We just finished our 9th trip to the World. It was not what we expected at all. This is going to be brief and probably sans pictures (for a while at least) for reasons you will see below. Enjoy!
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The Not Quite What I Expected Anniversary Trip Report
- Thread starter wvdisneyfamily
- Start date
For our sixth anniversary, DH gave me my dream - a two week trip at the Polynesian. I fell in love with staying there the first time I saw it but never thought I could because of the $$$.
I'm going to keep this simple. I cried. These were not happy tears either. Of our 14 nights there, we stayed 4. An incredible amount of non-magical experience made my biggest dream my worst nightmare. The staff at the Poly was magical. Out of respect for them, I will not trash the resort with a lot of details. They saw the problems in our room and had maintenance and mousekeeping on top of it. An engineer and electrician were scheduled for the next day.
We ended up at the Contemporary for the remaining 10 nights in a free upgrade to MK view. That was magical. DS (22 months) adores the CR as does DH. The MK view pleased me. Although, I was sad because the Poly was my dream. I spent a year planning my scrapbook pages and ADRs around it.
I have no complaints about the CR itself (until checking out) I know it has its haters, but my family loves it. The staleness many people dislike hasn't been there for me since our first stay there in April. I often thought it lacked magic. Staying there changed that.
With that being said, I was not pleased with monorail service. You can't put a band-aid on a broken arm. There are some issues that need to be addressed. On several occasions, we had to seek alternate means of transportation because of monorail issues. We also saw issues involving monorails around us.
Check out at the Contemporary was a disaster. This was due to a few rude dignitaries. A FL dignitary pushed my son and me out of her way at valet so she could get her Lexus keys (as she loudly announced). The CMs apologized. The only fault I have with the CR in regards to check out is the three or four CR suits with clip boards should help the two CP kids at luggage and valet. They were swamped with rude dignitaries and guests in a rush to check in and out. We loaded our own luggage. I've never done that at a deluxe. I'm not too good to do it, but I was surprised that I had to.
I'm going to keep this simple. I cried. These were not happy tears either. Of our 14 nights there, we stayed 4. An incredible amount of non-magical experience made my biggest dream my worst nightmare. The staff at the Poly was magical. Out of respect for them, I will not trash the resort with a lot of details. They saw the problems in our room and had maintenance and mousekeeping on top of it. An engineer and electrician were scheduled for the next day.
We ended up at the Contemporary for the remaining 10 nights in a free upgrade to MK view. That was magical. DS (22 months) adores the CR as does DH. The MK view pleased me. Although, I was sad because the Poly was my dream. I spent a year planning my scrapbook pages and ADRs around it.
I have no complaints about the CR itself (until checking out) I know it has its haters, but my family loves it. The staleness many people dislike hasn't been there for me since our first stay there in April. I often thought it lacked magic. Staying there changed that.
With that being said, I was not pleased with monorail service. You can't put a band-aid on a broken arm. There are some issues that need to be addressed. On several occasions, we had to seek alternate means of transportation because of monorail issues. We also saw issues involving monorails around us.
Check out at the Contemporary was a disaster. This was due to a few rude dignitaries. A FL dignitary pushed my son and me out of her way at valet so she could get her Lexus keys (as she loudly announced). The CMs apologized. The only fault I have with the CR in regards to check out is the three or four CR suits with clip boards should help the two CP kids at luggage and valet. They were swamped with rude dignitaries and guests in a rush to check in and out. We loaded our own luggage. I've never done that at a deluxe. I'm not too good to do it, but I was surprised that I had to.
Dining
The Great
1. Artist Point (as always)
2. Yachtsman
3. Flying Fish
The Good
1. Brown Derby
2. Jiko
3. Boma breakfast
4. Cape May dinner
5. Chef Mickey's breakfast
6. 1900 Park Fare breakfast
7. Sci Fi (burgers and ice cream)
8. Oliva's
9. Whispering Canyon
10. Biergarten
The Okay
1. Crystal Palace breakfast
2. Chef Mickey's dinner
The Glad I Did It But Not Again
1. Spirit of Aloha
The Overrated
1. Narccossee's
The Majorly Disappointing
1. Cinderella's Royal Table Breakfast
The I Knew It Would Be Blah At Best But I Did It For The Kid
1. Coral Reef
The Good Depending On Your Server
1. Garden Grill (good this time)
The Never Never Never Again
1. The new and greatly unimproved Le Cellier
Now, I will elaborate on just a few of my experiences as the ratings are pretty much self-explanatory.
I can't say enough how many better princess meals there are than CRT. Our waitress was RUDE. One server brought the wrong food and smarted off to DH when he told him. I know CRT is overly booked and tables have to turn over fast. However, a built-in gratuity does not mean you can act like a jerk.
The Yachtsman is the BEST steak on property. Everything there was great. It's a high bill but worth it. It's tied with Artist Point as my favorite.
So, why no Le Cellier again? Oddly, the reason I won't be posting pictures is Le Cellier. This one used to be my favorite. I craved the sourdough bread when I was pregnant. We ate there three times in one trip. It was our last day in Epcot tradition. The changes are terrible. The pretzel bread is still in stick form. The wheat and sourdough are hard and dry loaves. I actually had a tooth break when I bit into the heel of the sourdough. Seriously. I couldn't find anything on the menu. I don't like the filet and refuse to pay that much for it. DH loveD it. Then he tasted the revised version. However, the worst is yet to come. Food. Poisoning. I know it can happen anywhere, but it still marks the place in my mind. That was Thursday PM. It's Monday AM. DH and I still feel yuck. The first 24 hrs were bad. We lost our last real day in the park because of sickness. DS slept through dinner so he is fine. We cancelled Grand Floridian Cafe, Citricos, and the Plaza because we could not eat. I didn't get my last day sundae either. Sigh....Boo to you Le Cellier.
The Great
1. Artist Point (as always)
2. Yachtsman
3. Flying Fish
The Good
1. Brown Derby
2. Jiko
3. Boma breakfast
4. Cape May dinner
5. Chef Mickey's breakfast
6. 1900 Park Fare breakfast
7. Sci Fi (burgers and ice cream)
8. Oliva's
9. Whispering Canyon
10. Biergarten
The Okay
1. Crystal Palace breakfast
2. Chef Mickey's dinner
The Glad I Did It But Not Again
1. Spirit of Aloha
The Overrated
1. Narccossee's
The Majorly Disappointing
1. Cinderella's Royal Table Breakfast
The I Knew It Would Be Blah At Best But I Did It For The Kid
1. Coral Reef
The Good Depending On Your Server
1. Garden Grill (good this time)
The Never Never Never Again
1. The new and greatly unimproved Le Cellier
Now, I will elaborate on just a few of my experiences as the ratings are pretty much self-explanatory.
I can't say enough how many better princess meals there are than CRT. Our waitress was RUDE. One server brought the wrong food and smarted off to DH when he told him. I know CRT is overly booked and tables have to turn over fast. However, a built-in gratuity does not mean you can act like a jerk.
The Yachtsman is the BEST steak on property. Everything there was great. It's a high bill but worth it. It's tied with Artist Point as my favorite.
So, why no Le Cellier again? Oddly, the reason I won't be posting pictures is Le Cellier. This one used to be my favorite. I craved the sourdough bread when I was pregnant. We ate there three times in one trip. It was our last day in Epcot tradition. The changes are terrible. The pretzel bread is still in stick form. The wheat and sourdough are hard and dry loaves. I actually had a tooth break when I bit into the heel of the sourdough. Seriously. I couldn't find anything on the menu. I don't like the filet and refuse to pay that much for it. DH loveD it. Then he tasted the revised version. However, the worst is yet to come. Food. Poisoning. I know it can happen anywhere, but it still marks the place in my mind. That was Thursday PM. It's Monday AM. DH and I still feel yuck. The first 24 hrs were bad. We lost our last real day in the park because of sickness. DS slept through dinner so he is fine. We cancelled Grand Floridian Cafe, Citricos, and the Plaza because we could not eat. I didn't get my last day sundae either. Sigh....Boo to you Le Cellier.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Awwww...so sorry the Poly didn't go off so well for you. Sounds like life had other plans for your trip that you didn't get the memo about. That said, color me jealous over your MK view room. We loooove the Contemporary and I've never had a stale feeling there. Still, your dream stay is your dream stay and I'm sad you didn't get that dream come true....yet. I'll keep my fingers crossed that life has something wonderful in store for you & the Poly for the future. :animwink:
Yep, I'm kinda concerned for the good ol' monorails, too. Just hear about so many problems and knowing what it would cost to really do 'em up right again...**siiiigh**...not a good outlook.
I liked your restaurant ranking system you got there. Short. Sweet. Gets the point across well. Your rankings of the ones I've visited are pretty much spot-on with my past impressions. So glad the Yachtsman fell under 'Great' because that's my anniversary dinner on 9/18. :animwink:
Thanks for sharing!
***edit****
Just saw your edited bit after the ratings. How awful! Food poisoning is one of my biggest fears for a Disney trip. I've done the flu & a mega-bad head-cold before. The last day of our December '07 trip our youngest (then 10yro) ran a fever and ended up with bronchitis. All that I can handle. Food poisoning and or a bad stomach bug scares me! I can't imagine having to deal with that. Especially the food poisoning. My mom once got a really really bad type of food poisoning from under-cooked chicken at a restaurant on her way home from vacation in the mountains. When I say "really really bad" I mean the doctor had to contact the health department, there was an investigation, my mother was in bed sick for about a month, and had lingering problems for over 6 months. I've also had stomach viruses severe enough that I dehydrated so fast I fainted. The thought of going thru any of that away from home scares me to death. Bless your heart. I think you are certainly due a full-on do-over. I'll look to brighter days and unexpected exceptional wonderful for you on future trips. (((big hugs)))
Yep, I'm kinda concerned for the good ol' monorails, too. Just hear about so many problems and knowing what it would cost to really do 'em up right again...**siiiigh**...not a good outlook.
I liked your restaurant ranking system you got there. Short. Sweet. Gets the point across well. Your rankings of the ones I've visited are pretty much spot-on with my past impressions. So glad the Yachtsman fell under 'Great' because that's my anniversary dinner on 9/18. :animwink:
Thanks for sharing!
***edit****
Just saw your edited bit after the ratings. How awful! Food poisoning is one of my biggest fears for a Disney trip. I've done the flu & a mega-bad head-cold before. The last day of our December '07 trip our youngest (then 10yro) ran a fever and ended up with bronchitis. All that I can handle. Food poisoning and or a bad stomach bug scares me! I can't imagine having to deal with that. Especially the food poisoning. My mom once got a really really bad type of food poisoning from under-cooked chicken at a restaurant on her way home from vacation in the mountains. When I say "really really bad" I mean the doctor had to contact the health department, there was an investigation, my mother was in bed sick for about a month, and had lingering problems for over 6 months. I've also had stomach viruses severe enough that I dehydrated so fast I fainted. The thought of going thru any of that away from home scares me to death. Bless your heart. I think you are certainly due a full-on do-over. I'll look to brighter days and unexpected exceptional wonderful for you on future trips. (((big hugs)))
I'm so sorry to hear about your room problems, and also your food poisoning.
Before anyone says anything, the acute symptoms usually last 24 hours or less, but, as you well know, you can feel "off" for a while. Plus, if the symptoms were really severe, you do lose your appetite for days, and fear that first real meal.
Without a lab test, it is more likely than not a virus, which may be found in contaminated food, but also is passed person to person in crowded areas. Having a toddler (little germ incubators that they are
) increases the chances that it might have been picked up by other guests.
It is less likely, but very possible, that it was bacterial. Again, you would need lab tests to be sure. And, as mentioned in other threads, people rarely have the testing done unless they are severely stricken to the point of needing medical care, and even then the tests are not always done unless hospitalization is required.
So your meal may be to blame, or it may just have been your last meal before the virus peaked, causing your reaction. Either way, it still puts a damper on your vacation.
Before anyone says anything, the acute symptoms usually last 24 hours or less, but, as you well know, you can feel "off" for a while. Plus, if the symptoms were really severe, you do lose your appetite for days, and fear that first real meal.
Without a lab test, it is more likely than not a virus, which may be found in contaminated food, but also is passed person to person in crowded areas. Having a toddler (little germ incubators that they are
) increases the chances that it might have been picked up by other guests. It is less likely, but very possible, that it was bacterial. Again, you would need lab tests to be sure. And, as mentioned in other threads, people rarely have the testing done unless they are severely stricken to the point of needing medical care, and even then the tests are not always done unless hospitalization is required.
So your meal may be to blame, or it may just have been your last meal before the virus peaked, causing your reaction. Either way, it still puts a damper on your vacation.
WDW_Princess24
Active Member
So sorry to hear your trip was not as "magical" as you may have hoped. Thank you for sharing your experiences with everyone, hopefully your next trip (whenever that may be) will make up for this 10x over!
Not Everything Was Bad
Thanks for the sympathy, fellow Dis lovers. The trip was not all bad. Lol - I'm sorry I made it sound that way.
DS learned lots of new words this trip. Pluto, Mickey, Alice, monorail, river, ocean, boat, track, Buzz, castle, arrgghh, and Mary Poppins just to name a few.
Here are some of my favorite moments.
DS cried at the Phineas and Ferb meet and greet because as he said "I want Perry!". Not funny that he cried but funny he wanted Perry.
Watching fireworks from our room and cuddling DS to sleep.
The vast majority of characters are wonderful. 1900 Park Fare has the best Alice and Mad Hatter. They really showed DS special attention (which he relished).
Our last ride on Pirates was flash free.
The Haunted Mansion at night is still the best.
The new Star Tours is amazing.
DS singing "happy happy happy" as we toured the parks.
We got to open the Brown Derby and Liberty Tree Tavern.
Watching my DS enjoy WDW as only a child can.
Scoring 999999 on Buzz twice!!!
Setting the record for rides on Buzz in a trip.
Thanks for the sympathy, fellow Dis lovers. The trip was not all bad. Lol - I'm sorry I made it sound that way.
DS learned lots of new words this trip. Pluto, Mickey, Alice, monorail, river, ocean, boat, track, Buzz, castle, arrgghh, and Mary Poppins just to name a few.
Here are some of my favorite moments.
DS cried at the Phineas and Ferb meet and greet because as he said "I want Perry!". Not funny that he cried but funny he wanted Perry.
Watching fireworks from our room and cuddling DS to sleep.
The vast majority of characters are wonderful. 1900 Park Fare has the best Alice and Mad Hatter. They really showed DS special attention (which he relished).
Our last ride on Pirates was flash free.
The Haunted Mansion at night is still the best.
The new Star Tours is amazing.
DS singing "happy happy happy" as we toured the parks.
We got to open the Brown Derby and Liberty Tree Tavern.
Watching my DS enjoy WDW as only a child can.
Scoring 999999 on Buzz twice!!!
Setting the record for rides on Buzz in a trip.
foreverbelle
Well-Known Member
I am so sorry to hear that was well, it is always a bummer when things like that happen. Believe me Poly is on my I really want to go stay there but the $$ gets in the way list. Still one of these days...lol.
And I always find it interesting that some people love certain resorts, that others don't. Its just a matter of experience and preference really. But I am glad you guys had a good time.
Isn't it funny what we do for our kids, I knew I had some meals that I did it for our son anyway..but it turned out to be a blast...
Thanks for sharing.
And I always find it interesting that some people love certain resorts, that others don't. Its just a matter of experience and preference really. But I am glad you guys had a good time.
Isn't it funny what we do for our kids, I knew I had some meals that I did it for our son anyway..but it turned out to be a blast...
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, sweetpea. I can honestly say we've done pregnancy, flu, cold, allergies, dental issues, cuts, scrapes, migraines, bruises, and almost everything in between at the World. Food poisoning was the worst. It's almost paralyzing. I've had the stomach virus and this made that look mild. I'm just glad DS didn't get it.
The monorail attendant at the CR told us new monorails are needed but unlikely. I hope new ones are a 40th anniversary surprise.
The monorail attendant at the CR told us new monorails are needed but unlikely. I hope new ones are a 40th anniversary surprise.
Thanks for reading everyone. That's about all I have to report. I'll try to add pics soon. I want to conclude my trip report with a final thought or two.
Modern Marvels on History says our expectations are higher in regards to Disney World than anything else. I agree 100%. We spend a lot of money to go, have hopes, dreams, and ideas of our perfect trip. Nothing in life is perfect. I guess it's like if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.
There's certainly a lot of negativity right now regarding prices, lack of maintenance, loss of magic, bad decisions, fellow guests, etc... I agree there are issues. I feel my blood boil whenever the incessant flash pictures start. However, when it's all said and done, even in the biggest mess of negative circumstances, the good far outweighs the bad, and I thank God that He has given me the opportunities and means to give my family the gift of fairy tales and magic.
Disney World is still magical. We are all very lucky to have felt it for ourselves.
Modern Marvels on History says our expectations are higher in regards to Disney World than anything else. I agree 100%. We spend a lot of money to go, have hopes, dreams, and ideas of our perfect trip. Nothing in life is perfect. I guess it's like if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.
There's certainly a lot of negativity right now regarding prices, lack of maintenance, loss of magic, bad decisions, fellow guests, etc... I agree there are issues. I feel my blood boil whenever the incessant flash pictures start. However, when it's all said and done, even in the biggest mess of negative circumstances, the good far outweighs the bad, and I thank God that He has given me the opportunities and means to give my family the gift of fairy tales and magic.
Disney World is still magical. We are all very lucky to have felt it for ourselves.
becanya
New Member
You know, I know some people love poly. And we LOVE Kona cafe for all meals, which would almost convince me to stay there just for food. But I have always hesitated to stay there for a few reasons.
1) It's crazy expensive. We have a great experience every time at Wilderness Lodge, and it's always 1000 cheaper for the length of our stay.
2) The monorail just doesn't seem that convenient to me. It is so quick just to hop on our boat to MK. The monorail always takes us FOREVER anytime we ride it. And with them not even keeping it open for magic hours anymore? Doesn't seem like the perk it once was.
3) I hear so many bad reviews about things happening with the rooms. Seems like most of them haven't been updated in a long time and that's disappointing for such a pricey resort.
That being said, if someone wanted to send me there I would go in a heartbeat. :lol: I just have loved our experience every time at Wildnerness Lodge, and as a creature of habit our chances of moving are slim. Especially now that we bought DVC there!
1) It's crazy expensive. We have a great experience every time at Wilderness Lodge, and it's always 1000 cheaper for the length of our stay.
2) The monorail just doesn't seem that convenient to me. It is so quick just to hop on our boat to MK. The monorail always takes us FOREVER anytime we ride it. And with them not even keeping it open for magic hours anymore? Doesn't seem like the perk it once was.
3) I hear so many bad reviews about things happening with the rooms. Seems like most of them haven't been updated in a long time and that's disappointing for such a pricey resort.
That being said, if someone wanted to send me there I would go in a heartbeat. :lol: I just have loved our experience every time at Wildnerness Lodge, and as a creature of habit our chances of moving are slim. Especially now that we bought DVC there!
becanya
New Member
The Wilderness Lodge is still my favorite.
See...I knew we were meant to be friends. :wave:
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't that be wonderful??? I won't be holding my breath, tho.
Seriously, the monorail thing seems to be an issue that just doesn't go away and only has been getting increasingly worse. At some point new trains are going to be inevitable. Ya know? I agree with Modern Marvels. We do expect more from Disney. And as Disney-philes I think we oftentimes put more expectation into our blissful trips to our happy place than we should. What I try to remember is that for me it's not the place that is magical in itself, it's being there with my family. I can't sit here and name an attraction or a show or a physical spot in itself that is stand-alone magic. For me, it's just the escape, the time when life isn't in the way of us being just us altogether. So much of being in the parks and the details are a matter of perspective. Is the glass half empty or half full? Do you only see things that are crumby or do you find some cool details that you hadn't noticed before?
Sounds like in the end, disappointment & food poisoning be damned, you still had a great time making memories that will be near-n-dear to your heart always. That's what it's all about. :animwink:
With all the monorail issues of late I certainly wouldn't make the transportation options the reason I'd stay at a monorail resort. I stayed at the Poly with my brother & nieces in May '09 and felt the best thing about the rooms was the size. Our room was okay with no major issues. That wasn't the experience my brother had their at the start of this summer, tho. Also, last time I was there and in my brother's pics from this summer the Poly is still using those hotel bedspread things. :lookaroun I'm sorry, but my idea of "deluxe" is a nice comforter with a duvet. I really dislike bedspreads. I'm a quilt or duvet w/comforter girl. :animwink: I do believe I read something fairly recently that said the Poly is supposed to be getting some refreshing to the rooms building at a time here pretty quick. I'll have to go look for the info again.
The Wilderness Lodge is still my favorite.
Hearing all the WL love is encouraging! We're checking-in on 9/10 for our pre-cruise stretch. I'll be honest, after staying at AKL I've been kinda skeptical. I thought the AKL rooms were on the small side and, again, needed comforters with duvets. I've been trying not to think about the rooms at WL so much and focus on the beautiful surroundings, sweet pool, and ~~hello~~ Whispering Canyon breakfast! :slurp: It'll be a fun place to explore and I'm really looking forward to the boat ride to the MK and the running trail. :sohappy:
mickeysshoes
Well-Known Member
Please dont hold the lack of duvets agaist the WL. We also love the Lodge and if DH had his way we would only stay there. But really wanted to try a resort in the boardwalk area once so we will be at the Boardwalk Inn in 17 days!!:sohappy: There is nothing like walking into the WL for the first time to check in.
becanya
New Member
Yeah, unfortunately they still use the yucky bedspreads. But honestly, even duvets in hotels gross me out. I just take any bed covering off the bed and stuff it in the closet as soon as I arrive.
The WL is amazing. You'll love it, sweetpea. There are no duvets, but everything else makes up for it. Try to get a courtyard room.
Hey...should we quit singing the WL's praises? What if it gets too popular?
Hey...should we quit singing the WL's praises? What if it gets too popular?
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Oh I won't hold the lack of duvets against it. Promise. :animwink: Yep, we're trying to do new-to-us stuff this trip so we've got the Wilderness Lodge for 5 nights, our first ever cruise w/a 3-day on the Dream, then 6 more nights at the Yacht Club. We're just spreadin' it all out there this time. :lol:
I think we have a woods view w/bunk beds booked. I'll cross my fingers for pixie dust with a bump on the view. As long as it's not a parking lot or a roof, I'm good. I don't mind landscape, woods, trees, or even other buildings as long as it's not a utility area.