I've been just an occasional poster but a very frequent voyeur of these boards for the last five years. We just returned from a great trip to WDW. I always enjoy reading other's trip reports, so hopefully anyone reading this will find that same enjoyment, plus some useful information for planning their own trip. I'm additionally compelled to post the details of our vacation, as I get to relive the trip one more time. As I'm sure many of you experience as well, I'm feeling a bit blue now that our trip is over, having to return to the realities of life including the sub zero temperatures on Minnesota.
This was our 5th trip to WDW with our kids since 1997. The previous trips were in 2005, 2002, 2000, and 1997. We always go in late Jan or early Feb to take advantage of the smaller crowds and to escape winter. This time my kids were ages 10, 8, and nearly 6, two girls a nd a boy in that order.
Day 1, Saturday, Jan 27:
In past trips, we always flew down Fri night, after the kids get out of school, so that we could get an extra day in the parks on our trip. However that means not checking into our room until nearly midnight, resulting in exhausted kids (and wife) by the end of the first day. I wisely listened to the mrs. and took a late morning flight that got into Orlando at 3:30p. Tiffany Towncar was efficient as usual, meeting us in the luggage area and geting us quickly out to the Polynesian.
We've always stayed at PO-R or FQ, but decided to splurge this trip. Walking into the Polynesian lobby and seeing the waterfall and all the tropical landscaping was a real rush. Check in went smoothly, the front desk people were friendly enough, and we found our room in the Tahiti Longhouse. All the rooms at the resort were recently refurbished. We got a 3rd floor balcony "garden view" room. The room was great. The view was beautiful, and felt very secluded.
Plans to go swimming didn't materialize,which in retrospect I regret as the weather turned cooler for most days of the trip, but we did go for a walk all around the resort, including down to the beach where the kids(and I) got excited seeing Cinderella's castle across the lake. As everyone says, the grounds of this resort are truly beautiful. We saw the torch lighting ceremony, visited the shops in the Grand Ceremonial House, and then went to dinner at Ohana's. This was our first time eating here and it exceeded expectations. Festive atmosphere, great food, and a lot of it, and awesome views of Wishes with the music piped into the restuarant from the MK just like they do at the California Grill. I think the desert- Pineapple Bread pudding, topped with vanilla ice cream and hot bananas foster sauce- was probably the best thing I have ever tasted at WDW.
A nice stroll at night in that warm Florida air, surrounded by all the lush vegetation and the torches blazing with fire was an excellent end to our first day. We called it an early night, with plans to hit the parks, begging with DS, the next morning.
This was our 5th trip to WDW with our kids since 1997. The previous trips were in 2005, 2002, 2000, and 1997. We always go in late Jan or early Feb to take advantage of the smaller crowds and to escape winter. This time my kids were ages 10, 8, and nearly 6, two girls a nd a boy in that order.
Day 1, Saturday, Jan 27:
In past trips, we always flew down Fri night, after the kids get out of school, so that we could get an extra day in the parks on our trip. However that means not checking into our room until nearly midnight, resulting in exhausted kids (and wife) by the end of the first day. I wisely listened to the mrs. and took a late morning flight that got into Orlando at 3:30p. Tiffany Towncar was efficient as usual, meeting us in the luggage area and geting us quickly out to the Polynesian.
We've always stayed at PO-R or FQ, but decided to splurge this trip. Walking into the Polynesian lobby and seeing the waterfall and all the tropical landscaping was a real rush. Check in went smoothly, the front desk people were friendly enough, and we found our room in the Tahiti Longhouse. All the rooms at the resort were recently refurbished. We got a 3rd floor balcony "garden view" room. The room was great. The view was beautiful, and felt very secluded.
Plans to go swimming didn't materialize,which in retrospect I regret as the weather turned cooler for most days of the trip, but we did go for a walk all around the resort, including down to the beach where the kids(and I) got excited seeing Cinderella's castle across the lake. As everyone says, the grounds of this resort are truly beautiful. We saw the torch lighting ceremony, visited the shops in the Grand Ceremonial House, and then went to dinner at Ohana's. This was our first time eating here and it exceeded expectations. Festive atmosphere, great food, and a lot of it, and awesome views of Wishes with the music piped into the restuarant from the MK just like they do at the California Grill. I think the desert- Pineapple Bread pudding, topped with vanilla ice cream and hot bananas foster sauce- was probably the best thing I have ever tasted at WDW.
A nice stroll at night in that warm Florida air, surrounded by all the lush vegetation and the torches blazing with fire was an excellent end to our first day. We called it an early night, with plans to hit the parks, begging with DS, the next morning.