TRIP REVIEW - Split stay at GDT and POLY (2021.06.12 - 2021.06.19) - part one

Long post - apologies in advance

Hey There Disney Liner Friends! I’m hoping to actually FINISH a trip report this time, but no promises :rofl:

We just got back from a SPLIT stay at Coronado Springs - Gran Destino Tower and the DVC Polynesian resort. It was a last minute type of trip, because there was little to no planning involved. We’re AP (Annual Pass, renewed, not sure if that was the wise decision this year), so I searched for a trip on a non-holiday week, in early June, and just kind of poked around the MDE (My Disney Experience).

It was probably the week BEFORE the BOO BASH tickets got released for early sale. This was a bit of a bug-a-boo, because I was never able to sit on hold for the 60 to 120 minutes to reach a human to help resolve some of the issues. Anyway, just for background… lol, there you go.

I called, reached an agent, and she was looking for anything that could be amazing in the hotel on-site pool. She made a few suggestions, me reminding that as long as it was in June, and not too close to a holiday, we would be interested in trying something new… maybe even fancy? Open for suggestions, take a peek, what do YOU see (probably more than me).

She stopped, she said “Well, how about the POLY? Wow, WOW, week of June 12th, 5-days, that rate… WOW”.

She highlighted that the hotel was still essentially “closed”, aka under construction on the main ceremonial house, with no 'Ohana, no Trader Sams, no monorail, no fireworks (a big deal for the beach watching area I hear), but some things were open. DVC rooms, villas / bungalows, Kona Cafe, the bar outside of 'Ohana, Capt’n Cook fast service, the pools, and the Pineapple Lanai (dole whip place) were thankfully open.

My DH wanted to spend a LOT of time by the pool. We have never done that before, save on the cruise ship, during a resort stay. The planner in me was screaming “BUT WE HAVE PARK PASSES”, but the tired teleworker in me was purring “hmmm, poolside with a dole whip sounds PRETTY good right about now”. So since I have heard that the POLY had amazing pools, it seemed like the best option, bucket list, let’s do this kind of stay.

We wanted to come more than 5-days (because airfare and travel days, might as well get the full week experience), so she was able to book 2-days at the beginning of the trip at the GRAN DESTINO TOWER. We stayed there, club level, the February before COVID shut everything down. It was awesome, but club level isn’t happening right now, so we weren’t looking for that specifically.

However, if you ever get the chance, GDT is beautiful, new, and the SMART TV’s are really great! The elevator system is amazing, and having stayed in a tower hotel in NYC, let me tell you, the wait is NOT very long at all for an elevator. You just need to READ THE DIRECTIONS and make sure everyone in your party does as well, so that you don’t end up waiting for an elevator that never comes, or jump on an elevator that goes to another floor, not yours. (Long story, but wow, those elevators save time, energy, everything… love, love, love them.)

OK, so I had to pay for the POLY all up front, and did, and put a deposit down on the GDT. It was well past the 60, and even the 30-days prior to our arrival, so with limited reservations available for dining, we weren’t getting into OGA’s… lol.

We got tickets on JetBlue from DC to MCO, and since they were doing the 3-seat on each side of the plane experience, and only one non-stop flight in and out each day to our city, we splurged and spent saved points on a middle seat. We’re Pooh sized, didn’t want to get cozy with a stranger, since we heard it was going to be a really busy travel season.

VERY glad we did… the flights were mostly full both ways. Felt like a princess with stretch out room. Babies could cry all day, we were comfy.

When we arrived, delayed because of the weather, the one OGA’s reservation I had managed to get had passed. $20 fee, no chance at getting in, but I kept MOUSECATCHER pinging for another spot. Almost had it a few times.

TIP - IF YOU REALLY WANT TO EAT AT A CERTAIN RESTAURANT ON A CERTAIN DAY, EVEN IF IT’S A SKETCHY BAR ON THE OUTER RIM OF THE GALAXY, DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER RESERVATIONS ON THAT DAY UNTIL YOU SECURE THE ONE YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT. I had a reservation on the same date that confused MDE when a reservation opened for Oga’s. I clicked, but it was error message time, saying you already have a reservation, you must move or cancel that one first. By the time I was able to comply, the Oga’s reservation was gone.

We enjoyed the restful night at GDT on 6/12 (a Saturday). It was after 7pm, and not everything was open, and there were not a lot of dining reservations available last minute with limited seating. This was while mask mandates still in full affect save walking around outside, so not all tables were open yet. I signed up for the UBER PASS for a month, which includes some perks and savings on the rideshare pricing as well as UBER EATS. Ordered DH’s favorite pasta dish from a restaurant that isn’t close to our house (guilty pleasure - yay florida!), and it was delivered quickly right to our door. Tipped, but he forgot silverware, and we were in the tower, so no quick fix to that situation.

Before he could dig in with his fingers, I went to the lobby and asked a nice cast member where the fastest place was that I could walk to for some disposable silverware. The CM asked what I needed, and I said two forks would be amazing. He excused himself, went into the magical back room, and appeared in two minutes with wrapped forks in napkins. Amazing!!! Thank you thank you, off to pasta coma-world for Josie and Jerry! LOL

We planned to get up on Sunday to go to the Vineland Character Warehouse outlet, followed by Gatorland (for DH). I was terrified, but DH turned 50, so that was a birthday wish… I was willing to go to the giftshop and see how far into the park I could go before I screamed like a little girl and ran - lol.

TIP - If you want to go to Vineland or International for the outlet experience, pack your patience and go 1-hr prior to opening. We knew this from a previous experience. You want to get in, get in line, get your name on the text-to-come-back-in-line list with a cast member, and THEN go get your Starbucks or seat in the AC. They have vlogers on youtube that cover what’s in the stores, so take a peek and pick your best option. It’s a luck of the draw kind of experience at the outlet. If you’re a size XS, SM, MED, or sometimes LG, you’ll find a lot more options that Pooh-sized adult folk. Still, I have found things for me or others, it’s always FUN to go poking around in the outlet store for a fun bargain.

We have seen things in the outlets that are still on sale in WORLD OF DISNEY in Disney Springs. If you see something you want, grab it, put it in your basket, and walk around the store. Things tend to fly off the shelves. Also, some things are behind the counter with the cast members, mostly expensive items like name brand purses, so ask around and head there first if that’s your jam.

Got our number in their cue, got SB, waited in the A/C, and then we got our bargains. It was already getting HOT outside, so DH decided that $30/ea was too much money for the Gatorland experience, and we went to the Florida Mall instead. A/C, stores, oh, and A/C. Within 30-minutes of opening, the place was a sea of faces and lines all around the outlets. Maybe the mall would be better.

TIP - LOOK BEFORE YOU GO TO ANYWHERE IN ORLANDO, LOTS OF PLACES ARE OUT OF BUSINESS OR STILL CLOSED. His favorite geek store was gone, and some others. He worked at this mall once upon a time, so it was bittersweet. Box Lunch was still open, so that was good for him. I enjoyed it too, but that store is kinda tight in the aisle department. I sometimes feel like I’m taking up the aisle to look at sizes on shirts in that tiny store. Again, luck of the draw. Maybe I should just become TIGGER sized instead and have my pick of the goods! LOL

There was a rainstorm in the area, so apparently all of humanity made their way to the Florida Mall. Suddenly, it was people everywhere! We went to the Disney Store before we left, and found the cutest meditating baby yoda (grogu), in a small size… the one and only one we saw the entire trip.

TIP - IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU WANT, BUY IT IMMEDIATELY, AND KEEP THE RECEIPT IN THE BAG… YOU CAN USUALLY RETURN IT. We almost walked away without buying that little guy… he’s so cute! I’ll take a picture and attach it.

So we go back to the hotel, find a reservation at Hollywood and Vine, and rest for a bit. We head to DHS for our late H&V dinner reservation, and start by poking around the stores in the front of the park.

PIN STORE on the right (the photo store, or it used to be) was our first stop, to see what limited edition gems we could discover. There were a few on our list just from watching the IG (instagram) posts, and we spent $100 right out of the gate. Whoa… slow down, this is the first store! lol

As we make our way down the street, we wind up in the Pandora store. Even though I don’t yet have a bracelet to attach it to, we have started buying one charm for each Disney trip. With an AP, you save 20%, so that’s some sort of justification for a memory in a piece of jewelry… lol. Bought the rose gold castle charm to celebrate the 50th of MK, and wound up at the icy drink place near the dino in the lake.

Sorry, I know many of you know what I’m talking about… if you’re standing at H&V and look toward the lake to the right, there’s an icy stand that opens when it’s really hot outside on the back of the building. Get icys… that was our thing this trip. If we see an icy place, we’re getting icy’s, because it’s vacation, we’re hot, and we’re already Pooh sized, let’s enjoy it before we go back on a nutrition plan.

As we sat there, we saw the storm clouds coming. Uh-oh… lol. We finished, enjoyed the people watching, and then DH suggested that I use my charms to ask if we could possibly be moved up the list to an earlier time. Because 7pm is late for a meal for us. DH goes to work before roosters, so we are usually up and at-em at 5am. Yay? Sure, yay. :crazy_face:

Lovely Hostess #1 is being treated like gum on the bottom of your shoe. People are pulling at her attention, crowding her into the cracks and did I mention it’s really hot? She’s being pleasant with people that are not so nice, and trying to explain why you can’t just walk up with a party of 10 and get seated WITH a reservation at the moment (due to COVID), but she would try to seat two parties close to each other. Hey lady, I’ve been sitting here for 30-minutes, and I’m pretty sure someone got seated that arrived AFTER me, so grumble grumble, where is your manager, grumble :angry: :rage: :skull_and_crossbones: :japanese_goblin: :baby:

After she worked through the piles of people, I asked if I could trouble her to see if our later reservation could be moved forward. We were a party of two, no worries either way, but sometimes people cancel, and it never hurts to ask. We had pleasant conversation, she was gregarious and funny, and really didn’t deserve to be piled on by the masses.

TIP - Be kind… to everyone, all the time… everyone is dealing with something

I swear, she wanted to cry. I don’t think people just talked to her, and she could see the rain was coming. Everyone was stressed out, and she was manning the door. We were just grateful to be on the list, you know? She was nice, we were nice, and we just let her know we were here really, REALLY early… if something opened up, we were good to go, but no rush, no stress.

Five minutes later, we were seated. We had dinner and were out before our original reservation was due to begin. It was a bit of gracious magic by the hostess, and we were really grateful. Our server(s) were a seasoned waitress and one earning her ears. There were A LOT of people shadowing all over the parks, so I’m really happy that people are earning their ears and employment opportunities are popping up after all that unpleasantness.

I put a #castcomplement out on twitter for all three of them. Really, I did it for the entire trip. I only seem to use twitter to compliment for Disney folks or complain for local DC service companies when I can’t get the attention of their actual customer service (they are quick to reply on twitter for some reason). So yay twitter? Every #castcomplement gets the mentioned folks good letters and sometimes even treats, so PLEASE, public complement them or find a manager and let them know about the awesome cast members AS SOON AS YOU CAN. It helps them move upward and onward! :heartpulse:

OK, so we head to Batuu to see what’s going on. It’s rainy on the horizon, so ponchos are going on, and people are heading out. We find a small world photo opportunity near STAR TOURS, in the area where they usually do the Jedi Trials for little kids. Great pic, I’ll try to put it on in a reply… Have to do that with my phone. Get it, it’s an awesome shot, so much fun, you can do multiple people in the same circle!

Star Tours was a 5-minute wait, should have gone, but we were like… WONDER HOW FAST WE COULD GET ON SLINKY DOG? We did TSM, then the Slinky line was getting short (because it was starting to sprinkle) :cloud_with_rain:, but no thunder/lightning, so we jumped in line.

Start to finish, using the LINES APP (love the new interface, btw, it was GREAT!), we were off the ride in 18-minutes. The sign said 40 minutes, but the LINES app said it was closer to 20. Worth the wait! I started up the timer button and reported the actual time in line (to help others too). It wasn’t a roller coaster, it was a WATER ride! Slinky in the rain was so much fun! It seemed faster! We got soaked, but we all laughed the entire time, it was amazing!

We were about an hour away from closing, so we head to Doc Ondar’s and my handsome hero buys me a REY lightsaber. So cool! He was looking for a specific one, but they were OUT of SO MANY lightsabers at the time. We estimated it was because of the shipping delays from China, and all of the people flooding the vacation spots. If you are interested in a pre-made lightsaber, check with the STAR WARS store in Disney Springs. They were selling them there too, that’s awesome! We saw that later in the week.

OK, back to Batuu - we checked out, and the rain was making ALL of the people disappear. I went to one of the CM’s at Oga’s and showed them the reservation screenshot from the previous day. We were stuck on the tarmac due to weather, any chance we could wait in line to see if someone didn’t show up for a reservation?

He was kind, but he said that they were definitely at their limit. We shared a laugh about Oga’s being it’s own kind of amazing attraction, and I joked that they needed a to-go window. We would be just as happy getting a drink to go, and I bet they would sell so-many-drinks.

He said “…well, if YOU wanted to buy two drinks to go, I could ask the Management if we could get you a passport to buy them. You would have to order, pay, and leave… we just don’t have the room.”

My eyes got big and my smile exploded - yes please! Oh-my-gawsh, please, yes?!? He asks, comes back out, motions us in, and we head directly to the barback spot on the bar.

If you are having a hard time finding a reservation, let me tell you WHY… at least before they lifted the mask mandates. Usually, it’s a bunch of people standing around each table, a few booths, and all FULL to the brim with people. Kinda makes the atmosphere exciting, actually, we enjoy it! People watching and DJ-Rex in effect? Oh yeah, sign us up. However, at that time, the place was “full” at maybe 15%? Table with a party, table empty, table with a party, table empty. It felt exclusive.

I would pay for exclusive in that bar. Jedi Mind Trick all day, son, all day! :star_struck::smiling_face_with_three_hearts::kissing_heart:

We waited until he was available, placed our order, and the bartender tossed two of the coolio coasters on the bar. Poof, into the bag… the DS (23) at home wanted some, so there you go. He comes back, I give him cash (and a hefty $20 tip), and we share a happy wink… out we go!

The rain was still more sprinkly than annoying, so Batuu was practically deserted. Maybe 25 minutes until park close. If you are lucky enough to get a late night Oga’s reservation (like, even after park closing, they are booking those at 9pm), then TAKE IT. You’ll get your two-drinks time, and then someone will escort you off world. I hear it’s fun, maybe next trip.

OK, back to Batuu - we dance out of the bar, throw high-fives at the CM that got us to the bar to buy our drinks, and went to sit in front of the Falcon. It was magical. As it got dark, everything was just a little wet, MUCH cooler (temp and vibe), and quiet. We took turns babysitting our purchases and drinks while each other would go take photos in the sprinkle fest, and we laughed and had an amazing time.

It was 5 minutes to close, so we finished up, and started walking off-world to the front. The sky opened up, and the rain came down in buckets. We laughed and danced as we walked, wondering where Chewie was hiding in the downpour as we giggled with others trying to head to the front. The CM’s with the green mini-lightsabers were guiding everyone down the street to the exits, so we all didn’t go splintering into places they had or were already in the process of closing. Felt kinda like a small water parade, filled with smiles, laughs, and oh-well-we’re-already-wet marching down the street like a bunch of kids in the rain.

I mean, if it’s not lighting and thunder, it’s not so scary. That fear came on one of our EPCOT days… oh, so scary… glad to be safe in the lightning strike capitol of the US.

We were going to grab a rideshare, but heads up, they MOVED the DHS ride share to the bus stop area. I hear they are constantly moving things, so when you are walking into a place, look around and ask where things are for later reference. Again, Epcot day will highlight that… lol.

We grab our Uber, head back to the resort, and watch some TV before my DH fell into a coma. It takes him maybe 5-mintues, sometimes 10… lol. The TV’s there are great, I only wish you could stream your Disney + to the TV. It will let you do it but only via your smart device (phone, ipad, tablet, whatever).

MONDAY, 6/15, we were supposed to transfer to the POLY. Our shoes were soaked from the night before still. We grabbed breakfast at RIX SPORTSBAR (across from the food court), which was tasty, but really expensive for breakfast food. Still, twitter compliments all around, then we went to shop the resort before heading back upstairs.

Inspiration struck… what if I called and asked about policy going to the pool while you waited for a room? I called, they said SURE, C’MON OVER, and we packed and ran. We headed to the Poly, checked in our big bags, and took our backpacks and our dirty/wet clothes bag with us.

We were going to get into our swim stuff (were wearing flops/crocs already), then if we had to wait too long, we would find the laundry room and dry our shoes, hats, and maybe do a load. It was really about the shoes, I forgot to bring two pairs for each.

The LAVA / main pool was very popular! We had a drink, but while we waited, we heard a kid got hurt in the bathroom. Poof, he appeared behind us at a table, stitched up and bandaged with a sibling. WHERE WERE THE PARENTS?

They sent the kids to the pool solo, apparently. Yikes. They weren’t toddlers, but no judgement, that sounds dangerous to me. The boy was maybe 10, and had fell in the bathroom area of the pool. They found his folks 15 minutes after they had stitched him up. We were expecting the lecture patrol to slam down with some conversation, but they joked about the kids probably running (nuh-uh, I didn’t run, I was slow and never run when it’s wet, Dad). Dad joked “doc, did he knock any sense into his head during the fall?”

I looked at my DH and said “OMG, said the guy who sends his kids solo to the pool?!?” LOL :thinking:

We grabbed our bags, because weird vibes, empty drinks, wet shoes to dry, etc. Room wasn’t ready yet, so we found a map and found a laundry room. Our bands weren’t set up to click us into the laundry room yet (not checked into a room). We thought if we had already checked in virtually, as they want you to do (and it’s great, do it), we would have full access.

A nice housekeeper smiled at us and said “waiting for your room”? She buzzed us in, and we were in a DVC laundry room… my first time. I was looking around… where do you put the money in for the dryers? We do laundry at other resorts, we were used to a credit card device, etc.

DH played with the TV, and I looked around and around. Finally, it dawns on me… IT’S FREE. Well, DVC isn’t free, but this must be a perk. I popped the shoes in a shoe bag from Amazon (I love the packing bags), threw our shirts in to cushion the dryer, and no banging as they dried. AHHHHH.

The DVC laundry room looks as old and dated as the rest of the DVC area, but it’s all very 70’s… it’s kitchy, and cute, and all the stuff works, so what the heck, enjoy yourself. DH had Law and Order on, and we played with our phones, him on IG, me on MDE looking for a reservation, until the laundry was dry.

I popped into a chat on MDE to ask that they update our check-in to the first available room, we were early, and just wanted to settle into a room. Within 60-mintues, we got a wheelchair room in Tokelau, which turns out to be a great spot near the quiet OASIS pool. We spent a lot of time there, more on that in another post.

The room (#1943) was, in a pleasant, positive spin, a delightful, dated, needs paint and housekeeping, DATED room. DVC rooms here have a microwave (bonus), and a bar-mini-sink, a bigger mini fridge, a toasters, plates, cups, disposable silverware, and a big coffee pot. The cool overhead rain shower wasn’t here, as advertised, probably because it’s a safety thing with handicapped folks using the shower. The tub shower was strangely complicated. We got one of the thingies to work, and then decided to leave well enough alone.

The second bathroom (must be great with a larger family) had the toilet, another vanity/sink, and a roll-in shower. The tile was beautiful, but there was mold from the dripping showerhead all over the one section. It was not used.

Has anyone else noticed the weird mouse keeping vibe? I get it, they don’t want COVID, but they don’t come for non-DVC rooms except if you call them, or maybe once or twice a trip to collect garbage. I always call for more pillows, and ask for extra towels at the beginning of our trip. I have gotten into the habit of bringing two of the WEGMANS grocery bags. One to collect laundry, one with an 8-gallon trashbag to collect garbage, because they barely come.

In DVC rooms, apparently, they come on the 4th day. They have been doing that since they opened back up in the regular rooms too. I have the feeling that’s staying around for awhile. I’m used to making the bed, but I really like it on vacation when someone else does it. Still, if I’m doing the mouse keeping, I’m not tipping until the end of the trip. I know they count on these tips. I wonder how they are faring now with the current state of housekeeping. Staffing must also be an issue.

I ordered WALMART GROCERY to get basic supplies, especially breakfast foods (to save $$$), water/soda, some snacks like cheese sticks and hummus for the fridge, Red bull for DH, etc. I have the membership with them, so for $10 extra, I got the order within 2-hours. It was fast, and fantastic.

We took a quick nap, got cleaned up, and headed to EPCOT for dinner at TEPPAN EDO. It’s the Hibachi place in the Japan Pavilion, our FAVORITE pavilion in EPCOT. Stopped in the store before our reservation, and wow, just super sad, the store is bare. We’re talking empty shelves, shelves pushed into the pick-a-pearl place (hasn’t been open since they closed due to COVID), and just lines of people trying to pick out something, ANYTHING, to bring back some normal shopping fun.

All of the cat fabric panels they usually have hanging on the wall? They had two kinds. All the stuff, barely there, not a lot of anything, and barely anyone working in the store. The lines were long. We looked at each other and said “we’ll come back”.

We knew we wouldn’t… we were just too sad to come back. It’s supply chain issues, we get it, but sad, sad, empty, big lots going out of business vibe. That’s not normal, let’s just move along.

Dinner was FANTASTIC! Our chef, KEN, was amazing. He was older, funny, and the family at our table (who wasn’t really listening when he answered any questions that they had asked) finally relaxed and got into the flow. To be fair, it’s hard to hear over the fans with the chef wearing a mask.

TIP - If you don’t like something in the veggie mix, tell the chef BEFORE he starts to mix the food together. DH likes the flavor of onions, but doesn’t like to eat them. Ken said they prefer that you let them know ahead of time, they can cook your portion without the offending item, no problem. Good to know! They mix the veggies with the udon noodles now, so heads up if your kiddos aren’t into that, best to ask before they mix it all together… lol.

After dinner, we started walking towards Mexico, hoping to get some Allebrejos from the indoor pavilion. We love them, we get one or two each time we visit. I finally got to see COCO on the plane, and LOVED IT. Pixar just loves to make us cry, right?!?

We got some SNOW CONES for dessert (sort of an icy, we love them), and walked towards the front. Cloudy, rainy looking clouds. We ducked into Germany to buy caramel corn (which I’m enjoying now, btw), and poof! Once again, rain came… fast. People started running, it was just buckets and buckets of rain. We had people pushing in with huge strollers, so we walked towards the back in the crystal store. People everywhere… among crystals. Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

Once it slowed down, we started walking again. Didn’t even make it to the Africa area with the drumming and coke stand. Just buckets of rain pelted our umbrellas. Thunder… lightning… CLOSE.

We were walking in a perpetual puddle, it was just falling so fast. Ducked under a food and wine type table w/umbrella, because it was coming sideways at that point. Everyone had found a place to shelter, we all just kind of looked at each other like, wow, what is all this about.

Then BOOOOOOOOM - close by. Children started screaming and crying. We looked at each other and made a mutual decision. Heck with this, let’s go… now. :skull_and_crossbones: :cloud_with_lightning_and_rain::cloud_with_lightning::cloud_with_lightning_and_rain::skull_and_crossbones:

Sorry, I know it sounds dramatic. We were all scared. It was insane.

We walked swiftly to the bus area. Usually, they run the buses fast and frequent at the end of the night, and also when it is stormy. It was, well, weird. I think they had Myers out there to run them. There were multiple motor coaches, with the seats like you get in a magical express, that were going to the bus stops. Where were the Disney buses, why so few?

Our resort, the POLY, was technically only DVC people and folks like us who got a last-minute deal. Still, plenty of people at the resort, and all using the bus system it seemed to us. There were two parties with wheelchairs, so we waited for the Disney bus and the older gentleman didn’t seem like a regular CM, even though it was a regular disney transportation bus. We had already waited over 30 minutes for a bus. It was still mask-wearing time on the bus system. Still distancing, still being told where to sit. It took him over 20 minutes to load the bus. OK, no worries, maybe he’s new, or Myers filling in. The two wheelchair parties, with their families, and boom, bus was full.

We waited in the rain, under a metal roof thingie, for a very, very long time. Kids kept asking “is THAT our bus, Mommy? Is THAT our bus? Can’t we just get on THAT bus? Can we get a cab, Daddy?”

We all kind of smiled, laughed, and tried to distract the younglings. The entire time, we didn’t see a bus coordinator, any management, any SUV with a guy and a radio, calling for more buses. My DH works in transportation, we watch the processes at Disney, it’s fascinating how well oiled their machine is USUALLY working.

I wrote a post on the broken bus system recently due to this ride. It was 2-hours, start to finish. We couldn’t believe that the same bus driver came back for us. The bus dragged (maybe stuck in the kneeling position?) We just wanted to go back to the resort, would have called a cab ourselves if we had known the situation. Used a lot more ride share after this experience.

THE BUS SYSTEM WASN’T ON THE MDE APP as it usually is - anyone know why that’s the case? Maybe they are in a transition period? They are definitely under staffed, that was nuts.

We went to shower, change, and then hooked up the TV to the tablet to watch NETFLIX. One thing about these old DVC rooms - the bed is SMALL, the TV is HUGE. I mean, amazing and huge. DH has been trying to talk me into a bigger TV ever since… they were impressive!

The wildlife, particularly the ducks, are adorable at the resort. I’ll bring them up in a future post. They are really friendly, have a FB and IG tag, and they are so freakishly cute!

Well, that’s a really long post. I’ll try again tomorrow to post more. This was a really great trip, especially the pool experiences (upcoming) at the OASIS pool area. Love, love, love it, relaxed, enjoyed it, ect… :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :heartpulse: :star_struck: :heartpulse: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Cheers!
~ Josie ~
(aka - Imaginette)

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Coronado Springs - Gran Destino Tower

Hollywood & Vine - tasty, especially the salad!

Empty grab a drink at Ogas Cantina

Silent Batuu, pretty too…

Ice, ice baby

Japan Bonzai trees all over the Japanese pavilion area

A gentle rain

The elves have gone too far!

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Love the pics, looking forward to reading more!

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Cool magic shot

Dinner at Teppen Edo

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Thanks for sharing! I’m enjoying your trip report and love your writing style. I just got back from a trip a few weeks ago and also noticed quite a few people being rude to CMs, especially where people didn’t mobile order. If you didn’t mobile order and you just place an order at the counter, it’s going to take a bit to prepare. Some guy had a complete meltdown that it took too long for his order of chicken tenders and demanded a refund. Like shouting, being ignorant, etc. I felt so bad for the CM.

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I saw this happening in some fashion all over the park, the resorts, the dining locations… People are ready to PARTY, and no one had better get in their way! Lol

Mmmm, fresh tenders thou, that is delicious after a long day in the parks. :meat_on_bone::eyes::heart_eyes:

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OMG, I love, love, LOVE THIS REPORT!!! I can’t wait for more. But no pressure! I know what it’s like to have the weight of an unfinished trip report hanging over me. Just – if you get a chance – please continue this beautiful, amazing, lovely, helpful trip report!!! I love your tips so much!

:heart::purple_heart::blue_heart::green_heart::yellow_heart::orange_heart:

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I love this report! Can’t wait to read more!

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Thanks for all the details! Feels like I’m there! grinning:

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:heart:

Also, I’m so bummed I didn’t see the 360 photo opp near Star Tours! That would have been awesome. We found the same thing re: mousekeeping during our May stay. Four nights and they didn’t come once. We had to go hunt somebody down to get TP and fresh towels, but they never did empty the trash or replace toiletries. I know they never came because the tip was left on the counter with a note and it was never taken. Definitely not a deluxe experience on that end.

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Hey, quick question… should I have posted post part two from our trip in it’s own form page, or post it here instead? @Jeff_AZ brought it up, and I think he’s right. Maybe I was better off just making this a longer post rather than pieces.

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You can find the next part of the report here - Part two - TRIP REVIEW - Split stay at GDT and POLY (2021.06.12 - 2021.06.19)

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All on one thread is best I think. Now I’ve added a link to part 2, I’d just keep updating that one with all the rest.

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