AJ Springfield
06-14-2010, 10:32 AM
Yeah, another trip to WDW!!! Where do I start?!?! Well, at check in we found out that we were upgraded from a garden room at the Poly to "Park Avenue"-- 3rd floor of Samoa with a view of the main pool and the GF!!! I requested a pool view upgrade when I reserved the Poly-- I didn't think I would actually get it, though!!! It was PERFECT!!!
I agree with the other posters about the Poly being a bit dark and the water pressure was poor--but it was still a great place to stay. I LOVED using an over the door shoe organizer for toiletries!!! That idea/tip was golden!!! And the Tonga Toast was heaven!!!!
Saturday was hot and crowded at MK (Gay Days was at the park). The rest of the week was noticeably cooler and far less crowded. It was the best weather / crowds that we have ever experienced in the summer (out of 6 trips)!!
We ate at The Plaza at MK for the first time and (although it was dark due to the rehab going on) it was wonderful!!! A couple of our other "firsts" included Toy Story Mania (45 minute wait but it was great), Test Track, Expedition Everest (kids and DH loved it--me, not so much), and the Magic of Disney Animation (wonderful!!)
We have ridden the Jungle Cruise too many times to count, but it was best at night. Our captain was Brett-he was a RIOT!!! He deserved a tip for making a predictable ride totally FUN!!!
The new fireworks at MK were AMAZING!!! In my opinion, it was much better than Wishes, (although Wishes was a really nice show). The nights we were not at MK, we watched the fireworks from the beach at the Poly---- a far better view than from inside the park.
We only caught glimpses of the Main Street Electrical Parade, but really enjoyed hearing the music.
I did the math on using the CS dining plan. Our family has never had it since we thought it would cost more than what we would pay out of pocket...and we were correct. On the drive home yesterday I looked at our check out bill. The CS plan would have cost us $860-- the difference between a room only reservation and a room plus CSDP reservation. We spent a total of $685.03 on food..but only $449.41 would have been covered by the dining plan. $235.62 would NOT have been covered. This means that we would have paid $1, 095.62 for food ($860 + 235.62)--- more than $400 over what we actually paid. We ate at only one table service restaurant (The Plaza-- which was the cheapest TS place we could find). We didn't split meals and were more than satisfied with the amount of food we received. I am glad I did not give into the pressure from the reservation clerk when she told me that I would be "sorry" if I didn't get the dining plan. My DH just says that WDW doesn't offer something to lose money on, and he is right.
So, overall I would say that this was another great trip-- with a few surprises thrown in!! Thanks to all Intercot readers for the info/ tips I have received for the last couple months since discovering this site!!!!
I agree with the other posters about the Poly being a bit dark and the water pressure was poor--but it was still a great place to stay. I LOVED using an over the door shoe organizer for toiletries!!! That idea/tip was golden!!! And the Tonga Toast was heaven!!!!
Saturday was hot and crowded at MK (Gay Days was at the park). The rest of the week was noticeably cooler and far less crowded. It was the best weather / crowds that we have ever experienced in the summer (out of 6 trips)!!
We ate at The Plaza at MK for the first time and (although it was dark due to the rehab going on) it was wonderful!!! A couple of our other "firsts" included Toy Story Mania (45 minute wait but it was great), Test Track, Expedition Everest (kids and DH loved it--me, not so much), and the Magic of Disney Animation (wonderful!!)
We have ridden the Jungle Cruise too many times to count, but it was best at night. Our captain was Brett-he was a RIOT!!! He deserved a tip for making a predictable ride totally FUN!!!
The new fireworks at MK were AMAZING!!! In my opinion, it was much better than Wishes, (although Wishes was a really nice show). The nights we were not at MK, we watched the fireworks from the beach at the Poly---- a far better view than from inside the park.
We only caught glimpses of the Main Street Electrical Parade, but really enjoyed hearing the music.
I did the math on using the CS dining plan. Our family has never had it since we thought it would cost more than what we would pay out of pocket...and we were correct. On the drive home yesterday I looked at our check out bill. The CS plan would have cost us $860-- the difference between a room only reservation and a room plus CSDP reservation. We spent a total of $685.03 on food..but only $449.41 would have been covered by the dining plan. $235.62 would NOT have been covered. This means that we would have paid $1, 095.62 for food ($860 + 235.62)--- more than $400 over what we actually paid. We ate at only one table service restaurant (The Plaza-- which was the cheapest TS place we could find). We didn't split meals and were more than satisfied with the amount of food we received. I am glad I did not give into the pressure from the reservation clerk when she told me that I would be "sorry" if I didn't get the dining plan. My DH just says that WDW doesn't offer something to lose money on, and he is right.
So, overall I would say that this was another great trip-- with a few surprises thrown in!! Thanks to all Intercot readers for the info/ tips I have received for the last couple months since discovering this site!!!!