Trip Reports

Michelle's Birthday Trip-Part 1 9/6

I decided if I had to turn 30 I am turning it in my Laughing Place, Walt Disney World. We had been planning this vacation since July 1996. It's just me (Michelle) and my husband (Jim) it is my 8th WDW trip and Jim's 4th. We had 3 complimentary nights at the Contemporary (thanks to a bad experience there 2 years ago) and we bought a Fall Fantasy Package at the Polynesian for our last 6 nights.

We flew out of St. Louis at 6:30 am on Delta Airlines on the morning of September 6th. I got very little sleep the night before and ended up getting out of bed at 2:00 am and watched the coverage of Diana's funeral. We made connections in Atlanta and arrived in Orlando at 11:50 am. Our Florida Town Car driver, Ken Reed, was right there waiting for us at the bottom of the escalator leading to the baggage claim area. We were on the way to the Contemporary by 12:15. The town car was very clean and roomy and was worth the extra cost to us. It cost $70.00 round trip for up to 5 people. Ken was very nice and he put a tape of Disney music in the stereo for our listening pleasure. The love bugs kept hitting the wndshield in time to the music. His windshield was covered with splotches by the time we reached the Contemporary. Love bugs are everywhere this time of year for about 6 weeks, according to Ken.

Check-in was a breeze. It took about 5 minutes and we had no problem with our complimentary letter. We received a 10th floor tower room facing the MK. Woo Hoo! Our room was already available and it was only 1:00 pm on the last day of the Disneyana Convention. We were very pleased with our room and took some time to admire it before heading over to Epcot. In the closet we found an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer in the bathroom. We didn't find these items in our garden wing room two years ago.

At 2:00 pm we headed over to Epcot. We were starving having only been fed peanuts on the plane. But before we found a snack we stopped at the cart in the International gateway to purchase our special Guest of Honor pins with our names and where we were from on them. Then we walked to Germany and enjoyed a soft pretzel. We turned back around to ride Maelstrom in Norway but it was closed temporarily due to technical problems. So we rode El Rio del Tiempo in Mexico. There was actually a 3 minute wait. Then it was back to Future World to ride an old favorite of mine, Journey into Imagination. Jim doesn't particularly care for this attraction but he tolerates it for me, usually 3 or 4 times each trip. We waited in line about 5 minutes for this ride since Honey I Shrunk... just got out. Next we rode Living with the Land after a short 10 minute wait in line. I enjoyed reading all the quotes on the wall from children about saving the environment.

It was approaching 5:00 pm and we had 5:30pm Priority Seating at the Le Celleir Steakhouse. We hoped to get in early and indeed we did! At 5:00 pm we were seated and CM Elaine introduced herself as our server. She said the prime rib was particulaly tasty that night so I ordered it and Jim ordered the T-bone and the cheddar cheese soup. When his soup came it looked good and I wished I had ordered some too. After tasting it I knew I should have ordered it. It was excellent. So was the main coursel. I have never ate at Le Cellier so I cannpt compare our experience to the old cafeteria style but we give this meal two thumbs up. The restaurant was also uncrowded even at 6:00 pm when we left. The total cost for the meal not including tip was $44.21.

After dinner we went to ride another old favorite of mine, Horizons.

We walked on with no wait. Near the end of the ride we felt a lurch and the entire ride stopped. After about 5 minutes we were on our way again. Next we walked on Spaceship Earth. I still miss Walter but I am warming to the new version.

By this time we were exhausted after getting up so early. I made one last stop to buy some of those cinnamon roasted almonds at the International Gateway to eat later. We took the monorail back to the Contemporary and bought the refillable mugs at the Food and Fun Center. The ones at the Contemporary are really nice and large, gray and purple with Mickey on them. I filled mine up with iced tea and we headed up to the room. At 9:00 pm we watched the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks from our balcony while munching on the roasted almonds. It doesn't get better than this I thought. Went to bed at 10:00 pm.

Tomorrow, the Magic Kingdom and the first of two RADP meets.....

Michelle's Birhday Trip Part 2 9/7

We awoke at 7:00 am. I was pleased and surprised that the Contemporary tower rooms were so quiet. By 8:00 am we were eating a quick breakfast at the Food and Fun Center. I noticed that they only sell turkey sausage and it tasted pretty good.

By 8:45 we were in the monorail headed to the Magic Kingdom. MK was very uncrowded.

We rode the Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan's Flight, and saw the Lion King Show with absolutely no waits. We had never seen the Lion King show before. I loved it!! I really got a kick out of watching the faces of the children.

Pure joy!

Next we walked over to Tomorrowland and rode Take Flight and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. We never go to the parks with a plan so we just ride or see whatever attraction we feel like. We decided a Dole Whip sounded good so we stood in line for the Skyway to Fantasyland. This took about 10 minutes before we were on our way. I also enjoy the view from the Skyway and took both video and still photos.

We walked over to Adventureland and bought a Dole Whip to share from Aloha Isle. I don't know what I like better, Citrus swirls, strawberry swirls, or Dole Whips. I guess I will just have to keep trying them until I decide.

After absorbing the atmosphere of Adventureland for awhile we headed over to Tom Sawyer Island. Our lunch destination was Aunt Polly's. I had the cold fried chicken and Jim had the ham and cheese sandwich sack lunch. It was very good and it was relaxing to watch the boats on the river. Our meal cost about $14.00 with iced tea and a coke.

Just as we were about to board the raft it started to sprinkle.

There was one black cloud over us but the rest of the sky was blue. The CM driving the raft asked us if we were sure we wanted to go back over now. We all said yes because it looked like it was just going to sprinkle for a short time. Of course as soon as we were away from the dock the downpour started. By the time we reached the dock on the other side we were drenched!

We ran to the Briar Patch shop for cover and a very nice lady offered us some napkins to wipe our very wet faces off with. Within 5 minutes the rain stopped and we headed back to the Contemporary.

Although we had requested early housekeeping our room still hadn't been made . We made to quick call and they said they would be right up so we went to the pool.

The Contemporary renovated their main pool area in 1995 and it looks very nice. But I think the pool is too shallow. It is 3 ft. in most places. So I headed for the older circular pool where it is about 5 ft. in the middle. I had the pool completely to myself for about 45 minutes and the main pool only had about 10 guests using it. Off season is nice!

After about 90 minutes we returned to the room for a shower and to prepare for the 4:45 pm RADp meet at Chef Mickey's. Our room had been made. At 4:30 I started watching from outside our room for the first RADper to show up. I could actually see those bright red RADp pins from the 10th floor! First I saw two then three RADpers so we headed down the elevator. We ran into Phillip and Kurt from England at the bottom and we walked together to Chef Mickey's where a group of other RADpers were waiting. Gardenia was there and she greeted us with warm and friendly hugs and soon we were seated.

Our server's name was Frank and she couldn't of been nicer. The food at Chef Mickey's was good, but the company was better. I am terrible at remembering the names but I enjoyed talking with everyone. I believe 27 showed up. After dinner we gathered to take a group photo. Mickey and Chip got in the photo too. Chef Mickey's cost about $20.00 each person including tip. Gardenia allowed us to use her 20% discount. Thank you Tammie, Sherrie, and gardenia for planning the meet. It was alot of fun.

Afterwards about 12 of us went out to the pool area to talk until it was time to view the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks from the observation deck. It was a beautiful evening and almost cool enough for a jacket. Jim and I passed on joining them for the fireworks on the deck since we wanted to take advantage of our balcony. We said our goodbyes and went to buy some snacks and drinks to enjoy while watching the fireworks. We went back downstairs afterwards to shop and ran into a few of the remaining RADpers who were just coming down from the observation deck. We shopped a bit then went back upstairs and were in bed by 10:15 pm.

Tomorrow, the Studios and E-Ticket Express at the Magic Kingdom......

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 3 9/8

This morning I got up at 6:15 am and showered. Woke Jim up 30 minutes later and by 7:05 am I was eating breakfast at the Food and Fun Center and making trip report notes while waiting for my slow husband.

After he ate we waited for the Studios bus. There were only four of us on the bus. We arrived at the Studios by 8:35 am. Even though it was not Surprise Morning many rides were already open so we headed straight for Star Tours. No wait. We did see the Energizer Bunny :-( I want Darth Vader back!

We visited Muppet Vision, Backlot Studio Tour, and the Great Movie Ride with 10 minute or less waits at each attraction. By 11:20 am we were ready to head for our lunch destination, Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort. On the way to the boat dock we ran into RADpers Bill and Diane Abrams who were just arriving.

The boat to the Beach Club took so long. First it stops at the Boardwalk where we waited about 10 minutes for new passengers. This was our first up close glance of the Boardwalk. It is really beautiful and colorful. We finally got to the Beach Club around 12:00 noon.

I noticed the fencing round Stormalong Bay right away. CM's were stationed at the openings checking ID's even though the pool was fairly empty. There were several empty table at Beaches and Cream so we took one. B&C is decorated in 50's style. I was surprised at how tiny the place is. I ordered a Quarter Note hot dog, onion rings, and a rocky road shake. Jim ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. The food was very good but in all honesty the hot dog was just as good as the ones in Casey's Corner at the Magic Kingdom. Our bill came to $20.52 without tip. We were too full for dessert but I made a mental note to come back and try some of those delicious looking desserts I saw others eating!

After lunch we headed to the bus stop and waited for an MK bus.

Staying at the Contemporary makes it a little easier to resort hop. When we are visitng another resort we simply take a bus to the MK and walk back to the Contemporary. The Beach Club was so quiet and not a soul joined us at the bus stop. When the bus came there were very few on it. The bus stops at the Boardwalk before heading to the Magic Kingdom. By 1:45 pm we were back at the Contemporary abd ready for a swim.

On the way to the pool I stopped at the WebTV at the little coffee bar and e-mailed some friends. I wrote a few postcards while poolside. The pools had a few more guests using them today but still very uncrowded. I was done swimming by 4:00 and went upstairs to shower and change.

Our plan was to view Spectromagic that night before the E-ticket Express. We had picked up our E-Ticket Express cards the day before at the Comptemporary's guest services. They look just like resort ID's. Admission is $10.00 for E-Ticket Express. We exchangesd our cards for wristbands at City Hall.

We arrived in the MK by 7:00 pm and had a quick dinner at El Pirata y el Perico, a favorite counter service restaurant of mine. We both had the taco salad. After eating we found a place in Liberty Square to view Spectromagic. right by the Libertry Tree Tavern. A family with two little girls were next to us. The youngest girl was so proud of her character autographs and went through her book twice with Jim and I. She was so cute.

Spectromagic was wonderful as usual and afterwards we watched the fireworks from the docks in Frontierland and waited for the crowds to clear. At 9:20 pm I went straight to Splash Mountain. A CM was stationed at the entrance checking for wristbands. The CM was trying to explain the wristbands to a non-English speaking guest who wasn't being allowed on Splash Mountain. The desperate CM asked is she could show the guest my wristband. I felt sorry for the guest.

We rode Splash Mountain for the first time in the dark. Fabulous!

No line at all and you could ride it over and over again. The same was true for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. After getting our fill we rode Pirates of the Caribbean completely alone. Talk about spooky! Once was enough so we went to the Haunted Mansion. The butler opened the door and said, "It is time." About 10 of us gathered in the stretching room. I was thankful we weren't alone.

After the Haunted Mansion we had to cut through Main Street to get to Tomorrowland.

Fantasyland is closed during E-Ticket Express. We drank a Sprite before seeing Alien Encounter. Now that I know what to expect AE doesn't really scare me anymore but somehow the emptiness of the parks and the darkness outside renewed my fears. AE was only about ¼ full when we saw at and I totally cut the circulation off in Jim's hand and my throat was sore from screaming afterwards.

We were tired so we headed back to Main Street. We took many photos since we had Main Street to ourselves. Occassionally a couple of people would walk by. It was such a magical place to be.

E-Ticket Express was well worth the money. CM's kept asking us "Are you having fun?" that evening. Ther aswer was always yes. We boarded an empty monorail and made our way back to the Contemporary. It was the perfect evening.

Tomorrow, transferring to the Poly....

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 4 9/9

Today was our day to transfer from the Contemporary to the

Polynesian. Our stay at the Contemporary was so pleasant that we were a bit sad about the transfer. We absolutely loved our tower room.

After sleeping a little later han usual (8:00 am) I called down to Luggage Services and asked to have our bags picked up and transferred to the Poly. A CM came within a few minutes. Unfortunately he wasn't the nicest CM, he was down right rude. Although we requested that our luggage be transferred to the Poly he tagged it for pick-up at the Contemporary. We kindly reminded him and he said "You do know you won't see these bags again until 2 or 3 pm? There better not be anything in them that you need right away!" We told him that we were aware of this and then he snatched the tip out of my hand and he was off. I was a little worried about the luggage making it to the Poly.

After a quick breakfast at the Food and Fun Center we took the monorail over to the Polynesian to check-in and bid the Contemporary a fond farewell. Although a room probably wouldn't be ready we wanted to get our room location requests in early. Unfortunately the Ohau building (our first choice) was undergoing renovations. In fact several areas were being renovated at the Poly during our stay including the Moorea building and the area around the quiet pool. We received our resort ID's and the Fall Fantasy coupon book. Our ID's had "Daily Breakfast" printed on them. Our package included daily breakfast and we were to simply give the server our ID when we were ready to pay.

After check-in we walked to the TTC and took the monorail to Epcot.

We waited in a 15 minute line for Spaceship Earth but were entertained the entire time by LAFF 911. LAFF 911 is two guys that drive around the park in a wacky looking emergency vehicle. They stop near crowds and spray people with super soakers, water cannons, and water balloons. They also try to control the crowds by making them walk around cones that they set up. If you walk the wrong way you get sprayed. They are very funny and before we knew it we were inside Spaceship Earth.

The weather had changed today and it was hot and humid, normal Sept. weather. We had really enjoyed the low temps and humidity early in our trip. After riding Horizons again we bought frozen lemonades and watched the fountain. After glancing at our watches we left Epcot to make our lunch reservations at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom.

We monorailed to the TTC and then took the ferry across to the Magic Kingdom. Jim had never taken the ferry before and he said it was a nice change from the monorail.

The Magic Kingdom seemed rather crowded and a quick check at the tip board showed 40 minute waits at Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. Wow, and this is off season? By 1:15 pm we were seated at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Jefferson Room.

The restaurant was pleasantly uncrowded. I ordered the Pilgrim's Feast (turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes) and Jim ordered the Minuteman Club sandwich. We both like our selections and the service was very good. Our meal with soft drinks came to $25.97 without tip. It was a good (not excellent) no hassle meal.

It was now after 2:00 pm so we took the boat from the MK to the Poly. It also stops at the Grand Floridian. Our room was ready and it was located in the Tahiti building, 3rd floor with a balcony. The CM at the front desk called luggage services and our bags had thankfully made it from the Contmeporary. They loaded our bags on a little car and took us to our building which was actually next door to the Great Ceremonial House. We made pleasant conversation with our driver. We told him that yes we had stayed in WDW before (Caribbean Beach, Dixie Landings, and the Contemporary) but never at the Polynesian. He said those resorts were okay but hinted that the Polynesian was much better. I should of taken this as a bad sign but instead continued to believe that nothing could be better than the Polynesian.

Our room was #3216 in the Tahiti building which was on the end of the building farthest from the Great Ceremonial House. The room was large and pleasantly decorated. I was very excited and pleased. I opened the curtain and not more than 50 feet from our balcony was the monorail track. I worried a bit about the noise but the monorail never bothered us during our stay. We rested and unpacked before going to Captain Cooks to buy our refillable mugs.

Captain Cooks was temporarily relocated to the South Seas rooms while some renovations were being completed. They wouldn't be finished until the day before our departure. The makeshift set up in the South Seas room was very unorganized and no one seem to know what they were doing. I bought two mugs and found that they only had 3 choices of soda and no iced tea. I do not like carbonated drinks so I was not happy at all.

We took the first bus to downtown Disney for an evening of shopping. When walking by the Rainforest Cafe we noticed that there was only a 15 minute wait for seating so we put our name in. I bought a few things from the RC shop and before we knew it our "safari" was leaving without us which is another way of saying you had better check with the desk before your table is given to someone else.

We were seated in the Gorilla Room. The aninmatronics and atmosphere in this restaurant are just fantastic! We had a view of a large fish tank, a bat cave, gorillas swinging on vines, and large butterflies. I ordered off the appetizer menu, Caribe Chicken and waffle fries. Jim ordered the African Wind salad. Caribe chicken is breaded with toasted coconut and it was excellent. Jim liked his salad too. The food, in our opinion, was excellent but the service was slow. The servers just have too large of an area to cover. When eating at this restaurant plan on spending 90 minutes to 2 hours. Our vacation had such a relaxed pace that we didn't mind the wait but this wouldn't be true with everyone.

Dinner took so long that we didn't have enough time to finish shopping before viewing the Electrcial Water Pageant and fireworks from the beach at the Poly. So we went back to the Poly shortly after dinner and made plans to return to the Downtown Disney in a couple of days.

We returned to our room and found out that the lamps over the beds would not work. Jim called the front desk who said they would send someone right away. Jim stayed in the room to wait while I watched the Electricial Water Pageant and the fireworks at the same time. The pageant has changed since I last saw it and music from the Little Mermaid has been added. I like the changes. I browsed around the Great Ceremonial House for awhile before returning to the room. Although it had been over an hour no one had arrived to fix the lights. So I fixed them myself and although I got them to finally work the entire lamp really needed to be replaced as they were about to fall apart. Jim called the front desk and cancelled our service call.

We were really tired, so we went to bed around 10:30 pm. Just as the lights went out I heard a terrible pounding. At first I thought a thunderstorm was approaching but no.... It was the drums from the luau. They continued until 11:30 and then we finally fell asleep. I miss the quiet Contemporary.

Tomorrow....our Polynesian adventure continues.

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 5 9/10

I awoke this morning to the sound of a bull dozer. A quick glance outside proved my ears to be right. Landscaping was going on right outside our balcony. Hmmmm. This is the morning I discovered several large bugs in the bathroom too. This was not my idea of what it should be like at the Polynesian but I was determined that it would get better.

We ate a large breakfast at the Coral Isle Cafe using our daily breakfast feature.

Breakfast is our favorite meal. Afterwards we headed over to Epcot. We saw Honey I Shrunk the Audience and only half the theatre was filled. I didn't feel the "mice" last time but I sure did today. I screamed and screamed while Jim laughed at me. Then we rode Journey into Imagination again.

By 11:00 we were in World Showcase and slowly made our way around to Italy and our 1:00 pm reservations at Alfredo's. I ordered the fettuccine and Jim ordered ziti something or other. The meal was only okay and quite expensive. We made the mistake of saying "yes" when asked if we wanted water. Jim agreed to sparkling and I asked for non-sparkling. The CM brought out a huge bottle for me and a small bottle for Jim. I thought this is cool until I got the bill. Apparently I didn't read the menu well enough. We paid almost $10.00 for what I thought was complimentary water. I felt very stupid and I doubt we will be eating at Alfredo's again. This meal cost over $50.00.

After lunch we came back to the Poly to do some laundry ($1.00 for wash or dry if anyone is interested) and some swimming. Later in the evening we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and then the boat over to Fort Wilderness. I discovered Fort Wilderness for the first time in 1995 when we saw the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. I fell in love with it. I like the rustic atmoshpere and you feel a million miles away from the rest of the world. Unfortunately we are too wimpy to camp.

We had a very pleasant dinner at the Trails End Buffeteria. They have a buffet of salads and fruits, mashed potatoes, cooked veggies, soup, chili, pork chops, fried chicken, pizza, prime rib, and delicious cakes and pie. I believe it was $14.95 a person and it was very good and a good buy. On our way back to the boat dock we saw peacocks and an owl in the trees.

We took the boat to the Magic Kingdom and walked around there a bit before monorailing back to the Polynesian. We watched the fireworks and the Electricial Water Pageant, together this time. Tonight they waited for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks to end before starting the Electricial Water Pageant. The piped in music is very loud!

Soon the drums started from the 9:30 pm luau so we walked around the Poly grounds and lobby before going to bed. I just love those torches. The Polynesian is a beautiful resort, especially at night.

Tomorrow...RADp meet #2

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 6 9/11

We slept in this morning, thankfully no construction noise woke us up. We were on the monorail headed for the Grand Floridian by 9:50 am. I was very nervous about this RADP Meet since I planned it.

I was right outside the 1900 Park Fare restaurant by 10:00 am and our reservations were for 10:30am. The other RADPers started to arrive by 10:15 am and I was so relieved. I guess I was afraid no one would come. I am terrible at remembering names but this is the list of attendees (first names or nicknames only): Phillip and Kurt, Randy and Tony, Kaycee and Louie, Chris, Jennifer, and Virgo10, Bill A., gardenia, Lisa and Jenny, Ron, Swiftly and Caroline, Steve and Rachel. Luckily they seated us in a little alcove away from the rest of the guests and we were able to talk without disturbing othere. The characters at the breakfast were Pluto, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins and Burt. I am not sure but I think Minnie may have been there as well. To be honest I can't remember what I ate for breakfast but Jim said it was a nice buffet. gardenia passed around her RADP photo album and after breakfast we posed for about 12 group photos. It was alot of fun. Thank you everyone for attending and I apologize if I have left any names out. I want to especially thank gardenia for letting us use her 20% discount and making the ressies, Virgo10 for helping me with the planning and lending me moral support, Swifty and Caroline for the nice birthday present, and Kaycee and Louie for giving us a ride over to Coronado Springs.

After breakfast gardenia took about 12 of us on a tour at Coronado Springs. It is a beautiful resort! We started in the main building where you check-in. Everything is so new and sparkling. We then went outside and she showed us the lake and the different areas of the resort. We walked across the bridge to the pool and playground area called the Dig Site.

The pool is very large and excellently themed. Some of the guys tried out the slide on the playground until we noticed the sign that restricted it's use to those under 52". gardenia pointed out a Hidden Mickey and we then headed back to the maun building. We checked out the food court called Pepper Market where everything seems prepared to order. I can't wait to try this place out in the future. She also showed us the Maya Grill restaurant where another hidden Mickey is located. At this time Jim and I bid our farewells to the group and took the first bus that came. It happen to be going to the Marketplace.

We shopped for awhile in the World of Disney and I finally was able to buy everything I didn't have time for a couple of nights ago. Jim had a heat headache so he sat in one of those chairs by the tower of stuffed animals and rested while I shopped to my hearts content.

Now loaded down with bags we were ready for lunch. I was in the mood for pizza so Wolfgang Puck's Express was our choice. Jim had a smoked turkey sandwich and I had a pepperoni wood fired pizza. Yum! I only wish we could of gotten a table inside. It was a very hot and humid day and after lunch we were ready for a rest and a shower. We got back to the Poly by 3:00 pm.

After a rest we took the bus to the Studios. First we rode the Great Movie Ride and I finally got on the gangster scene. Then we saw the last Hunchback of Notre Dame show before the Studios closed at 7:00 pm. The show was excellent. It is now Jim's favorite but I still prefer the Beauty and the Beast stage show.

We took an almost empty bus back to the Polynesian at closing time.

It stops first at the Wilderness Lodge and we decided to get off there and explore. We had been over to the Wilderness Lodge many times but had never seen it from the front. In my opinion it is the most beautiful of all Disney resorts, at least from the outside. After walking around the WL for awhile we took the boat to the Contemporary and then the monorail to the Polynesian. That is one thing about the monorail resorts I like. It really makes resort hoping easier. It only took us about 20 minutes to get from the WL to the Poly and the journey was so pleasant.

When we got back to the room I turned on the corner lamp and noticed two HUGE spiders on a web in the corner of the room. Not knowing if they were poisonous or not Jim called the front desk and they sent someone immediately. We told the CM that this wasn't the first time we noticed bugs in this room and he said he would tell his superviser. He took care of the spiders and left. I really wanted to change rooms but Jim didn't since it would require packing everything up and we were exhausted. Plus many rooms were closed due to the renovations and I am sure there wa little chance of finding a better room. I was still missing the Contemporary.

We ate a late dinner in the room from the makeshift Capt. Cooks.

The heat really took the energy out of us today so soon after dinner we went to bed. We were so tired that I didn't even hear those nightly drums from the luau.

Tomorrow...my 30th Birthday.

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 7 9/12

Today is my 30th birthday and we started the day at Ohana's and the Minnie's Menehune character breakfast. When they found out it was my birthday all the CM's said (loudly) "Michelle's not turning 30 today!" I also had to join the parade around the restaurant with Minnie, Goofy, Chip, and Dale. It was fun!

Breakfast was wonderful. A huge skillet was brought to our table filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, Mickey waffles, ham, and sausage. We were also brought monkey bread (filled with coconut and pineapple), fresh fruit, and jello. It was a fantastic breakfast and we were glad it was included on the Fall Fantasy plan. Before seating guests at Ohana they take a picture of your party and you have the option to buy the photo after your meal. I got mine free because it was my birthday. I thought that was very nice.

After breakfast we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and rode Snow White, Peter Pan, and It's a Small World. Small World had just reopened after a week of refurbishing. You could smell the fresh paint. Then it was on to my Laughing Place, Splash Mountain, then Big Thunder Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. Before leaving the Magic Kingdom we had cookies from the bake shop on Main Street, then headed back to the Poly for some swimming.

When we got back to the room there was a birthday cake, balloons, party horns and hats wating for me. Jim had told the CM's at check-in that it was my birthday. I was loving my birthday so far!

Around 4:15pm we took the monorail to the MK and hopped aboard the Port Orleans/Dixie Landings bus. We had 5:30 pm Priority Seating at Bonfamille's Cafe. The bus was nearly empty. We arrived too early for our Priority Seating so we explored Port Orleans and promptly fell in love with the resort. It is much smaller and intimate than Dixie Landings. We took some videos and pictures at the resort while making plans to stay here on our next Disney trip.

We were seated at Bonfamille's at 5:30 pm. Jim and I ordered the prime rib. It was excellent. I also enjoyed the cajun ranch dressing on the salad but Jim thought it ws too spicy. Outside it was thundering and starting to rain. Near the end of dinner I was wondering why the CM wasn't offering us dessert. I found out why! Jim had secretly told them it was my birthday and they brought out another cake that had "Happy 30th Birthday Michelle" on it. The CM's and the guests sang Happy Birthday to me. I was overjoyed. Turning 30 wasn't so bad after all.

It was still sprinkling when we left Port Orleans on a bus headed for Epcot. Once again the bus was nearly empty. At Epcot we rode Spaceship Earth before picking our spot to view Illuminations. Our favortie spot, between Mexico and Norway, was already full so we picked our a spot between Norway and China. The rain had stopped but the ground was still damp so we bought the rain ponchos to sit on.

Illuminations 25 IMHO isn't nearly as good as the original. I liked the additional fireworks but the whole program seems unorganized to me. I hope they bring the original Illuminations back after the 25th Anniversary celebration. I am glad I did get to see it since we skipped Illuminations on our trip in April.

After Illuminations we waited around until te crowds cleared and enjoyed the music and lights in World Showcase. I really like Epcot at night. We were crammed in a very crowded monorail back to the TTC. From there we walked back to the Poly. The TTC was full of rowdy teenagers headed to the Night of Joy at the Magic Kingdom.

The drums from the luau kept us awake so we watched TV until midnight and then went to sleep. I would of celebrated my 30th birthday no where else.

Tomorrow....the Studios and sis at the Prime Time Cafe

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 8 9/13

This morning we ate breakfast at the Coral Isle Cafe again. The food wasn't so great this time and either was the service. Our waiter didn't seem to know much about the Fall Fantasy daily breakfast feature. Although the restaurant was practically empty service was so slow. We finally made our way to the bus stop by 9:00 am and were soon on our way to the Studios.

Our first stop was the Indiana Jones stunt show. We waited in line for about 3 minutes before they let the guests into the seating area. We were entertained while we waited by this cleaning lady who walked amongest the guests.

This one particular guy caught her eye so she sent his girlfriend away with the mop and bucket and gave the poor guy a big, wet, red lipsticky kiss. The whole pre-show was very funny! I almost liked it better than the stunt show itself. IMHO, the stunt show needs to be updated. It has changed very little since I first saw it in 1990. But it is still very popular because the theatre was full by showtime.

After the stunt show we saw Superstar Television which IMHO also needs to be updated. But at least it changes with different guests playing the roles each time. A particularly funny man and woman played the characters in General Hospital.

Then it was on to the 101 Dalmations Backstage Pass. I know that we are in the minority, but we really like it and prefer it over old one. I love seeing the props, the animatronics, and the costumes from the movie. They are still filming "From the Earth to the Moon" on the soundstages (they were on our April trip as well) and I was hoping for a glimpse of Tom Hanks. No such luck.

We decided we had just enough time before our 1:30 pm priority seating at the 50's Prime Time Cafe to do the Great Movie Ride. Once we got into line I wasn't so sure. The line was longer than I had every seen it during this trip. 45 minutes later we were out and hungry for lunch.

We arrived about 3 minutes late for our priority seating. We waited in the very crowded restaurant for 20 minutes before we were seated. Those minutes pass quickly while you watch the clips from the old TV shows. Our "sisters" name was Kim. Jim ordered Aunt Selma's chicken salad, and I had a grilled chicken sandwich with fries. After "sis" took our order I went to the restroom. Jim told me while I was gone "sis" asked him where I was and stated that I didn't ask permission to leave the table. "Sis" was waiting for me when I returned and asked if I had washed my hands. "Yes" was my reply and "sis" asked "with soap?" "Yes" I said. "What color was it?" sis asked. Luckily I knew or else she would of sent me back to wash my hands again. Several men in restaurant were sent to the corner of smarting off and one lady had to wear a placemat as a hat that said "I am a tattletale." Eating at the Prime Time Cafe is such a fun experience. After lunch Jim was given a "Clean Plate Club" sticker while I was labled a waster for not finishing my fries. Jim and I shared a delicious plate of s'mores. The main meal was just okay, dessert was delicious, and the entertainment was excellent! We were in the Prime Time Cafe for almost 2 hours.

By 3:30 pm we returned to the Poly for swimming and relaxing.

Later we returned to Epcot for the evening. We stuck around Future World and rode Journey into Imagination (yes again) and Horizons. We spent some time in Innoventions catching up on RADp using their computers and zippo.com. The line for Ellen's Universe of Energy was finally short so we walked right in to the half empty pre-show. I really enjoy Ellen and the updated show.

After UofE it was about 8:30 pm and we were hungry. We went to the Land and ate at the Sunshine Season Food Fair, an old favorite of ours that we had not yet hit this trip. I odered the BBQ beef sandwich that I had been craving for several days and Jim had a ham and chees sandwich. They were very good, as always, and cost about $14.00. We were finished by 9:00 pm , just as Illuminations was starting. We headed back to the Poly to enjoy the nightime atmosphere.

Tomorrow...our last full day :-(

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 9 9/14

This is our last full day in WDW :-( We started the morning off with breakfast at the Concourse Grill at the Contemporary. I had the basic breakfast (scrambled eggs etc.) and Jim took advantage of the Fall Fantasy breakfast and had steak and eggs. Our breakfast was very good, especially the Mickey sticky buns.

After breakfast it was back to Epcot. During this trip we spent more time at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot than the Studios. I guess it was because we stayed at a monorail resort. The Studios is actually my favorite park. We started the morning off with a ride on Spaceship Earth and with our late start to the morning it ws now appraoching 11:00 am and the opening World Showcase. We walked right on to Maelstrom in Norway. We really like this ride but earlier in the trip the line was either too long or the ride was closed. We didn't skip the movie this time. I have been skipping the movie since the ride opened and had never seen it. It really is beautiful movie and I am glad I took the time to see it just once. Now I will go back to skipping it. In fact the CM's at the ride said if you wish to exit before the movie please follow the other group out the exit doors. I had never heard them say this before.

We continued to shop in Norway and then headed to Germany before returning to the monorail station. It was another very hot and humid day but we were very thankful that there had been very little rain during our trip. In April it had rained 2 of our 4 days. We had 1:30pm priority seating at Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch and arrived about 10 minutes early. We waited in a large room on the ground level of the castle. There Cinderella was seated on her throne signing autographs and posing for pictures. In line waiting for a picture was a man and his girlfriend. When it was their turn he asked the lady behind him if she would take a picture of them with Cinderella. He then asked his girlfriend to sit in the throne next to Cinderella's and he got down on one knee. Te man took a velvet box out of his pocket and he proposed to his girlfriend. The lady behind them in line was taking pictures while wiping the tears from her eyes. In fact most of the women in the room, myself included, had tears in thier eyes. Inside the velvet box was a gorgeous diamond ring and the girlfriend, who was crying, quickly said "yes." We all clapped and offered our congratulations. I turned to my husband and said "Why didn't you think of something like that!"

10 minutes later we went up the elevator and were seated in the restaurant. It is much smaller than I expected and I now realize why it is difficult to get priority seating. It is a beautiful restaurant that looks right out over Fantasyland through stained glass windows. The server addressed us a Lord and Lady. Jim ordered Bruno's BBQ (chicken and pork) and I ordered Major Domo's pie which was sliced prime rib and vegetables in wine sauce on puffed pastry. The food was only fair but the service and atmosphere were excellent. The bill came to about $27.00 without tip.

After lunch we returned to the Poly by boat but camr back to the Magic Kingdom that evening. This would be our last time in the parks before returning home the next day. We did our favorites including the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Montain, and Splash Mountain before saying goodbye to the Magic Kingdom and the cakstle It was a sad evening for me. We returned to the Polynesian to see the Electrical Water Pageant and the fireworks one last time. Today Captain Cook's reopened and we refilled our mugs and took a hamburger and chicken fingers back to our room for a late evening meal. Sadly we went to bed knowing what the morning would bring.

Tomorrow.....our delayed flight, lost luggage, and some final thoughts

Michelle's Birthday Trip Part 10 9/15

We slept late and had our last breakfast in Captain Cook's. We returned to the room and finished packing then waited for our Florida Town Car. Ken Reed was there right on time. He played easy listening music for us on the way to the airport.

Upon arrival at the airport we were told our Delta flight to Atlanta would be delayed two hours and we would probably miss our connections. The man double booked us, just in case, on two flights connecting in Atlanta to St. Louis. Well our flight from Orlando to Atlanta ended up being 3 hours delayed and we had to take a later flight from Atlanta to St. Louis. When we arrived in St. Louis our luggage was still in Atlanta. Delta brought it to our house late that night but I don't believe I will be using Delta any time soon.

Some Final Thoughts

Once home I realized we took it TOO easy on this trip and missed many things including the American Adventure show, Tower of Terror, among other attractions we normally like to see. I think we went at a much slower pace due to the heat and humidity. Although the lack of the crowds was nice, we prefer the weather in the spring and late fall.

We were only bit by mosquitoes twice but I never considered them a problem. I cam prepared with repellent but only used it occassionally. It was a bit inconvienent to have the pools and the marina close at 7:00 pm but we understood the need.

Altough the Polynesian is a beautiful resort, it just wasn't worth the extra cost. Yes the room was much bigger, there were daily soaps, lotion, and shampoo in the bathrooms, and the monorail was a short walk away I found myself longing for Dixie Landings or the Caribbean Beach. It didn't help that the Polynesian was undergoing renovations (seeing and hearing bulldozers all the time) and that Captain Cook's was closed. I also didn't feel the CM's treated us better at the Polynesian. In fact I enjoyed our stay at the Contemporary during this trip much better. These are just my opinions, but I don't believe we will be staying at the Polynesian again.

Because we used Annual Passports during this trip we did not visit the water parks. We have the regular AP's that do not include admission to the water parks. I really missed Typhoon Lagoon which is my personal favorite. If I had it to do all over again I would have broke down and purchased the extra water park tickets.

We loved E-Ticket Express! If you can, take advantage of it. It is more than worth the money to have the Magic Kingdom almost to yourself! Rides are all walk-ons and sometimes the CM's will let you ride twice without reboarding. It is also the perfect time to take nighttime photos on Main Street and not a soul will be in your pictures..

We found the resort monorail during our trip to somtimes be a slow way to travel. It often would hold for 5 or 10 minutes at each resort wating for more passengers or clearance into the next station. The monorails, since just a few were being used due to off-season, were sometims crowded. Going to Epcot was often time consuming. One morning it took 50 minutes to get from the Polynesian to Epcot. On the other hand when we took buses to visit other resorts they were quick to arrive and uncrowded.

Florida Town Car is an excellent way to get from the airport if you don't mind spending a little extra money fro two people. It is actaully a money saver for families. Ken Reed was a great driver and I highly recommend requestng him.

Our favorite restaurants during this trip were the the Rainforest Cafe, Liberty Tree Tavern, 50's Prime Time Cafe, Bonfamilles, and Le Cellier Steakhouse. Our least favorite was Alfredo's.

We enjoyed meeting other RADpers during this trip. When the people at work or family members ask you WHY are going there AGAIN it is nice to know you have a groups of friends that do understand and will share the magic with you.

Our next trip is scheduled for December 1998 at Port Orleans. We would like to visit sooner but cannot unless we can come up with a really great deal before our AP's expire on April 25, 1998 . Thank you for reading this trip report.

Michelle Haffer

disneylvr@webtv.net

__________________
You just read a trip report that was originally published in our MousePlanet Trip Reports column.

Reader-submitted trip reports have always been an extremely popular feature here at MousePlanet. In order to improve the search functionality and shorten the time from when you submit a trip report and the report gets published, you can now post your trip reports directly to our Trip Report forums. The forums are moderated, but reports should become available for reading very quickly.