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imported_PolyGirl40
03-01-2002, 04:44 PM
PolyGirl40’s Escape From New York; The 2002 Sequel -- Day Nine
Sunday; February 17, 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 Millionaire, Cousin Mark and ‘Ohana.

Today is our last park day in the World. Wow! Nine days have flown by. Our vacation planning has just about come to an end. How else do you think we’d spend it? At the Studios of course.

I was wide awake by 5 a.m. I had the *last day gloomies*. We did not have breakfast plans. I tossed on some clothes and hit the Lounge. I snagged a nice hot bowl of oatmeal and a bagel. When I got back to the room Tony was in the shower. He could not sleep either. Shayne woke up shortly thereafter. They both got ready and went down to the Lounge for breakfast. I woke up Jeremy and he did the same.

We were up and ready long before I had thought we’d be. We arrived at MGM just after opening time. The crowds were very large. There was no way we were going to fight the masses headed for Rock n’ Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror. We had planned a restful day without lots of waiting and back tracking. I find that when you hold Fast Passes you tend to do a lot of crisscrossing. Not today.

One Man’s Dream was one exhibit I was most anxious to see. It was wonderful. We took our time reading and viewing all of the various items on display. I was in Heaven soaking up all of the information. One thing I did not like was the final room layout. It’s very hard to see things when guests are lining up to see the movie in the same area. I had to excuse myself several times in order to view the items near the entry doors. Whatever you do - do not miss this. The film was of great knowledge to my children. They now see WDW in an entirely different light. In Walt’s light. A great tribute!

We zoomed to catch the first Millionaire show. We are officially addicted. I made it to fourth place in the fastest finger round. So close. Ugh. Jeremy was number 1 when the first show ended. He was so excited. I was very proud of him. Some of the questions were difficult. We immediately exited and got right back in line for the next show. graemlins/laughing.gif I asked a CM how many guests have made it to the million. There have been 27 Millionaires in 10 months. :cool: We grabbed Fast Passes for the third show before entering the second one. After 3 rounds of Millionaire we headed for the 50’s Prime Time Cafe.

We had a 12:30 PS and were running late. Again - all was fine. They were very busy. We dined here twice last March. My kids love this restaurant and all of the antics. We were prepared for anything. The atmosphere depends solely on your server. Within 15 minutes our name was being bellowed. We were seated in a corner booth with a television. Cousin Cody was our waiter. He had this innocence about him. A naive comedic personality. Very funny. Cody played the harmonica as we all sang “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”.

Last year we had the most fantastic server, named Mark. What a surprise when he strolled out of the kitchen. He recognized us. How cool was that? A year and some zillion tables later he remembered Us. This only added to the fun. He introduced us to everyone. “Hey, I know them.”

We ordered the fried onions for an appetizer. They are simply the best. For entrees Tony and Jeremy both ordered the BBQ Chicken Sandwich. Shayne had the peanut butter and smelly sandwich. The guys ordered shakes. I had iced tea. I chose the Fried chicken for my meal. I knew what to expect. Their fried chicken is THE best. Yum! We were stuffed and no one earned a clean plate sticker. We did not have an ounce of room left for dessert. The portions are huge. We said our Good-byes to Mark and Cody. Great lunch time fun! Our favorite for MGM.

Right after lunch we quickly made our way over to Indiana Jones. The show was cut short earlier in the week due to rain. Jeremy wanted to see it in its entirety. Again - great! The Stars and Motor Cars Parade would be starting in an hour. The streets were already full. We decided that our choices for a good spot would diminish if we tried to do anything else in the meantime. We found a great spot in front of the Sounds Dangerous entrance and waited out the hour.

It went by quickly. I was so glad I got to see this parade. It is was my favorite. It is filled with characters from the movies. Guess what? Geppeto was there and he shook Jer’s hand again! We loved seeing Star Wars represented. Shayne was thrilled to see Mike and Sully. The smiles and cheers in the crowd were contagious. What a fantastic parade. I hope it stays around after the celebration. It’s a great addition to the Studios.

We popped into line for Sounds Dangerous right after the parade. We really enjoy this show. However - I do miss the Monster show. Drew Carey is very funny in this attraction. He was a great choice. Not to mention the fact that he is obsessed with Disney. Why do guests insist on taking young children in here? They are warned so many times about the darkness. This did not change. We had screaming babies right beside us. I felt so badly for them. :( They were so frightened of the dark. We went over to check on Star Tours. The wait was 45 minutes. I told you it was crowded. Nope - not waiting that long.

It was now after 4 o’ clock. We had accomplished our misses and repeats. Jeremy had a couple of CD’s and movies he wanted to purchase - so we caught a bus to Downtown Disney. This did not take very long at all - as it was after 4 and the transportation was readily available. A quick jaunt into Virgin Megastore and we were headed back to the Polynesian.

When we got back to our room we found a message from Ibex confirming our pick up time for 8:30 a.m. the following morning. I guess that makes it official. We’re going home. We took a walk over to the Great Ceremonial House and did some souvenir shopping. We had a little time to kill before our ‘Ohana PS time kicked in.

Our dinner was scheduled for 7:15. When we checked into the podium it was chaos. The wait time for non-PS guests was 2 hours. The joint was jumping. We took our pager and relaxed in the Tambu Lounge. I ordered a back-scratcher. Was it ever good. graemlins/tasty.gif It’s made with light and dark rum & passion fruit juice. Yes - you actually do get a back-scratcher with it. Jeremy immediately stole my little paper umbrella. graemlins/silly.gif

We were seated at ‘Ohana 20 minutes later. Our table was near the window. The second row in. If you have not eaten at ‘Ohana I highly recommend it. Everyone is so friendly and accommodating. We were served some luscious banana bread. Shayne went up twice to participate in the coconut race and hula hoop contest. He had a blast. The skewered meats were fantastic. The shrimp mouthwatering. They brought Shayne a dish of macaroni and cheese. After entrees you are served pineapple and caramel. I cannot even begin to tell you how yummy the combination is. I did not eat as much as I have in previous years. One of the items offered in the evening in the Concierge Lounge is pineapple w/ caramel. I’ve been snacking on it all week. redface.gif

At 8 o’clock the lights were dimmed and the Magic Kingdom music was piped in. We watched the fireworks over coffee. It was a very nice evening. The kids wanted to hit the arcade at the Contemporary resort one last time. They had over 1,000 points in tickets to utilize. I opted out. I needed to pack up our stuff and get ready for our morning departure.

Tony and the kids headed to the monorail. I headed to the beach. I found an empty swing and watched the Electric Water Pageant. I hated thinking this was my last *show*. What a somber feeling. I stopped into the Concierge office to proceed with a quick checkout. When I got back to the room I found a gift from the staff and a card. A very nice touch. I was sad to be leaving my Polynesian home.

It does not matter how often you go - or how long you stay. The last night is tough. I packed up everything and got ready for the morning. The guys got back around 11 p.m.. The were very excited with their ticket exchanges. We were sleeping by midnight. graemlins/sleepin.gif

Today’s Spending;
Prime Time Lunch: $75 w/tip
Virgin Megastore: $68.92
Polynesian Gift Shop: $131.19
‘Ohana Dinner: $105 w/tip
Arcade: $20
Day Nine Total; $411.11

Next Up; Day Ten -- Good-bye Polynesian , Hello Omar, Final Thoughts and Summary.

graemlins/mixed.gif

[ March 01, 2002, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

BizzyLady
03-01-2002, 04:59 PM
Polygirl, I have to tell you, we will be going to WDW for the first time in 24 Days graemlins/clappy.gif . Your trip reports are the only ones I have read but you have me so excited I can hardly stand it.

Thank you!!!1

Jillpie
03-01-2002, 05:02 PM
I didn't know the kids could order mac and cheese at Ohana's, that's great. The last day and night is tough, I always find it hard to find time to do that darn packing. Can't wait to try Millionare too, sounds like a blast. Every time we went to see it last year, the wait was way too long, this time I am determined to see it. Thanks for all the time your taking Carol, we all really appreciate it!

NLODisney
03-01-2002, 05:06 PM
Another great report. I know what you mean about the last night being rough. Time spent at WDW is so special and I always wish my trips could last forever. Reading your reports helps me to feel like I'm there . Thanks for sharing them with us.

TooGoofy
03-01-2002, 05:09 PM
Oh, Carol, I *know* what those last day blues are like. It is soooo sad to leave that magical place. I cried buckets (really! ask Dave!) before we left AKL last year. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation and will have many happy memories to last until your next trip.

Narcoossee'sFan
03-01-2002, 05:27 PM
Thanks for another great report, Carol! graemlins/thumbsup.gif I haven't tried O'hana's yet, I am hoping to try it while we are there in May. graemlins/tasty.gif

KylesMom
03-01-2002, 05:43 PM
It's funny . . . I vaguely remember your trip reports from last year and Cousin Mark - what are the odds you'd run into him again!!!

I know how bittersweet the last day of your stay can be. graemlins/mixed.gif Thanks for sharing your vacation and family memories with all of us! I am NOT looking forward to the end of your trip reports! graemlins/shakehead.gif

Erlesgirl
03-01-2002, 05:58 PM
I LOVED your report, I almost felt like I was there with your family, and feeling that same stuff on the last day. But how cool was that, that Mark remember you from your last visit. I afraid I would have had to stand up and say, "Did you hear that, I'm special, he remembered me." graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/mickey.gif

EvaBryan
03-01-2002, 06:42 PM
The last full day blues.... graemlins/crying.gif I hate that feeling.

Isn't Cousin Mark a blast (I am assuming it's the same Mark - tall, blond?)? Your last full day sounded wonderful. I am sorry to see these reports come to an end.

By the way - what kind of prizes did the boys trade their tickets in for?

LottaLubes
03-01-2002, 06:49 PM
Oh Carol, I have tears in my eyes. I know exactly what you mean by having the blues. But, it sounds like you made the most of your last day. And what a bonus to be able to pack everything in peace.

I can't wait to read your final thoughts and summary. I'll probably actually cry!

Thank you again for all the wonderful trip reports. Reading each day has been like reading a novel. I'm sorry it has to end!

harlowandthemermaid
03-01-2002, 09:03 PM
ooh, I know that feeling...but I don't get it til checkout day, it's so depressing. Thanks for sharing your reports, they've been really great!

Jared
03-01-2002, 10:11 PM
Carol,
I know exactly what you mean about that last day. It doesn't matter how long you're there, or how many times you've been, that last day is so tough. I must say though, that by these reports, it sounds like you and your family had as much fun as humanly possible in WDW!

smile.gif

LittleLady
03-01-2002, 10:17 PM
Carol,
I hate that last day feeling as well, I guess everyone does. On our last trip, I kept telling myself (two days before we left for home) "OK, I have had enough, I was everywhere that I wanted to be, I am ready to go home, blah, blah, blah". It worked for the next day, I really thought that I had enough, until the last day, I could not kid myself anymore, I was so sad to be leaving the next morning. A true Disney fan can never get enough. I am sorry to see your trip reports end. graemlins/crying.gif They were wonderful! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

MnDloveDisney
03-01-2002, 10:56 PM
I guess we all do have the last day blues. On the last day of our trip in December, they were calling for snow in Philadelphia. I was secretly wishing their would be a big snowstorm so that our flight would be cancelled and we'd have to stay another day! smile.gif

You're trip reports were excellent...I've enjoyed every one of them. Thank you for sharing all of your details.

disneyphlo
03-02-2002, 12:06 AM
NOT ME....I LOVE THE LAST DAY.

ok...that's not true...i think it's clear we all feel your pain on this one...i think i sensed a few watery eyes along with you ;)

In all seriousness though, it is exciting simply to read others experiences (as yours) :D We're heading down for some camping in october...REAL YOUNG FAMILY (my daughter will be year and a half...and our friends with their kids are all under 5...i look forward to the day...when i'm able to keep them all dragging with me, and keeping up with me, as your family was! It's a beautiful thing!

phlo

MKPlutoGuy
03-02-2002, 10:18 AM
Aww that stinks its the last day in the world, but it sounds like it was very memorable! Its really been a pleasure reading your reports Carol! Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! smile.gif

rellabelle
03-02-2002, 10:46 AM
Carol,
You should be a spokesperson for WDW! Polynesian is where we are staying in 82 days graemlins/party.gif and after reading all you had to write, I feel like I made the best choice!
Thank You for this report! It was great graemlins/thumbsup.gif and I am happy for all you info you provided.
Thanks again
graemlins/clappy.gif

ChipDale
03-02-2002, 02:01 PM
Sounds like a really fun day, Carol! smile.gif How cool that Cousin Mark remembered you! I just love that place. Can't believe no one had enough room for S'mores though. ;)

You make me so anxious to see the Walt exhibit! I know the film is great (saw it a few times at Disneyland), but I can't wait to see what's on display.

What a fantastic ending to your trip with dinner at 'Ohana followed by the Electrical Water Pageant. Can't think of a better ending! smile.gif

Thanks so much for another wonderful report. I'm sad that there's only one more. :(

Dopeysfriend
03-02-2002, 04:30 PM
There's nothing worse than the last day blues. :(

Sounds like this was the perfect ending to a really wonderful trip! graemlins/mickey.gif

Thanks for sharing it all with us Carol! smile.gif

imported_PolyGirl40
05-14-2002, 03:25 PM
*Bumping up as per requested.* :cool: