Trip Report The No Rain, Red Card, Vanna White, July JOURNEY! *COMPLETED*

So my most recent trip report was 44 years in the making ~ this one has taken only a month . And for any of you keeping score, this is my 5th trip report. This year. I have been to WDW five times in 2016 and have plans to return in September. And October. And December. (Please don't hate me.)

Those of you who are tired of reading about my Disney escapades can exit now, no hard feelings. Those of you who have read any of my other reports know what you're in for and I hope I can keep your interest. I really appreciate your kind comments.

To that end I will start by playing tag ~ @TrolleyFollower91 @Doc Disney @TheMouseFan @MinnieM123 @Tiggerish @BWK05 @Gabe1 @samantha788 @coachwnh @Figment Forever @figmentfan423 @epcotisbest @Zipitidoda @MerMom1981 @LisaBelle @Matty30 @Courtney6682 @bee @lostpro9het @cgersic @sheriffwoody @blgauger @meganwdw @fractal @MississippiBelle @jrogue @ScarletBegonias @LadyBelle @disneypearl @Tony the Tigger @tcool123 @prfctlyximprct @Longers @gwhb75 @Beckett @Ciara @ajrwdwgirl @FlaggNL @mishel635 @myhappyplace

If I have omitted anyone, please forgive me and know it was not intentional! A great big thank you in advance to everyone who follows along .

"Now give me a little intro there, Gomer" (I clearly have seen the Country Bear Jamboree way too many times...)

Cast: Tuvalu and Em, a girls' summer getaway!
Date: July 23-27
Resort: Polynesian Village (surprised? Didn't think so...)

Did all our wishes come true? You'll have to wait and see.

 

[MinnieM123]

This next picture is for @imahistorygeek and @MinnieM123 ~

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Yes, it's still there!

What caught my eye about the stocks was just how clean and spiffy they looked--not sure if that's how they'd look back in the olden days!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Sunday was a great day in terms of low crowds. I think that was our most productive day when it came to numbers of attractions that we did.

We also had one of those fantastic yellow roses @Tuvalu, maybe someday our paths will cross and again.

 

[Tuvalu]

I have to ask a question though. I know to most this may sound like a 'dumb' question but I have come to grips in the fact there are no dumb questions if you don't know the answer. What is the red tag for?

Sorry I didn't clarity for those who are unfamiliar with the red card. Disney uses it as a time estimator for the queue line. A cast member scans the card and then hands it to the next guest in line. The guest holds onto the card and gives it to the cast member nearest the boarding area. That cast member scans the card which tells how much time has elapsed. Supposedly, the standby wait time is then adjusted to this time ~ but we have timed our wait with a card ourselves and then checked the standby wait time upon exiting and noticed the wait time actually increased more than what we timed. And since FP line wait times aren't published, I am not sure why we have been given a red card when entering a FP line.

glad to hear you were able to hear your favourite song. a very nice moment.

It was GREAT!

 

[fractal]

Our next FP was for Big Thunder Mountain. There was a private tour...a Disney guide with 3 children in the 8-12 age range...who entered the FP queue behind us. Due to the guide, they did not have fastpasses. There was no adult with the children which we found a little curious. The FP line was long and we were stopped, so we were privy to the conversation taking place between the guide and the children. The CM gets props for engaging with the kids, and for not gasping or prying further when the middle boy said, "My dad owns 7 businesses." (Well that explains the private tour...)

Probably also explains why they were alone.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Probably also explains why they were alone.

I thought it was quite sad actually.

 

[Tuvalu]

Probably also explains why they were alone.

I thought it was quite sad actually.

Good observations.

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, con't

We got off the train (oops, MPB ) in Frontierland. It was a short walk over to Splash Mountain. Notice the crazy length of the FP line! This was another time when our FP wait clocked in at 20 minutes.

We were stopped in this spot for a couple minutes. Although my fuzzy photography makes it seem like our log was in motion! This is why I rely on Em to take the pictures!

We tried to be funny. I actually like expressions of the little girl in the first row and the contemplative man in the third row better! And even though on this hot and humid day we would have loved getting wet, we barely got splashed. (Perhaps we should have ridden Pirates instead?!)

So it was time to make our way out of the park and make our own splash in the Oasis pool. The GF/Poly boat had just arrived at the dock so we decided to use that for transport rather than risk another afternoon sicko on the monorail.

 

[Tiggerish]

We tried to be funny. I actually like expressions of the little girl in the first row and the contemplative man in the third row better! And even though on this hot and humid day we would have loved getting wet, we barely got splashed. (Perhaps we should have ridden Pirates instead?!)

I think your pose is funny. And cute.

 

[Tuvalu]

We swam and lounged at this wonderful Oasis for an hour and a half.

Although, to be perfectly honest, the water was pretty warm. Though we are not big fans of hot tubs (or as Disney calls them "Spa Pools"), I convinced Em to join me in the hot spa tub pool for about two minutes and then jump back into the regular pool. TA-DA! Pool water felt a lot cooler!

It was nearing 4 o'clock when we returned to our room and discovered Mousekeeping had still not been there. Ugh...showers would have to wait. We hung out on our balcony until the room was made up about a half hour later.

What to do this evening? We intentionally had lots of "unplanned time" this trip, as I continue to work on learning how to go with the flow. Em suggested a visit to Disney Springs for dinner and shopping.

There was a big crowd at the bus stop when we got there. Turns out everyone was waiting for the Disney Springs bus. I don't know how long it had been since the last DS bus, but it was 30 minutes before the next DS bus showed up! Of course there was a gentleman in an ECV who would need to be loaded first. As the driver lowered the bus to extend the ramp, another DS bus pulled up right behind it.

Suddenly, it was a free-for-all as the crowd made a mad dash to the second bus. Em and I decided to stay put, figuring we'd now get a seat on the first bus since everyone else had abandoned the line.

 

[Tuvalu]

The new bus depot is very close to the "Springs" which is where our dinner choice is located.

(No, that woman is not actually holding a light saber!)

@wdwmagic had given D-Luxe Burger a very positive review, so we wanted to try it out. You place your order at the counter and then find a seat either indoors or out.

We opted to sit outside on the porch.

As lovely as Em is in this photo, I actually took it to capture the people behind her. But my senior brain has completely forgotten why! I hope @TrolleyFollower91 can fill us in!

The burgers were very tasty. But they are HUGE! Em and I agreed we should have shared one. The fries come with a choice of dipping sauces. I enjoy my fries in their purest form so the sauces held no appeal for me. Unfortunately, the fries also held no appeal for me. They were greasy and bland. Em said she thought the fries were ok with the ranch dipping sauce. But we'll probably skip fries on the next visit.

I am a big s'mores fan, so this shake was a MUST!

If it is possible for a shake to be too sweet, this was it. Em took a couple sips and was done. I was intrigued by the marshmallow syrup taste but decided that was the ingredient causing the sugar rush. I still managed to finish it. Would I order it again? Possibly.

 

[MinnieM123]

The guest holds onto the card and gives it to the cast member nearest the boarding area. That cast member scans the card which tells how much time has elapsed.

I've been selected a lot for the red card! (I think they like picking solo guests, as it's probably just easier for the CM to explain something to one person, than to have to explain the red card system to an entire family.)

But it doesn't stop there. I also get picked for other random tasks as well. Once, while entering the Kilimanjaro Safari queue, a CM asked me if I'd mind wheeling an (empty) stroller up to the drop-off stroller place (about half way up the queue). I said, sure. So I wheeled the stroller around the twists and turns of the queue, and people (ahead) walking past, would glance over at the stroller expecting to see a baby--and there wasn't one. Then they'd look at me like this , as if to say, "Did you forget someone?" Ha ha ha!!!

It was nearing 4 o'clock when we returned to our room and discovered Mousekeeping had still not been there. Ugh...showers would have to wait

This late housekeeping thing is not just at the deluxes--it's elsewhere as well. Obviously, they've cut back on staff, and it's taking them longer to get to all the rooms. I recall when rooms would be cleaned well before 2 p.m.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Sunday, con't

We were pleasantly surprised that Main Street was not wall-to-wall guests racing to get to 7DMT. In fact, we thought the crowds were remarkably light for a day in July.

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We walked through the castle to get to Fantasyland. A flight to Neverland was first on our agenda.

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Then we had an urge for a smackeral of honey.

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Believe it or not, 7DMT had only a 30 minute wait so we joined the standby line.

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The window for our first FP was now open and we stopped at the Tangled restroom on the way. I was tickled to observe a little girl in wide-eyed wonder comment to her mother, "This is BEAUTIFUL!" (Good thing the bathrooms were completed before the #blameShanghai cuts were instituted .)

I really like your dress, it is super cute.

 

[BWK05]

I was intrigued by the marshmallow syrup taste but decided that was the ingredient causing the sugar rush. I still managed to finish it. Would I order it again? Possibly.[/QUOTE]

Way to take one for the team!!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

I love your picture on splash! And the milkshake looks amazing. A place we will have to try next time we are there.

 

[Castle Dreamer]

Another great report! Following along.

 

[coachwnh]

I hope @TrolleyFollower91 can fill us in!

Me, too!

Enjoying yet another TR. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

[FlaggNL]

thanks for the updates! As great as always!

 

[Tuvalu]

But it doesn't stop there. I also get picked for other random tasks as well. Once, while entering the Kilimanjaro Safari queue, a CM asked me if I'd mind wheeling an (empty) stroller up to the drop-off stroller place (about half way up the queue). I said, sure. So I wheeled the stroller around the twists and turns of the queue, and people (ahead) walking past, would glance over at the stroller expecting to see a baby--and there wasn't one. Then they'd look at me like this , as if to say, "Did you forget someone?" Ha ha ha!!!

Always sweet, @MinnieM123, even complying with odd requests!

This late housekeeping thing is not just at the deluxes--it's elsewhere as well. Obviously, they've cut back on staff, and it's taking them longer to get to all the rooms. I recall when rooms would be cleaned well before 2 p.m.

Late afternoon cleaning is a pet peeve of mine. There should be enough staff to cover all the rooms by early afternoon. Resort stays aren't cheap, even at the values.

 

[Tuvalu]

I think your pose is funny. And cute.

Thanks! This one was my idea.

I really like your dress, it is super cute.

Thank you! I call it my Minnie dress since it is red with white polka dots. I purposely wore my yellow MagicBand with it...a lame attempt at Disney bounding!

 

[Tuvalu]

Way to take one for the team!!

Yeah, it was a struggle, but someone had to do it!

I love your picture on splash! And the milkshake looks amazing. A place we will have to try next time we are there.

D-Luxe Burger is definitely worth a visit. Would like to hear another opinion on the S'mores shake.

Another great report! Following along.

Glad to have you!

Me, too!
Enjoying yet another TR. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Hopefully, Em can enlighten us!

thanks for the updates! As great as always!

You are so kind!