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.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Another addition for the "Well, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time" club:

View attachment 139989

That's okay Poly, I didn't really want to do laundry this morning anyway...

Love the cat photos as much as the Dis ones. Our cat loves to get into anything open as well. Before we close any closet, drawer, etc. we have to check to see that he hasnt gotten inside before we close them. Or else we'll hear muffled meows soon afterwards. He never learns.

 

[Tuvalu]

"Em suggested we walk over to the longhouse that bears my name:"

I think it is nice you let them use your name. Is it a long term agreement or renewable annually?
Loving this TR. Looks like great fun.

We had a ball! And I get my checks quarterly

Jealous that Em got to meet Sadness & Joy. I was hoping they'd be there for our trip. My daughter and I like to quote sadness whenever we're feeling blue.

Hopefully, Joy and Sadness will be around for your next trip! In the meantime, you could get your daughter one of these:

 

[Tuvalu]

Oh, and if you can stand a late dinner, you might luck into this.
View attachment 139935

What a great pic! Thanks for sharing!

Mine have climbed into the dryer as I was emptying it, but the washing machine--that's something else!!

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

And this:

 

[Tuvalu]

Love the cat photos as much as the Dis ones. Our cat loves to get into anything open as well. Before we close any closet, drawer, etc. we have to check to see that he hasnt gotten inside before we close them. Or else we'll hear muffled meows soon afterwards. He never learns.

Poly became trapped inside our file cabinet when she was a kitten. We could hear the mews but could not figure out where they were coming from! And to think we're adding a new kitten to the mix! Thanks for your empathy .

So Love the Goofy Print. So Jealous

It is pretty cool!

Moving park bench!! Love it!

Woody gets the credit for that!

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday con't

We disembarked the MPB in Fantasyland and made our way here:

Lunch at BOG is one of our must-dos. We've lived through the "wait in the long line down the bridge and around the corner" phase, the "fastpass" phase and are happy now in the "ADR" phase (lunch ADRs are always easier to get than dinner!) We are savvy enough to pre-order our meals and can skip the order line...which today was down the bridge!

Em was able to take this shot before guests posed in front of the stained glass.

I'll admit to sticker shock when asked to pay. Our order is usually the same (or almost the same) each visit, and prices have creeped upward since BOG's opening in December of 2012...but the latest spike (which occurred sometime after our 12/15 visit) resulted in a $5 per person increase .

Does this mean we'll stop going? Not unless quality goes down. We still really like the braised pork, sandwiches and the Master's cupcake. We'll just learn to share.

After lunch we used our 3rd FP at Splash Mountain. Woody normally skips Splash, as he is not a fan of getting wet unless he's wearing a bathing suit. But he offered to ride with me today . Which meant Em had to sit by herself. We sat in the last row of the log and thankfully only got a little wet!

Then we went to a kiosk to get a 4th FP for later tonight (can't wait to finally make additional FPs on my phone.) No coasters were available, so we went with the Mansion.

There was a monorail delay on our way back to the Poly, which meant all the chairs at the Oasis pool were taken and we had to go to the Lava pool. Woody was unable to join us. Poor guy never had any pool time this week!

Em insisted on taking a picture of me by this poster in Capt. Cooks:

More to come!

 

[LisaBelle]

We had a ball! And I get my checks quarterly


Hopefully, Joy and Sadness will be around for your next trip! In the meantime, you could get your daughter one of these:

View attachment 140002

LOVE that pin!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Just sat and read though your trip report so far, and I am hooked! You currently have me questioning all my ADRs... ummm hello Beaches n Cream! How hard would it be to take a mid day break there on a Hollywood Studios day.. time to do my research. LOL

I couldn't help but laugh at the misfortunes you had with going to watch the welcome show! I swear, sometimes when everything goes wrong it creates some funny memories. It may not seem so at the time, but you can't help but look back at these times and laugh. I remember planning for months that my best friend and I would eat dinner at Poly then watch Wishes on the beach and drink Lapu Lapus. The weather poured and poured the night of our ADR, and we instead drank Lapu Lapus and perused the gift shop. Oh well!!


Love your going with the flow attitude, despite having plans! I admire your ability to be laid back! I now have Go with the Flow from the Nemo musical in my head...

 

[Woodywrkr]

Friday con't

Does this mean we'll stop going? Not unless quality goes down. We still really like the braised pork, sandwiches and the Master's cupcake. We'll just learn to share.

What is this sharing you speak of?

 

[Tuvalu]

Just sat and read though your trip report so far, and I am hooked! You currently have me questioning all my ADRs... ummm hello Beaches n Cream! How hard would it be to take a mid day break there on a Hollywood Studios day.. time to do my research. LOL

I couldn't help but laugh at the misfortunes you had with going to watch the welcome show! I swear, sometimes when everything goes wrong it creates some funny memories. It may not seem so at the time, but you can't help but look back at these times and laugh. I remember planning for months that my best friend and I would eat dinner at Poly then watch Wishes on the beach and drink Lapu Lapus. The weather poured and poured the night of our ADR, and we instead drank Lapu Lapus and perused the gift shop. Oh well!!


Love your going with the flow attitude, despite having plans! I admire your ability to be laid back! I now have Go with the Flow from the Nemo musical in my head...

Beaches and Cream would be a great choice for lunch on your DHS day! You can walk (if the weather's nice and not too hot) or enjoy a leisurely boat ride.

And I completely agree, we remember the mishaps more than the things that go as planned. While not funny at the time, they make a for a good laugh when reminiscing . I am sure you and your DBF will have moments on your upcoming trip that will make for a great story!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Tuvalu]

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.

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:

Did you notice the moon in the above shot?

How about now?

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.

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

 

[Tuvalu]

This trip will probably go down as the worst for transportation problems! One would think that staying at a monorail resort would make transportation a breeze, especially to the MK. We have learned...not necessarily!

The line for the boat looked prohibitively long, and it wasn't until we got to the top of the resort ramp that we discovered why...we waited and waited, yet no monorail appeared. (Express was running fine.) Getting out of line and switching to the boat wasn't an option, because the ramp was full of guests who had joined the line behind us.

We were allowed to move to a gate and were first in line to board. Beside us there was a pair of young men, one of whom was wearing a lanyard with ID (perhaps a cast member?) Finally a train pulled into the station. Every car was PACKED with people. Not to worry, right? Most people get off at the MK station.

Except no one got out of the car we were to get in. And lanyard man (and friend) pushed their way past us to get into the car. (Which, if he were a CM, was incredibly rude and un-Disneylike.) I did a quick assessment and decided the car could hold three more, so we climbed aboard.

The monorail remained stationary for several minutes. While the doors on the MK side had closed, the doors we had walked through remained open. Apparently a woman in the car adjacent to ours (same car, different door) either:
a) decided she was tired of waiting
or
b) was pushed by someone wielding a double stroller

just as the "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement was made. She was holding the hand of her companion and attempted to exit out of the monorail as the doors were closing. Naturally, this caused the door to spring back open. The two of them somehow made it out and there were words exchanged with the cast members working on the platform.

So the door which had sprung open now could not be shut! Several attempts were made and then we were told more time was required so the door could be reset. And so we waited....

But the worst was yet to come!

 

[blreinsel]

As always, loving your TR! I have an ADR for Garden Grill on my upcoming trip, so was happy to read your good reviews!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

This trip will probably go down as the worst for transportation problems! One would think that staying at a monorail resort would make transportation a breeze, especially to the MK. We have learned...not necessarily!

The line for the boat looked prohibitively long, and it wasn't until we got to the top of the resort ramp that we discovered why...we waited and waited, yet no monorail appeared. (Express was running fine.) Getting out of line and switching to the boat wasn't an option, because the ramp was full of guests who had joined the line behind us.

We were allowed to move to a gate and were first in line to board. Beside us there was a pair of young men, one of whom was wearing a lanyard with ID (perhaps a cast member?) Finally a train pulled into the station. Every car was PACKED with people. Not to worry, right? Most people get off at the MK station.

Except no one got out of the car we were to get in. And lanyard man (and friend) pushed their way past us to get into the car. (Which, if he were a CM, was incredibly rude and un-Disneylike.) I did a quick assessment and decided the car could hold three more, so we climbed aboard.

The monorail remained stationary for several minutes. While the doors on the MK side had closed, the doors we had walked through remained open. Apparently a woman in the car adjacent to ours (same car, different door) either:
a) decided she was tired of waiting
or
b) was pushed by someone wielding a double stroller

just as the "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement was made. She was holding the hand of her companion and attempted to exit out of the monorail as the doors were closing. Naturally, this caused the door to spring back open. The two of them somehow made it out and there were words exchanged with the cast members working on the platform.

So the door which had sprung open now could not be shut! Several attempts were made and then we were told more time was required so the door could be reset. And so we waited....

But the worst was yet to come!

I have always been so envious of guests staying at monorail resorts. Thanks for making me feel a wee bit better about staying at Port Orleans! Haha!

But in all seriousness, it gets worse??? Laid back my behind, I'd be starting the flip!

 

[Longers]

Just stumbled on your report and loving it. I've never been fortunate to see any fireworks in HS (no shows whenever I've been) loving all your pictures - funny that you think everyone takes the same kind of shots, of the same things but you always see something different in others photos. Love the ice creams (obviously)
Hoping joy and sadness are there in Nov. Shame about your transport delays. Looking forward to more

 

[Tuvalu]

It took over 10 minutes for the door system to "reboot" and everyone cheered when we started to move . As we pulled into the Contemporary, we noticed two "suits" (Disney managers) and a security guard standing on the platform. The "Please stand clear of the doors" announcement came on and every door of the monorail opened except for ours and the car next to ours (where the "incident" occurred.)

A cast member working on the platform must not have noticed the two doors that did not open (because guests were disembarking from the other cars) and he opened the gate and allowed waiting guests to board. Woody whispered to me that he wondered if the "suits" were there to question the guests in the car about what happened with the woman at the MK station, since our doors were still not open. It was also possible the doors were still not functioning properly after the reboot.

In either case, only a couple minutes had passed since we had entered the Contemporary. We had endured a much longer wait back at the MK station. Yet, to quote Woody from Toy Story: "Now is the perfect time to panic!" People began banging on the windows screaming, "OPEN THE DOORS!!!!"

Yes, both cars were packed to the gills but we weren't in any danger. No one was going to pass out due to a lack of oxygen. Just a few moments later the doors opened and Lanyard Man (the one who had been in such a hurry to board a full monorail car in the first place) dramatically dropped to his knees on the monorail platform. This immediately caught the attention of the "suits" who had begun speaking with guests in the next car. Lanyard Man plopped himself against the railing and he was given a bottle of water. There was murmuring that he had a panic attack but we couldn't hear anything since we were seated inside the monorail. Someone must have called 911 because this soon appeared:

It was quickly determined that a stretcher was not necessary . In the meantime, the monorail driver kept apologizing for the "brief delay" and that we were holding in the Contemporary "for a while longer." More time passed and the driver said that an Express monorail would be making a stop on the other side of the Contemporary platform to take guests to the MK.

Returning to the MK didn't do us any good, so we continued to stay put. Finally, a wheelchair appeared and Lanyard Man climbed into it and he was wheeled safely away from our monorail and we could MOVE!!!!!

We made it to the Poly as Wishes started ~ weary and clueless as to how the drama ended.

 

[gwhb75]

Great report. Don't let the last day transportation issue get you down. Looks like you had a great time.

 

[Tuvalu]

As always, loving your TR! I have an ADR for Garden Grill on my upcoming trip, so was happy to read your good reviews!

Thank you! Garden Grill was delicious!

I have always been so envious of guests staying at monorail resorts. Thanks for making me feel a wee bit better about staying at Port Orleans! Haha!
But in all seriousness, it gets worse??? Laid back my behind, I'd be starting the flip!

You are gonna love Port Orleans! No monorail drama, LOL.

Just stumbled on your report and loving it. I've never been fortunate to see any fireworks in HS (no shows whenever I've been) loving all your pictures - funny that you think everyone takes the same kind of shots, of the same things but you always see something different in others photos. Love the ice creams (obviously)
Hoping joy and sadness are there in Nov. Shame about your transport delays. Looking forward to more

So glad you found me . Whenever I have ice cream at Disney I think of you!

 

[Tuvalu]

Great report. Don't let the last day transportation issue get you down. Looks like you had a great time.

It certainly was another lesson in learning to go with the flow! And we still had one more day to play!

 

[Woodywrkr]

Great report. Don't let the last day transportation issue get you down. Looks like you had a great time.

Actually, this monorail drama was one of the trip highlights. Going with the flow meant we could laugh about it. I had the better view since I was standing and could see everything from the start at the MK station. I've seen Oscar winners put less effort into a performance.

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, April 9
It's official ~ 7 straight days of picture-perfect weather: sunny, a cool breeze and no humidity!

Believe it or not, I (the planner) had intentionally left this day open...no dining reservations or fastpasses. (See, I can plan ahead to go with the flow, LOL!) During our long monorail debacle last night "Squirt" (aka Em) was busy formulating an itinerary for today which turned out to be great!

She was able to score an 8:15 am ADR at Crystal Palace, which meant she'd be able to snap some nearly-empty Main Street photos that are coveted by many. Of course, this also meant sacrificing the Welcome Show...making this the 3rd trip in a row we haven't seen it.

The three of us got very nervous when we saw what was waiting for us on the monorail platform ~ monorail lime, the cursed train from last night! We boarded at 7:25 am and sat there...and sat there...and sat there. I was proud of myself for not fretting (too much!) Fifteen minutes later we left the Poly station, and after another lengthy stop at the GF, we finally made it to the MK! We breezed through security and the turnstiles.

Everyone seems to fuss about this Indian (supposedly he moves??) so I had to have a picture with him.

It was the last day I could wear my lei

The obligatory dorky pose: