Photo Friday: Torch lighting at the Polynesian

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

This week, I asked some of my Facebook friends to help me choose a random photo from my Disney archive (thanks John Reilly!)

This shot is from March 2010 and is from the nightly torch lighting ceremony at the Polynesian Resort.  This, like so many other things at the various Disney resorts, is completely free.  Every night around sunset, cast members hold a brief ceremony in which the ceremonial torches are lit for the night. 

As you can see, there's a bit more to this than just popping a few matches... though I'll leave that fire-tasting stuff to the experts.

Enjoy and aloha!

DVC resort coming to the Polynesian

 

DVC fans are rejoicing as Disney as officially confirmed that a DVC resort is coming to the Polynesian Resort in the Magic Kingdom area at Walt Disney World.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, construction is set to begin shortly (some initial construction may already have begun) with completion expected sometime in 2015.  This is the 13th DVC resort and is the final Magic Kingdom-area resort to have a DVC connection.  This new DVC resort area will be located where the stage for the Spirit of Aloha show was originally located.

Disney also announced they would be renovating other parts of the Polynesian Resort, though the company did not give any further details.

So with the completion of the Polynesian DVC, which DVC resort would you most like to stay at? What is the most important factor in deciding where you'd like to stay?  Post a comment!

Photo Friday - Morning at the Magic Kingdom - Polynesian View

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

This week, I want to post another photo from a series of shots I call "Morning at the Magic Kingdom."  I shared a previous photo back on July 29, 2011 showing a sunrise monorail.

Like the previous post, I happened to awake early to see this sight and quickly grabbed my camera to capture this image.

I especially like the two seagulls gliding over the surface of the Seven Seas Lagoon as the light mist begins to burn off.

This photo was taken in March 2010 from my Polynesian Resort window.  This is the view you get from the concierge Magic Kingdom view rooms -- pretty nice, eh!

This was taken during the Disney's Biggest Fan contest trip - my thanks to Disney and United Vacations who provided this opportunity.

Enjoy!

Photo Friday: Playing with fire, literally

Aloha! Welcome to another Photo Friday!

This week, we're heading to the Spirit of Aloha dinner show a the Polynesian Resort. At the end of the performance, a fire dancer comes on stage and amazes the crowd with his ability to literally play with fire.

I especially like this particular shot because the image refracted a bit, making it look like his hair is on fire as well!

Enjoy!

Tip Tuesday: Electrical Water Pageant

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

It's the oldest nighttime experience at Walt Disney World and it doesn't even require a park ticket to enjoy - in fact it's not even in the parks!

Of course, I'm talking about the Electrical Water Pageant, which first premiered October 26, 1971 (thought it was not available on opening day, Oct. 1, 1971).

The Water Pageant, originally created to celebrate the dedication of the Polynesian Luau, can be seen nightly (weather permitting) along the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. It usually begins it's performances around 9 p.m., unless there are fireworks set for the same time at the Magic Kingdom. In that case, the Water Pageant will begin about 20 minutes later.

The Water Pageant consists of 14 small barges, each containing two sets of lights arranged to form different shapes and set to music from Disney songs from The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan (among others). Most include some simple form of animation.

The first four displays create a sea serpent breathing fire, followed by a whale spouting water, a turtle taking a drink from the water, an octopus waving his arms, three jumping dolphins, a dinosaur chomping on some greenery, a crocodile and finally King Triton being in his chariot being led by four seahorses.

After these 14 barges complete scene one, all the barges change to display either the United States flag or a set of stars, while playing patriotic music.

In total, the Electrical Water Pageant runs less than 10 minutes. The first performance usually begins in front of the Grand Floridan Resort around 9 p.m. The best place to watch is by the dock near Narcoosee's (if you have an ADR at Narcoosee's for that time - it's a great vantage point). Following the Grand Floridian, the pageant moves to the Polynesian at around 9:15, the Wilderness Lodge around 9:40, Fort Wilderness around 9:50 and the Contemporary (Bay Lake side) a little after 10 p.m. If there Magic Kingdom is still open around 10:20, the Water Pageant will have a final performance in front of the main gate.

These are general times. Check with the concierge desk or guest services at any of the Magic Kingdom area resorts for specific times the day you plan to see the pageant.

While it's a simple show, especially considering all the advances lately in audio-animatronics, the Electrical Water Pageant is a nostalgic reminder of the origins of Walt Disney World and one evening activity not to be missed.

Tip Tuesday: Going Deluxe

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to begin a discussion about the benefits of staying at a deluxe resort on property, as opposed to a value or moderate resort. I have four personal favorite deluxe resorts, and I'm going to share why I feel these resorts provide so much value to justify the extra cost.

Grand Floridian
First up is the Grand Floridian Resort (my #1a favorite). Located on the western shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian is the flagship of the deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. As such, it is often the most expensive. The GF offers a number of fantastic features that make it worth staying there, especially during certain times of the year. First and foremost is location, location, location. The GF is one monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, something that's especially handy for families with younger children.

The resort is elegantly themed with one of the most beautiful lobbies on property. The GF also has one of the best resort-based character dining options (1900 Park Fare) featuring different characters for breakfast and dinner. In all, the Grand Floridian offers the most elaborate fine dining of any resort with Narcoosee's, Citricos and the ultra-upscale Victoria and Albert's.

During the Christmas season, the Grand Floridian truly shines with the best resort holiday theming on property bar none. The gingerbread house at the GF is worth it alone. Add in the live holiday music, the gigantic lobby tree, the Photopass studio shots in the evening with the tree as a background and the innumerable poinsettias all over the place, you'll quickly see why the GF is the best place to be during the holidays, especially during the value season.

Now, all this being said, the GF is not the best option year round. During the most expensive holiday season (between Christmas and New Years), I don't recommend the GF as the cost skyrockets. The GF, however, is my #1 recommendation for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's value season and you can't find any better resort, especially if Disney offers a good discount.

While I like the GF, it's not my #1 recommendation for the warmer (ok, blistering!) summer months. That's because there's another resort that's my #1b favorite...

The Yacht/Beach Club
If you're coming to Walt Disney World during the hotter half of the year, you need to stay somewhere where you can cool off, and there's no better place than the Yacht/Beach Club resorts -- and that's because of Stormalong Bay. Stormalong Bay is the largest resort pool on property and it's also the largest sand-bottom pool in the world. Stormalong Bay is a mini waterpark in itself and it's fantastic.

Personally, I prefer the Beach Club over the Yacht Club because of the closer access to Epcot (remember, location, location, location). From your room, it's less than a five minute walk to the International Gateway. Also, all the great restaurants and shops at the Boardwalk are only a few minutes away.

The Beach Club also receives a holiday theming overlay during November and December and it's pretty nice as well. Of course, it's more beach-oriented and is not as grand as the GF. Still, the Beach Club is a nice option for the winter months. Oh, and don't think that you can't enjoy Stormalong Bay during the cooler months -- the water's heated!

And now for the others...
The GF and Beach Club are my two favorite resorts, but I also really like three other resorts: The Contemporary, the Polynesian and the Boardwalk. I like these for some of the same reasons I like the GF and the Beach, and these reasons are:

Location, location, location -- the Polynesian and Contemporary are on the monorail and offer quick access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Boardwalk is within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Each resort has outstanding theming, large rooms and excellent dining options.

So why should you think deluxe?
Well as I've said several times, location, location, location and theming, theming, theming.

Think about it. How much time do you spend waiting for a bus to get to a resort? The average is 20-30 minutes (each time). How much time do you spend waiting for a bus to go back to your resort? Depending on when you're leaving the park, it could be quite a long time - upwards of an hour. Staying at a deluxe resort literally can save you several hours during your trip (to say nothing about being much less stressful). It's a lot nicer to be able to walk back to your resort (Yacht/Beach, Boardwalk or Contemporary) or take a monorail (Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian) as opposed to waiting in a huge line to catch a bus.

And then there's all the other benefits of staying at a deluxe resort that you don't get at a moderate or value.

The first is space. Deluxe rooms are much larger than rooms at value or moderate resorts. You'll appreciate that additional elbow room after being in a small room for a few days. Along with the extra space comes the ability for extra guests. I have a family of 5. That means I really can't stay at any of the value or moderate resorts (Port Orleans Riverside excepted) because they can only accommodate four people. Nearly all the deluxe resorts (Wilderness and Animal Kingdom excepted) can accommodate 5 to six people. It's really nice to keep the family in one room without having to book a second room.

The second is another benefit of location, location, location. Not only do you have a short travel time to get to a nearby park, you also have the ability to watch the evening fireworks, possibly from your room or on the beach. This is especially true for the Magic Kingdom area resorts. The picture shown above was taken from the balcony of our room at the Polynesian in March. You can see the same angle from the beach at the Polynesian -- and the music is piped in. You get another great angle over at the Grand Floridian, especially by the main dock for the resort launches.

You really have to ask yourself how much is your time worth? How much is convenience worth? How much is theming and atmosphere worth?

There's an old saying... once you go deluxe, you'll never want to go back. Personally, I think they're right.

Tip Tuesday: Finding some quiet time to walk

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

For this week's post, I wanted to take a moment and help you find ways to relax while at Walt Disney World.

"What??? Relax???? Time not spent in the park is time wasted!!!"

Ive heard that statement several times, especially from hardcore, commando-style Disney fans, and, to be honest, I thought the same thing myself at first.

As I spend more time at WDW, I've come to really appreciate those moments where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and even the resorts. There are lots of places to find a quiet place for a romantic stroll with a loved one. Perhaps a relaxing stroll with the family to allow some time to simply talk about Disney, or even a nice, fairly uncrowded place to get in a bit of a jog.

I happened to come across the path leading from the Grand Floridian to the Wedding Pavilion, through the Polynesian and on to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). This path provided some beautiful morning views of the Polynesian and Contemporary resorts.

As my family and I walked along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon admiring the beautiful views, we came upon the Wedding Pavilion (why do I have the feeling I will be back here in 15-20 years?). The path from the Wedding Pavilion to the Polynesian was made up of some special bricks I had forgotten were placed here.

In 1994 Disney announced a program to sell special bricks as part of a new "Walk Around the World" program. Guests could purchase a customized brick which would become part of the walkway. The program ended in 2000. These bricks make up part of the pathway in front of the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary Resort, from the TTC to the Polynesian (short segment) and from the Polynesian to the Wedding Pavilion. I personally never had a chance to take part in this program (and really wish Disney would start it back up).

These bricks are a wonderful testament to the spirit of the Disney fan. As we walked we would see the different messages inscribed on the various bricks. While we didn't see it personally, there is a brick that the Disney family purchased. I have seen pictures of it.

What made this pathway so wonderful was the serenity of the experience. Once we were away from the Grand Floridian, there was no background music to interfere with the sounds of the world around us (aside from the occasional monorail passing overhead).

This pathway would be a fantastic place to take your significant other on a romantic stroll, perhaps walk all the way to the Polynesian and up to Sunset Point for a bit of alone time (hey -- not THAT kind of alone time -- this is Disney after all!). Pretty much anywhere along this pathway is a perfect place to stop and watch Wishes. Depending on where you are (especially if you're close to one of the resorts), you just might hear the music being piped in through the sound system.

This is another example of a larger tip I've talked about before -- take your time. Allow some time to relax. It is a vacation after all.

Tip Tuesday: Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show

Aloha! Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

As you can see, this week I'd like to talk about one of those special events at Walt Disney World - the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.

As the name suggests, the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is themed after a Hawaiian luau, complete with lais, Hawaiian cuisine, served family style, Polynesian dancers and the show-stopping fire dancer.

The show takes place at Luau Cove at Disney's Polynesian Resort Tuesday through Saturday nights. There are two show times each day: 5:15 and 8 p.m. The show and dinner runs around 90 minutes. There are different seating categories with different prices, ranging from $55 (category 3) to $64 (category 1) per person. I personally recommend the category 1 seating area (center, lower level) which offers the best views. Yes, it's more expensive, but the better view is well worth it.

But before we get to what you'll see, we need to talk about the food (as my good friend Lou Mongello would say).

The food is pretty good, especially if you're a fan of ribs, grilled chicken, Polynesian rice and vegetables, pineapple, salad with mango poppy seed dressing (which is really good!) and chocolate mouse volcano for dessert. Dinner is all-you-can-eat and is served family style on long, narrow platters. I found the chairs to be lower than normal, which made serving a little cumbersome, so if you plan to take in a dinner show, just be prepared to get up and down to serve you and others.

For kids, there is a limited dinner menu with hot dogs, mac-n-cheese and/or PB&J. Again, these are all-you-can eat. While we were at the Spirit of Aloha in March, I asked our server if any chicken nuggets were available (for my autistic son who is a pretty picky eater). The servers had a few orders of nuggets sent down from Captain Cooks, so parents, if you're in a jam with a picky eater, be sure to ask you server if they can make some alternate arrangements.

OK, I'm stuffed, so let's get on with the show!

And that means dancers, singers and much, much more!

Being the Spirit of Aloha, of course there will be plenty of Polynesian dancers. In fact female and male dancers perform routines representing several different Polynesian cultures including Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and more. You will appreciate splurging for the category 1 seating when you watch these excellent and amazing dances. And you never know, you just might get into the act!

But what's a luau without some fire!

The fire dancer at the end of the show is just amazing! How they do what they do with those fire sticks is unreal. This performance is worth the price of admission alone. You simply have to check this out - it's some of the most incredible sights with fire you will ever see.

One question some may ask: which seating is better? My answer to this question is that it really depends on your party. If you have kids, I would suggest the 5:15 p.m. show only because the kids won't get tired. We attended the 8 p.m. show and by around 9, I was working to keep my daughter awake so she could see the fire dancer at the end.

Personally, I like the 8 p.m. showing, especially during the summer months. At 5:15, the sun still is high in the sky and it's less like a show with controlled lighting and everything. Besides, at 5:15, it's still pretty hot outside. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time stuffing my face when it's still roasting.

Speaking of weather conditions, I do need to mention that this is an outdoor theatre. Yes, your seats are covered, but the stage is not, so the show is weather-dependent. As stated earlier, the summer heat might make a different in which show you want to see.

All-in-all, I recommend the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show. Would I go see this show during every trip to WDW? No, probably not. It is a show that's worth catching at least once and maybe every few years. I'm not sure how often the show is updated. I won't get into the story of the show so as not to spoil it for you.

So Aloha cousins and enjoy the luau!