Welcome back to another My Disney Top 5. It’s been about a month since our trip to Walt Disney World came to a close and I’m just about over my post trip withdrawal. Well, almost over it. It seems like I never really snap back into the real world after a trip to Disney. Come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve ever been completely grounded in the real world to begin with. Maybe that’s why I enjoy our trips so much. I never completely leave the fantasy and the magic behind. It keeps me young and happy on a daily basis; that’s probably why I write for a Disney website. It keeps the feeling going when I’m not able to be there.
That said, we had several goals on this summer’s trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth. My last Top 5 outlined these goals. With the “Top 5 Things I Hope Were Different About Our Trip To Walt Disney World This Summer” (August 19th), I put in print all of the different things we were hoping to do this time around. Walt Disney World is so massive and ever-changing that there’s always something new to do, even if you make an annual visit as we have for the past 8 years. This August we wanted to make sure that we did a few things differently. Not better or worse—just different.
We started off differently right from the get-go. We were booked for seven nights at The Polynesian. Last summer we spent four nights over at Universal Orlando at The Royal Pacific and then we traveled over to Disney for four nights at The Polynesian. It was our first stay at The Poly and we fell for the place right away. This time, we asked the kids if they wanted to do the same as last year. They all agreed that they wanted to spend more time at The Polynesian, so that’s what we booked. We couldn’t wait to spend quality time there and really get lost in the whole atmosphere of the place.
So we started off differently, but did we accomplish all of our other goals? Let’s take a look as we revisit last month’s Top 5 article and answer the following question: were we able to succeed with all of the “Top 5 Things We Hoped Would be Different About Our Trip To Walt Disney World This Summer”?
5 – Did We Get the Kids Into Some More Rides and Attractions?
The one new thrill ride we made it on! Photo by Chris Barry.
I guess the best answer to this question is…no…not really. We were hoping that our not-so-brave kids would be a little bit braver this summer. We tried. We even got them FastPasses for Big Thunder Mountain. Once again, they backed out, I stayed with them and my wife rode alone. Oh Well. Our boys did come along with us through Space Mountain where we did our first ever kid swap. That was fun. The boys loved the queue and got to say they were really in Space Mountain…sort of.
There were a few differences, though. My sons experienced the Carousel of Progress for the first time ever. That certainly counts. They liked it enough to go on it again a day or so later. They were pretty into it, actually. Something surprising is that after all these years, I’ve never bothered to wait in what always seems to be too long a line for the Astro Orbiter. While Diane took the boys into the Carousel of Progress for that second time, my daughter and I finally waited in the long line for Astro Orbiter. It was right around twilight. The sky was beginning to turn colors, and the lights of Tomorrowland were turning on. It was pretty nice. We’ll definitely catch it again, if the line is ever short. So, no new big attractions for the kids, but they didn’t seem to mind and neither did we.
Finally…on the Astro Orbiter. Photo by Chris Barry.
4 – Did We Make it to Blizzard Beach?
Who needs a water park? Photo by Chris Barry.
In a word…no. No real answer to this one. We just never felt like going there. We were having enough fun doing what we were doing. I did bring it up. Despite the August Orlando swelter, there were no takers. The Poly’s volcano pool was all we needed.
3 – Did We Dine at Different Restaurants?
La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot's Mexico pavilion. Photo by Chris Barry.
How about…sort of…for this one? Heading into the trip we had all sorts of different places booked like ‘Ohana, Raglan Road, La Hacienda de San Angel, Grand Floridian Café, Boma, Rose and Crown and Tusker House. Granted these aren’t new restaurants, they’ve all just eluded us over the years. Truth be told, we ended up cancelling many of our reservations on this trip. We were on a different, much slower pace and quite honestly those extra hours around the pool at the Poly or that extra time meandering through the parks was worth more than checking out a new restaurant. We ate at some traditional favorites like The Crystal Palace with Pooh and a fancier favorite, Artist Point, for Diane’s birthday. We did keep the reservation at La Hacienda for our last night. After a half hour wait we were pretty hungry and La Hacienda didn’t disappoint. The food was great–so were the Margaritas–and the huge windows looking out on World Showcase Lagoon gave us a beautiful view from our table. We also kept the Grand Floridian Café reservation. It’s always a nice walk from the Poly over to the Grand Floridian. People told me not to expect much from the Cafe, but it was one of the better meals we had that week. The grilled pork chop was delicious.
2 – Did the Girls Hit the Spa While the Boys Hit the Lake?
No spa this time, and no boat rentals$hellip;but a beautiful view all the same. Photo by Chris Barry.
Strike 4! While my wife was pleasantly surprised with the reservations I made for her and my daughter at the Grand Floridian Spa, they ultimately decided to cancel the appointment. It was Diane’s birthday and she decided that she could go to a spa in New York anytime, but she couldn’t always spend her birthday walking around World Showcase with her family. I’m awfully glad she opted for the latter. We had a great day together and I took that money and added to her blue crystal collection that she collects from the Arribas Brothers shop in Germany. The boys and I will have to hit the boats next time. No disappointment here.
1 – Did We Slow Down Even More?
YES! Yes, we did! The most important one on the list was certainly accomplished by all of us. We had eight days and seven nights to enjoy the Polynesian and all of Walt Disney World, and we thoroughly and completely enjoyed ourselves…without rushing around and without exhausting ourselves. We lounged by the pool at the Poly. We strolled slowly through the Magic Kingdom. We took our time through World Showcase. We stopped and looked at the small details throughout Animal Kingdom, and we did it all on our own time.
A hidden giraffe statue on Discovery Island that I've never noticed before. Photo by Chris Barry.
It’s probably why we cancelled so many reservations. Sitting by the empty volcano pool with Mickey waffles and egg sandwiches on our last morning looking at Cinderella’s Castle across the lagoon was so much better than breakfast at ‘Ohana ever could have been.
The empty volcano pool at breakfast. Photo by Chris Barry.
Chasing lizards and slowly strolling around the lagoon from the Poly to eat at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Grill, their quick service counter restaurant, was so much fun we never missed dinner at The Rose and Crown at Epcot.
The view out our window and the path to the Grand Floridian. Photo by Chris Barry.
Soaking up World Showcase all afternoon together on Diane’s birthday was so much more magical than splitting up and sitting in a spa or a boat.
As we looked back on this trip, it was curious how many things on this list we didn’t get to do, but did we really care? No. Not in the least. This was one of our best vacations yet. In hindsight there were plenty of new things. There were the new queues at Winnie the Pooh and Haunted Mansion. There was the view of the Beast’s Castle poking out over the construction walls in Fantasyland hinting at more magic to come.
I’ll never forget hearing my boys singing “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” for the first time or being so excited trading pins with a cast member for the first time.
Casey and a Cast Member pin-trading. Photo by Chris Barry.
Watching the sky turn all sorts of colors, feeling the cool breeze, and seeing the lights of the Magic Kingdom from the upper deck of the Astro Orbiter with my daughter Samantha was a real magical moment.
The boys and I made it to Hoth and the Death Star on the new version of Star Tours. A short while before that I finally got them to walk through Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. They loved it.
My guys in One Man's Dream. Photo by Chris Barry.
And seriously, could I have been any happier than sitting on the Polynesian Beach at night, sipping a Key Lime Coconut Martini (The greatest drink ever!), with my wife’s hand in mine as Wishes began lighting up the lagoon? I think not.
Looking back, like I said in my original article a month ago, things were the same…but different. We love being together as a family and we love being together at Walt Disney World. This past trip was wonderful and it further cemented our connection to this place.
Ultimately, we didn’t need to follow this list or any list to have an amazing trip. We’ll be back again. We’ll do things differently. We’ll do things the same.
Most importantly, we’ll keep experiencing the magic together as a family.
That's My Disney Top 5 for today. What's yours? Click on the “Discuss this article on MousePad” link below and share your list!
