your TR It's making me so excited for my December Honeymoon trip!

Woohoo even more people from WNY!!!!!!