Review of the Polynesian

A lot of people rave about the Polynesian and there are valid reasons for this.  The Polynesian has a lot going for it.  You can walk to the TTC, the Magic Kingdom is a short monorail ride away and then there is the decor.


Outdoors the Poly is second to none.  The place is swarming with flowers, plants, trees, and shrubs.  On top of that you also run into the stream, springs and volcano pool.  Oh and did I forget to mention the Electric Water Pageant and view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks?

Inside Poly is a mixed bag. The main building is nice and the fountain in the lobby great.  Sadly those are the best features that can be found inside the Poly.

The check in area is cramped.  I get the feeling that when it gets busy it's not a fun place to be.  The non flora decor is bland and almost ugly.  I guess if you really like that kind of style it wouldn't be bad.

The restaurants are okay.  Ohana is average in almost every way.  The Kona Cafe is actually is best dining location on property (see my review of both of those restaurants for more info).  Captain Cooks is good for a quick service meal. There are two aspects about it that stand out. First they have the cool ordering kiosks there. Second you can get a Dole Whip.  Yes you can get a pine apple Dole Whip at the Poly.

The pools are decent.  The adults pool is nothing to write home about.  It's small but it tends to be empty which is nice.  The main pool is larger but still a little small by deluxe standards.  However, the main pool has a volcano with a water slide in it.  The water slide is mostly in the dark an it's fast.  If you lay down on it you will hit the water so hard water will shoot right up your nose. I wish I didn't know that.

The rooms at the Poly are nice but are not as good as other rooms on property.   They are big but rather ugly. The colors are dark and that's not really a good thing.  No matter what the room seems dirty even though house keeping keeps them perfectly clean.  The balcony is bigger than the ones found at the Contemporary but it may have just seemed that way.  The beds and general decor did not match up to Contemporary.  Even the bathroom isn't as good as the ones found in the tower at the Contemporary.  Don't let all of this give you the wrong impression.  Even though you can find better rooms on property these rooms are still nice, large, and clean.

Overall the Poly is a nice hotel but in the end I can't help but feel that it's a little overrated.  Considering the HUGE price you pay I can't recommend staying at the Poly.  If you are going to pay that much the use a discount code and stay in the Contemporary Tower or at the Boardwalk.  Both have great locations and great rooms.

If you want to see a video overview of a room at the Poly click here.

Photo of the Week: The Contemporary Magic Kingdom View

Last week I did an overview on the Bay Lake view at the Contemporary.  This week I'm giving everyone who is still trying to decide a view from the Magic Kingdom side of the tower.

As you can see the view isn't as clean.  You have the parking lot between you and the Magic Kingdom.  This is still a great view and you get to see the fireworks from your hotel room but keep in mind that there is much more light pollution on this side of the tower than the other side.  This side is also more expensive.

To see an overview and a sample view of the Bay Lake side of the tower check out last weeks post.

Photo of the Week - The Contemporary?!?

When most people decide to stay in the tower at the Contemporary they pick the Magic Kingdom view.  While this might be a good view that decision overlooks some vital facts. 

The view of Bay Lake from the tower in the Contemporary is amazing but that's not the coolest feature.

Most people don't realize that the Bay Lake side of the Contemporary offers a decent view of Illuminations.  Yes you can not only see Spaceship Earth from the Contemporary you can see a majority of Illuminations. 

Finally if you stay on the Bay Lake side of the Contemporary you can watch the Electric Water Pageant from your room. 

Considering all of that how can the Magic Kingdom side beat it?

The Most Famous Line Ever Uttered at Disney World

The Polynesian is a notorious for it being the location where the Beatles were officially ended.  Many would think that would make it the most notorious hotel on Disney property and it should have, except something happened a few years before John Lennon took a trip to the Polynesian.  Something that millions of people saw and heard.  Something that make most of the history text books printed since.

Not many people know that Richard Nixon was a big Disney fan.  He and his family were at the ribbon cutting for the monorail in Disneyland. He also took the time to visit Epcot before it opened to the public.  However you won't find those in the history books.

On November 17th, 1973 Richard Nixon and his family were visiting Disney World.  If that date sounds familiar it's because it was in the middle of the Watergate Scandal.  That date might also sound familiar for another reason.  Maybe because of the following:

"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.  Well, I'm not a crook!"

Richard Nixon uttered that famous line on November 17th, 1973 during a press conference that was held in a meeting room on the second floor of the Contemporary Resort.

I don't doubt you've heard that line, seen the video, or read about it in a book but I think it's safe to say most of you didn't know it was uttered right smack in the middle of Disney World.

Photo of the Week - Walkway to the Magic Kingdom

You pay more at hotels like the Contemporary for a reason.  Other than the normal amenities you pay for location.  If you stay at the Contemporary you can walk to the Magic Kingdom via a nice walkway. This walkway passes under the Monorail which allows for some great photos.

Review: The Legendary Chef Mickey’s

Let me start by saying that I have fond memories of Chef Mickey’s. When I was a kid Pluto stole my shoe and ran away with it. Back then Chef Mickey’s was an open restaurant with amazing views of the Monorail and the inside of the Contemporary. Things have changed:

Food: We went for breakfast. Even though it’s a buffet it’s one of the best breakfasts you’ll find in Disney World. The selection is top notch and the quality is good. It’s not as good as the Kona Café but it’s good.

Atmosphere: Chef Mickey’s went through a major renovation in the last few years when almost the entire floor of the Contemporary was redone. A vast majority of the seats are now inside. Chances are you will not get a table that is out in the open. There are just too few of them. Like most of the other popular restaurants the experience was lessened to add capacity. At times it seemed like there were just too many people crammed in for breakfast. If you are in one of the open tables it’s not so bad but inside it can get loud.

Entertainment: If your goal is to meet the Fab Five you’re in the right place. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto all make appearances here. Most of the cast members do their characters to perfection. Goofy was an exception. Instead of being goofy he was kind of a jerk. He teased and made fun of people instead of acting like the character.

Service: The service was very good for a buffet and they checked in often. Our waitress was very nice too.

Cost: This is the most expensive breakfast you’ll find. At home I could pay 1/6^th the price for the same thing. My rule of thumb is I expect to pay up to double on vacation. This was far beyond that.

Overall I’d only go back to Chef Mickey’s if I was staying at the Contemporary. I would not go out of my way to see it. So many of the famous restaurants in Disney have fallen into that category. They got popular so management decided to squeeze as much money out of them as possible. That’s why you always need to try other places before they get ruined too.

Photo of the Week: The Electric Water Pageant

I can only think of one show that last lasted since the early 70s in Disney World. The Electric Water Pageant. It's like the energizer bunny. Nearly 40 years of continuous shows. This photo was taken from high up on the Contemporary.

New Video Posted - Holiday Wishes from the Contemporary

My low quality video - Holiday Wishes at the Contemporary has been posted to YouTube. You can view it part one HERE. Part two can be accessed HERE.

Wow Moments

Everyone has “wow” moments. “Wow” moments are the times when something stops you in your tracks or you get a sudden rush of emotion. Most of the time these “wow” moments are infused with nostalgia.

Here are a couple of my wow moments:

#1 – The monorail looping around Epcot: I don’t know why but this always amazed me. I guess I knew I was in for a good day when I saw Spaceship Earth go by. It’ll be strange on my next trip. I’m staying at the Boardwalk so I won’t be experiencing this.

#2 – Cinderella’s Castle from Main Street USA: I think this is on everyone’s list. When you walk down Main Street most Disney fans get that happy feeling.

#3 – The Hyatt MCO: Ok this might sound like an odd one but when I see this hotel inside Orlando International Airport I know I’ve arrived. On the flip side this one also has the opposite effect on the way back. I know my vacation is over.

#4 – The purple and red signs: I bet a lot of people get the wow moment when they see these signs. Nothing says you’re in Disney as when you see the green highway signs turn into the purple and red Disney World signs.

#5 – The atrium in the Contemporary: The atrium in the Contemporary is just impressive. Even if I’m not staying there I always have to find a reason to go there.

#6 – Pioneer Hall: I stayed at Fort Wilderness a lot when I was a kid. When I see Pioneer Hall I smile. The whole area over there is nice and comforting.

Of course there are others but those are the ones that really stand out for me. Feel free to leave your favorite moments in the comments.

The Temporary Show That Never Stopped

Disney has a habit of cutting costs at the first sign of a week economy. You don’t need to tell that to the thousands who lost their jobs earlier this year. Beyond cutting jobs Disney cut Fantasmic, shot down the new Stich show after just a few weeks, and made thousands of other small adjustments to save money.

Typically if Disney labels something as “temporary” or in Disney terms “Seasonal” it means you better see it now because it could be gone in a couple of days.

There is one “temporary” attraction that was never shut down. In fact it’s been playing since 1971. I never viewed temporary as being a term of nearly 40 years but this is Disney we are talking about.

In 1971 you had the Magic Kingdom which might take you a day to go through. You could ride the Monorail. You also had the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. I bet someone will let me know but I don’t know if the Poly was even around in 71. Beyond that there wasn’t much. To make it more of a value Disney threw together a show and put it out there. At the time if you had told them the show would still be playing 40 years later I bet they would have mocked you.

The Electric Water Pageant has been playing every night in front of Ft. Wilderness, the Contemporary, and the Poly for nearly 40 years.

If you’ve never seen it, it’s a goofy light show set to some music. It’s so simple yet if it starts when you are there you will watch the entire thing. I don’t know what it is but there is some kind of magic to it.

Today we have special effects that the imagineers in the 70’s and 80’s couldn’t even dream about. I mention that because in entertainment there is a desire to improve on what you did, often ruining it in the process. Look at what happened to the original Star Wars. That’s just one example.

Amazing no one has tried to update the EWP. If someone did, they did such a good job that no one noticed. I say good job because the EWP is not something you update. When you get something right the first time, don’t mess with it.

Next time you are in Disney make sure to take a few minutes and check out the EWP. It’s a great way to end your day.

To Pin or Not to Pin

You might not know this but Disney makes a lot of pins. You might not know this but people buy them too. Type “Disney Pin” into the search field on eBay and you’ll typically get about 30,000+ hits on any given day.

I have to admit, Disney does a great job with a majority of the pins they put out. Many are detailed, well designed, and really grab the eye. However, there are some pins I just don’t understand. For instance, they have pins of the bathroom signs. WHO IS BUYING THE BATHROOM PINS!?! Why!?! Why do you want to collect pins that have the bathroom signs on them? What kind of a vacation did you have where these cause nostalgia?

I don’t go overboard in the pin department but I do own a number of them. I have specific rules for the pins I buy. They have to meet certain requirements:

1 – Can be a ride I’ve ridden and enjoy
2 – Can be an event I was present for
3 – Can be tied into a Disney World vacation memory
4 – Can be a resort I’ve stayed at

To give examples of the above, I have a Splash Mountain pin because I’ve ridden it and enjoyed it. I do not have a Turtle Talk with Crush pin because I’ve never ridden it.

I own pins for the 15th and 25 anniversaries of the Magic Kingdom because I went to Disney on both occasions. I also own a Year of a Million Dreams pin because I was there for it. I do not own a 35th anniversary pin because I wasn’t there for it.

I own a pin of Pluto sitting on top of the Disney World sign because Pluto once stole my shoe and ran off with it at Chef Mickey’s.

I only own two resort pins – Fort Wilderness and the Contemporary. I’ve never stayed anywhere else. When I do I’ll add to that list.

There is only one exception in my collection. It’s a Grumpy pin. I’m not a fan of Grumpy but this pin was funny. It’s for a stout beer and says “always bitter.”

There are also a bunch of pins I’d love to get my hands on like a Horizons, World of Motion, Body Wars, Original Journey Into Imagination, Dream Flight, and the Time Keeper pins. I’ve seen some of them but I’m too cheap to buy them. They tend to be expensive. I normally don’t pay more than five dollars for a pin. The only real exception was for an Alien Encounter pin. I think I paid eight for that.

The Electric Water Pageant Video Posted

I have posted my video of the Electric Water Pageant.

The Pageant has been playing every night on bay lake almost as long as Disney World has been open.

This is a great show that I’ve seen many times. I remember seeing this show when I was a young kid on my first trip. My grand mother took my cousins and I to the beach at Fort Wilderness to watch it.

This edition was taken from high up in the Contemporary Resort in December 2008.

The video can be viewed HERE

The First Video!

The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk About has posted his first Disney YouTube video!

The video is a Disney World slide show set to the music of the now out of circulation "Epcot Entrance Medley."

All of the photos used were taken on my last trip in December. The subjects include all of the parks, the Contemporary, and some random locations.

The video can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQH6-GxvD00&feature=channel_page

Feel free to post comments either here or at YouTube.

The Wave – Tree Hugging Hippies Unite!

My wife and I had breakfast at the Wave. It was the last thing we did on our last vacation. The Wave is located on the first floor of the Contemporary resort right next to the front desk. The entrance is cool looking. It’s designed to look like a giant hamster beating up a goat…ok it just looks like a big wave…but the hamster idea would be awesome. I bet it would be the most photographed thing in Disney.

The inside of the wave tries to be trendy and new age. It’s not bad but I can’t help but think what people will think of it in ten years. It could very well be one of those things you look at and wonder “what were they thinking?”

The service was decent, nothing amazing. It was however quick. That’s always a nice thing when it comes to breakfast. When you’re grumpy the faster someone is the better. I am of course speaking about my wife when I say grumpy. She’s not a morning person (there’s the understatement). I can get away with saying that because she doesn’t read this blog…I hope…At least she never used to…

The food wasn’t bad. All of it was all natural, unprocessed, free range and so on. It’s different unless you’re crunchy and eat that way anyways.

I was very adventurous and ordered…the pancakes! They were made form whole wheat flour. That did add a nice nutty flavor to them not to mention whole wheat flour really is better than bleached flour in almost every way. They were served with actual maple syrup. For most people that must be really cool. When you’re from NH and have a dozen sugar shacks within twenty miles of it’s not all that amazing. It’s still nice though.

I also ordered the OJ. You could really tell that it was fresh squeezed. It was sweeter and less bitter than normal OJ.

My wife got an omelet made from free range eggs. It amazingly tasted like an omelet. Go figure. It did have some fresh vegetables too but it’s hard to get excited about that. She also ordered coffee. It was ok, nothing really outstanding about it except for maybe the fact that it wasn’t Nescafe. Then again it might have been pee in a pot. After drinking Nescafe for a week, pee in a pot might actually be an improvement. Wow…Disney really is genius isn’t. How can you server slop and have people complement it? Serve crap all week! GENIUS!

The Contemporary

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the large A framed building that has the monorail running through it. It’s located near the Magic Kingdom and is listed as a deluxe resort. It’s my opinion that every Disney fan should stay in the tower at least once. It’s pure Disney magic. I normally try not to use the term “magical” but I think it’s over used and normally corny. This is an exception. Even if you just ride the monorail through the Contemporary you no doubt have had that moment when you said or thought to yourself “wow!”

The concourse is something else. It’s so big and open that you feel small as soon as you step out of the monorail. The shops only add to that sense of awe. They are as tall as a normal shop but don’t even make it a 5th of the way to the ceiling. On both sides of the concourse are the monorail tracks. Where they enter and exit the building there are large paneled glass walls. Then you have the famous mosaic. It doesn’t really fit anymore but it’s still a classic. One part of it is photographed more than the others. That part is the infamous five legged goat. Can you find it?

As far as food goes I’ll put my neck out there and say that the Contemporary has the best food options of any resort. The California grill is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Disney World. The Wave is good and a nice break from the typical Disney fare. How could you complain about Chef Mickey’s? It’s a Disney World classic. The only part that is iffy is the quick service area. It’s not bad it just needs to have some bugs worked out. For what it is, it’s decent.

Another overlooked feature of the Contemporary is its access to the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. If you spend the day in the Magic Kingdom and need to get to the Hoop Dee Doo Review, Trails End, Whispering Canyon, or Artist Point, the fastest way is via the Contemporary boat launch.

Right now the Contemporary has the best rooms in Disney World. They are very nice. They are comparably large and have nice amenities. The balconies are small but it’s still nice to sit out there.

A lot of people would argue that if they are staying in the tower they have to stay on the Magic Kingdom side so they can see the fireworks and so they can see MK at night. It’s nice but it’s not worth the extra $30 a night. There is also the fact that the bay side is quieter and you can see Illuminations from a number of the balconies on that side.

The Problem With Deluxe

The deluxe resorts are great. The Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Boardwalk / Yacht Club all have amazing theming and great rooms. The problem is you pay for that. A lot of people are stuck with a tough choice. Do I go less often and stay at a deluxe or do I go more often and stay at a moderate or value resort?

If you’ve never stayed in one of the deluxe resorts it’s an easy decision. Why would you spend the extra money? I have to be honest, I stayed at the Contemporary in the tower the last time I went down. It was amazing but I don’t know if I’d ever do it again. I can’t afford to. That trip was a once in a lifetime trip. I’m back in the cheaper rooms if it’s just my wife and I. Then again I could hit the big time and make oodles of money. If that happened I’d try out all of the deluxe resorts.

I know a lot of people are partial to the Polynesian but I’m a Contemporary man. I love the rooms and I love the tower. The Polynesian is beautiful and the fountain in the main building is great. All the others have a hard time matching up. If the weather is good, the Boardwalk a night is amazing and it’s really close to Epcot and DHS. I’ve never liked the Grand Floridian and all the others just seem out of the way. This leads me to my next point.

It’s hard to know which resort is really going connect with you and your family. You could spend a lot of money on one of those resorts, get there, and end up not liking it. That’s why if you are considering doing a deluxe, book a cheaper trip and take a day to check out all of the resorts. If you do that you can make an informed decision on whether you think it will be worth it or not.

The California Grill

Every now and then you go somewhere that is just amazing. The California Grill is one of those places. It is now tied with the best dining experience I’ve ever had. It was fantastic.

Following a tip my wife and I asked to sit at the chef’s counter. Most people want to sit by a window so they can see the Magic Kingdom. You can see the magic kingdom some other time. SIT AT THE CHEF’S COUNTER! It’s like being a judge on Iron Chef. All the action is right in front of you. It is open kitchen and the chefs know it. When someone sits at the chef’s counter they take notice. They know their every move is being watched. The chefs are not stupid. To distract you they start giving you freebies! One of the chefs came over and gave us a beat salad on the house. I don’t like beats but it was very good and when it’s free it’s even better.

We were sitting directly in front of the sushi station. The sushi chef couldn’t help but talk to us. We were so close that it would have been very uncomfortable if he didn’t. His boss, the head sushi chef, stepped in when needed a break. She took the opportunity to ask us what sushi we had tried before. She almost looked offended when we said we’d never tried sushi before (give us a break we’re from NH). She took it as a personal challenge to find sushi we’d like (aka more freebies!).

For an appetizer I ordered the triple cheese flat bread with pesto and sundried tomatoes. I could be happy eating that for the rest of my life. I salivate just thinking about it now. It was a WOW dish. For my main course I ordered the filet. You can’t do filet much better than they did. Back to back WOW dishes. For desert I ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Raspberry. It was great. Not wow but great.

The service was very good. The waiter knew his stuff and was very helpful and offered recommendations with being at all pushy. Because of him my wife tried a couple of things she otherwise wouldn’t have tried. She was more than happy with all of his selections.

The only draw back in regards to the California Grill is that it’s about 1500 miles from my home and I can’t go back once a month. Maybe I can convince Disney to open one in New England. Hey don’t laugh if they could make a buck they’d do it!

Bob Iger’s Bonus….Your alcohol purchases at work…or maybe not.

Disney World! Home of the $10 margarita! I wish I was making that up. A millionaire would balk at what Disney charges for a drink. At first I thought Disney was making big bucks on booze. After all, the profit margin on a $10 margarita has to be ridiculous. I can make a margarita at home for about $1.25. $2.00 if I use good booze. However, I don’t buy in bulk. My guess is Disney is paying $1.00 tops. That’s a $9 profit.

My guess is that Disney is trying to make a large profit while control consumption. Why else would price a drink at that level? Yes you’re a captive audience but think of the other places where you are a captive audience. How about Jetblue? They charge $3 for that margarita and there is no better example of being a captive audience. That leads be to believe that Disney doesn’t want a bunch of drunk people in their park. Guess what…you failed! If someone wants to get drunk you’re not going to stop them! What you are doing is limiting your overall profit. The people who want to get hammered are in the minority (I hope). A drink with a $10 price point only prevents the average Joe from getting drink number two. There are a lot more Joe’s than drunks in the park (again - I hope).


There are ways around buying booze from Disney. Here they are:

1. Bring a flask – You can get a good old fashion pocket flask for next to nothing online. Pick your own poison. The odds of Disney security finding it are nil. Just drink it fast there are cameras everywhere. Or wait until lunch and pour your rum in your coke. The other option is to drink it in the bathroom where there are no cameras stall but that’s just gross

2. Slip some nips in. How is this different from sneaking a flask into the park? The point of smuggling in nips is not to drink them straight. It’s to enhance the pathetically weak Disney drink and turn it into a drink actually work $10.

3. Start the mission impossible theme music please... Go to a resort with a concierge. The best one for this is the Contemporary. 1 - Wonder around the lobby until someone gets on the elevator. 2 - Follow them onto the elevator. 3 - If they do not use their key card to select their floor get off on the second floor. 4 - Take the escalator down to the lobby (this is to help avoid the attention of security). Repeat steps 1 through 4 until someone uses their key card for the 12th floor. 5 – Follow the person off the elevator on the 12th floor and take a right. 6 – Walk straight right into lounge. If you do this between the hours of 5pm and 10pm you can get your hands on some booze. Five to 7 is beer and wine 8 to 10 is the hard stuff. The key is to walk purposefully. If you hesitate you'll draw attention. I should also mention you won't be getting Bud. Sam Adams and Heineken. Woohoo!

4. Make friends with someone with a prosthesis. This only works if they have a hollow leg. You can sneak one good sized bottle or a bunch of small bottles in. I recommend the large bottle. It makes less noise.

(I cannot stress this enough - the above is for entertainment only! Even though it may be tempting, please do not steal. It's not nice.)