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imported_PolyGirl40
02-23-2002, 02:10 PM
PolyGirl40’s Escape From New York; The 2002 Sequel -- Day Four
Tuesday; February 12, 2002

Cast of Characters
Carol -- PolyGirl40 -- Disney Vacation Commander in Chief
Tony -- Dear Husband & Dad -- Advisor on Fiscal Affairs.
Jeremy -- #1 Son (15)
Shayne -- #2 Son (7)

More Frunch, Honey - I’m Home, A Trip Around the World, and Our Best Meal Yet.

I slept until 7:00 a.m.. Now that does not seem very late for most - but it certainly is for me. We took our time getting ready. Tony went for coffee and stopped at the podium for Boma, along his way to Mara. He made arrangements for us to have another Frunch breakfast. I had no plans for this morning. Jeremy made the decision to return to Boma.

We headed down after a moment of animal watching. We enjoyed another African breakfast feast. The items were the same. The great aspect of a buffet is that you can vary the items selected. Everyone enjoyed a different fare then the previous visit. We paid our bill and headed for Zawadi Marketplace. I had been in the shop numerous times and knew exactly what I wanted to purchase.

I quickly gathered my bounty, made arrangements to have it shipped home and proceeded back to the room to pack up our belongings. One last peak at the animals, a call to bell service for a luggage transfer and it was time to check out.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Lodge. I am glad I extended the time span. One evening would not have been enough. I will be perfectly honest here and tell you that I was more then anxious to get to the Polynesian by the second day. It is very hard to explain. For us; Disney = the Polynesian. I did not set into relaxation mode at the Lodge. Things seemed too hectic and busy. I have mentioned many times that I like the “island” type resorts. It gives you much more privacy and seclusion. Everyone is scattered about and not under one roof.

Would I stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge again? Hmmmm - Not as a family unit. The bathroom situation just did not work for the early riser in me and the variance of age and gender. All in all - we had a fantastic time. Nothing can ever replace that feeling one gets the first time they look out onto their Savannah balcony. We left with many great cherished memories.

Our check out went very smoothly. We stopped at the guest relations desk to ensure our luggage would be transferred to the Polynesian. They were extremely busy. We received our ticket numbers and headed to the bus stop. I figured our easiest way to the Polynesian would be to snag a bus to the Magic Kingdom and hop on the resort monorail from there.

It worked perfectly. We arrived at the resort by 10:30. We were in no hurry. Epcot was our only agenda for the day. With a vacation itinerary of 10 days it did not require a lot of rushing from point A to point B.

As we enter the lobby of the Polynesian I immediately noticed the water fountains in the atrium has been drained and shut off. As we arrive downstairs it’s obvious a complete replanting is being undertaken. Upon exiting through the front you can see the ponds and waterfalls are not running out there either. I spoke to the attendant at bell services. He informed me that the entire pumping system was being replaced. It is understandable that this needs to be done. But - the running water was sorely missed.

We did not have any luggage. They offered to drive us over to the concierge building. The check-in procedure is different for concierge guests. I declined. I think one of the most wonderful things about the tropical feel of the resort is walking through the lush landscaping. We headed out through the back and proceeded to stroll towards the marina. I was home! We were home. What a peaceful feeling. We all savored our familiar surroundings. It’s unbelievable how in mid February the grounds were as beautiful as early Spring. Flowers were blooming and filling the air with their soft fragrance. The little running river way area that leads under the bridge has grown so nicely. It was freshly planted last year. It’s thriving wonderfully.

I had to tap on the window to the Concierge staff. The building is secured by key access. Of course we could not get in. I introduced myself and went through the necessary procedures of checking in. Our room was not ready. I did not expect it to be as it was only nearing 11 o'clock. We got our building keys, secured my purse in the safe and headed to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Epcot here we come.

We were thrilled to be back on the monorail loop. How wonderful is it to enter Epcot for the first time? Wow! Was this place crowded! I felt frazzled. I had no plans for this crowd. Our plan was to do lunch in Japan and dinner in Canada as we strolled about. Future World was mobbed. We checked the time board and every attraction had a long wait. We zoomed over to Test Track for fast passes. The return time was already 5:00 p.m. We nabbed them. We knew they’d be gone after our lunch date.

The boys did not want to go in to see Ellen so we headed for the Land pavilion. We had about an hour window before lunch. The line for Living with the Land was 25 minutes. We figured we needed to wait that hour out some how - it might as well be there. We actually did not take that long. My husband really like these types of informative attractions. I’m glad we waited. The masses were worse when we got off. That was fine! Let’s escape via the World Showcase.

The crowds were much less in this area. Much more manageable. We checked into the Teppanyani Dining Rooms at 1:30. Within a very short time our escort came to get us. This restaurant was a highlight for us last year. It was one of 2 places my kids requested a repeat for. It did not disappoint. We were seated with a couple from Florida and their visiting sister and husband. What wonderful people. I highly recommend this restaurant. We will be returning again. Our experience was even better then last year. We passed on appetizers and dessert. We knew we had another meal scheduled for later in the evening and wanted to eat light. Tony had the sirloin and shrimp. I ordered the chicken and shrimp. While Jeremy enjoyed the chicken. Shayne ate some steamed rice and ordered a fruit cup. My oldest is a whiz with the chop sticks. What fun. All meals are served with grilled vegetables, steamed rice and a garden salad. Their dipping sauces are remarkable. Yum!

[ February 23, 2002, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

imported_PolyGirl40
02-23-2002, 02:12 PM
After dining we embarked on a mission to get Shayne’s passport signed. This ended up being so much fun. We had a blast. We toured the World from Japan, USA, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico. Whew! It took over 3 hours for us to make our way partially around.

We enjoyed all of the attractions along the way. My boys love the ride in Norway. In fact while in line Shayne’s magical moments pin went off when a young lady spoke to him. It was quite funny. She was celebrating her engagement. Her fiancee was in the military and on vacation. We had a fantastic conversation and escaped the evil trolls with them.

After finishing that one section we realized our window for Test Track had opened. That was great timing. Off to Shayne’s favorite Epcot ride. Ugh! It broke down while we were in line. We ended up waiting over 30 minutes to board. Nothing to get annoyed about, right? We’re on vacation. The ride broke again during our exit. We sat in our test car for an additional 10 minutes. We were within sight of the unloading dock. Oh well - Now I can no longer say; “It’s never broke down for me”. graemlins/laughing.gif

It was well past 6 o’clock and Shayne had several countries to visit before dining at Le Cellier and I wanted to catch the first viewing of Tapestry of Dreams. We hightailed it to Japan and found a great viewing spot shortly beyond the starting area for the parade. Whew! We just made it with hardly a moment to spare. The parade was worth the rush across the World. It’s one of my favorites. However - the puppets did not seem to interact as much as they did last year.

After the parade ended we ventured into the remaining missed countries. We completed that task just in time. It was nearing 7:30 when Shayne got stamped in the United Kingdom. We found the Kidspot in Canada and finished our whirlwind adventure. What a wonderful idea. Shayne could not wait to show the kids at school his passport.

We checked in at Le Cellier a little late. Everything was fine. They were extremely busy. In fact they started turning non-PS people away. They were booked solid. With another hand-held game thingie in tow - we waited for our signal. I don’t think we waited more then 15 minutes. What’s so cool about these gizmos is they have the menus for the restaurant on them. Shayne saw the picture of the smores and knew instantly what his dessert would be. graemlins/laughing.gif

I know we are only 4 days into our vacation - but this experience was going to be hard to beat. The atmosphere, food and staff were beyond excellent. We had such a nice, relaxing time. The best, yet!

We had a fairly light lunch in Japan - some 6 hours previously. Needless to say after all of our walking we were all very hungry. For appetizers; Tony ordered the Asian Shrimp Cocktail. It was presented on a platter with a Chinese takeout container. The container was resting on it’s side and the contents pouring out onto the plate. Very clever and fun! He deemed it the best shrimp cocktail ever. I knew I wanted to have the Canadian cheddar cheese soup. Let me tell you, the reviews were correct. Excellent soup! graemlins/tasty.gif I’m a soup kinda gal and felt it was some of the best to ever slip across my taste buds. Oh gosh! What about those piping hot bread sticks? Jeremy was in heaven with the pretzel ones. Yum!! graemlins/silly.gif Soooooooo good!

On with the meal; Tony chose the New York Strip Steak. It was served with Yukon potatoes and green beans with a butter sauce. He said it was all cooked to perfection. I had the mushroom fillet mignon. Oh my! Instant mouth party. The fillet was outstanding. My mouth is watering as I type. It was served with an unbelievably wonderful mushroom risotto and sprinkled with fried onions. Delicious does not describe this entree! The kids both ordered off from the children’s menu. Shayne selected the pasta with tomato sauce - while Jer ordered the cheeseburger and fries. We savored every morsel. Now for dessert.

Has anyone had the “Walt’s 100 Years of Magic Chocolate cake”? Tony and I both ordered a slice. We couldn’t have made a better selection. The cake was fantastic. Almost like fudge. Shayne had his smores. I can’t give them justice enough either. They now rank above the smores at the 50’s Primetime Cafe for him. It was all in the presentation. Those dining with children must order them - just to see the look on their faces when they arrive at the table. Jer sampled a little from both desserts. We lingered over coffee before leaving. Tony made a stop at the entry desk for compliments. He has deemed Le Cellier as his favorite Disney eatery.

Illuminations was in it’s final stages. We quickly made it to the entrance of the park to escape the stampede that would follow shortly. One side stop at the pin station and we were on the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. We again opted to walk - utilizing the walkway from the TTC over to the resort. What a view along the beach! Again - that peacefulness overcame me. Those that love the Polynesian - know exactly what I mean.

We stopped by the concierge desks to find out our room number, retrieve my purse and receive our leis. We were delegated to room #2524, on the second floor. Ugh! They did not have any rooms available on the first floor and the third floor is smoking optional. A big no no for me. I really wanted a patio. I was a bit disappointed. However, that did not last long. Our room was mid way down the hall from the concierge lounge. This worked out great. I thought I would miss the patio/balcony - but did not. The table and chairs are right in front of the sliding doors that take up the entire wall on the outer portion of the room. I simply opened the door and the whole room became a balcony. Very nice. We had a great view overlooking the quiet pool. I was very pleased.

The staff had candy waiting for us - along with a card welcoming us back. Nice touch. I called for bell service to deliver our bags. Another call to Mousekeeping for more pillows and we were all set. What a splendid day. A lot of walking, but we finally gave justice to the World Showcase. Everyone was sleeping by 11:30. graemlins/sleepin.gif Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! It’s great to be home.

Today’s Spending;
Boma Breakfast: 3 Adults, 1 Child $65
(It was $5 more today for some reason.) graemlins/crazy.gif
Zawadi Marketplace: $141.95 for Items shipped home.
Zawadi Marketplace: Trading Cards $6.36
Polynesian Concierge 6 nights: $1,558.00
Teppanyani Lunch: $63 w/tip
Inside Track Shop: Test Track Pin $6.89
Le Cellier Dinner: $115.00 w/tip
Epcot Pin Station: 5 pins $38.69
Bell Service: $10
Day Four Total; $2,004.89

Next Up; Day Five -- Is this really Florida? Eeek - a Tiger and Lots and lots of CD’s.

[ February 24, 2002, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

MKPlutoGuy
02-23-2002, 02:48 PM
Carol, that was awesome! :D You're trip reports really hit the spot! Knowing me, I would have panicked on test track. I have a thing for rides breaking down... :rolleyes: Can't wait to hear day 5! graemlins/muscles.gif graemlins/muscles.gif

Jeff
02-23-2002, 02:49 PM
Ok, you convinced me - next time I've got to try the Poly!

Wow! I am suddenly hungry. ;)

LottaLubes
02-23-2002, 04:01 PM
Another great trip report! I must admit after reading it I was exhausted! One thing good about being on the 2nd floor at the Poly is the lounge is just a hop, skip away!

Where does one get a Passport for World Showcase?

Looking forward to the rest!

ChipDale
02-23-2002, 04:24 PM
Carol, what a great day! graemlins/thumbsup.gif I love the Teppayaki Dining Rooms and Le Cellier - your meals sounded delicious. graemlins/tasty.gif

Your description of the Polynesian is so perfect - I feel the same way as you do about it. smile.gif

Thanks for another fantastic report - can't wait to read more! :misckey:

EvaBryan
02-23-2002, 04:49 PM
Carol-
A pleasure to read. Like you, I like to emphasize on the eatery details. I am sooo glad you liked Le Cellier. You probably remember that was one of the best meals we had last December.

I am thinking of switching a lunch PS at San Angel to Teppanyaki next May - your review is convincing me to make the change. It sounded delicious!

Waiting for Day Five....

Lizzy
02-23-2002, 06:43 PM
Carol my hubby and I have been wanting to try Canada, then other days we don't, know we are convinced! Sounds great! graemlins/tasty.gif

harlowandthemermaid
02-23-2002, 08:04 PM
Your dessert descriptions are making me very hungry graemlins/tasty.gif Sounds like another great day(except for Test track)

Horizon93
02-23-2002, 09:31 PM
Great report, Carol! You gotta love that mushroom filet. I love that restaurant.

Narcoossee'sFan
02-23-2002, 09:56 PM
Thanks for another great report. graemlins/thumbsup.gif When we ate at Teppankyaki on a previous trip, there were two young Asian girls eating at our table. The interesting thing is that they were eating their soup with chopsticks! graemlins/crazy.gif I couldn't figure this out! :confused: I am glad you loved LeCellier. I wondered why we waited so long to eat there after our first visit in October. I have been to Epcot over 25 times and have only eaten there once! graemlins/blush.gif You can be assured that won't happen again. graemlins/tasty.gif Can't wait for day 5!

Jillpie
02-23-2002, 11:37 PM
Carol, I'm loving these reports. Now you've got me really looking forward to our PS at le cellier! We are real suckers for chocolate cake, so I'll have to fit that in somehow. Its funny you mentioned that you can relax a little with a l0 day schedule, but we have the same l0 days and I'm STILL having a hard time fitting everything in! :D But thats not really a complaint, its half the fun of preperation. So glad things worked out at the Poly!

Jennib
02-24-2002, 12:19 AM
You went to my favorite restaurant-Teppanyaki!! I LOVE this place and the food is excellent.
I did not know about the smores so we will have to try this next time!!

TiggerRPh
02-24-2002, 10:20 AM
Another wonderful report Carol!

I totally understand your feeling of not being "at home" at another resort. When we went last December and even though it was just me and my DW; the Poly is a wonderful and beautiful resort but we were not "at home". Home for us is OKW...it's a comfort level thing.

The Epcot WS passports are wonderful...our kids love doing them every year.

imported_PolyGirl40
02-24-2002, 02:16 PM
Originally posted by LottaLubes:


Where does one get a Passport for World Showcase?

Lubey,
You can get them in the majority of the gift shops. I suggest purchasing them before you actually go to the World Showcase. You can also order them through Gifts of a Lifetime. Shayne got his from Santa in his stocking. graemlins/thumbsup.gif They are $10 each.

The passports come with a button and an entire collection of stamps/stickers for each country. Shayne took great pride in placing them where they belonged. Along the way - the attendant at each Kidspot would sign his name in their native language - as well as write something welcoming him to their country. (also in their language) China was fantastic. They told both of my children what year they were born. Shayne is the year of the dog. Jeremy is the year of the tiger. I highly recommend taking the time to do this.

LottaLubes
02-24-2002, 03:56 PM
Thanks for the tip! Maybe the Easter bunny will bring some. ;)

Desperately seeking day 5!

Dopeysfriend
02-24-2002, 04:56 PM
Ahhh, home sweet Polynesian! :D Thanks for another fabulous report Carol! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Keep 'em coming! graemlins/mickey.gif

Jared
02-25-2002, 05:28 PM
Carol, you continue to amaze me! Another great installment. I'm loving every one. Moving on to day 5! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Disneywarrior
02-26-2002, 10:49 AM
Carol, I'm enjoying your reports immensely. I plan on eating at Le Cellier in June. I have my eye on that New York Strip Steak and Cedder cheese soup.

roses
02-26-2002, 12:06 PM
I can't wait to try the food at some of these resturants, I'm so hungry now! On to the next day! graemlins/clappy.gif

TooGoofy
02-27-2002, 06:29 PM
Another great report! We wanted to try Le Cellier on our last trip, but just didn't get around to it. It's on the list for next time! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Martino
02-28-2002, 10:28 AM
Brilliant!!!

One day I will make it to the Poly!

Can't wait to read day 5

MnDloveDisney
02-28-2002, 10:06 PM
I should have known the 'best' would be Le Cellier! I concur...it was a highlight during our December trip! DH is still raving about the steak and pretzel bread, and I can still taste the 100 Years of Magic Cake...sinful.

On to the next one! graemlins/muscles.gif

imported_PolyGirl40
05-14-2002, 03:06 PM
*Bumping up as per requested.* :cool: