A Shining New Era is Tiptoeing Nearer for the TCD Gang

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I liked the idea of the bungalows before they started building them, but I don't think I like how they are turning out.

 

I don't like them either.  But, it doesn't really affect me one way or the other.  I'd love to stay in one of those some time.  But, I think they're going to be north of $2K per night.

 

And they're going to be full, probably with a waiting list.

 

That boggles my mind.

 

Yep, that's pretty much what I figured. The Poly view from the beach is basically gone. I hope that trend doesn't spread....

 

Yeah, they wrecked the view from the beach and also from all the lower rooms in the buildings that used to have Seven Seas Lagoon views.

 

I went to Google to get an image that I could mark up with my purple crayon to show how much of the view is now blocked, but I was surprised to find a pretty current image which shows the first section of the bungalows in place:

 

 

The buildings in the water now extend all the way to the east of the ones you see there, all the way to the ferry dock, effectively blocking the view from all of the waterfront Polynesian rooms.

 

There are rumors about them building these bungalows on the water at the Wilderness Lodge.  If that ever happens, they'll be looking at the Fort next.

 

Wow miss reading for a few days and it takes a while to catch up. But I'm up to date now.

It's too bad about the Poly beach, I loved their beach for fireworks viewing.

And the lobby area with plants and waterfall was special to the Poly.

I have to believe that the new lobby and pool will be super nice. They need to knock it out of the park and distract guests' attention from all of those buildings sitting in the way.

 

I had real haggis in Inverness, Scotland on a vacation with my DH in 2002.

It had a very liver flavor to it. Fortunately I like liver. Dh refused to even try a taste.

Haggis could be like coleslaw or potato salad, every cook has a little different method/recipe.

Some taste better than others.

Your DH is a smart man.

But, if I ever get to Scotland, I am going to try the haggis.

 

Great score on the furniture! Good going girls. Good Daddy to help with transportation.

They haven't been following my instructions to stalk the store daily. I want them to get some more of that expensive stuff!

TCD

 

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

Hard to work going back there into their schedules, maybe.  It is handy for CMs who park in the lots near there.

[wendinator 109]

She tried to get assigned a shift in the Club Villain venue for one of the Halloween parties, and last week, she finally got to work one.

 

This is a meet and greet opportunity where guests get to dance with various villains. The CM's just keep and eye on things.

 

Here's Twin #1 with some of her coworkers:

 

 

 

I got to meet her on Tues, Oct 28! I hope she didn't think I was too creepy/stalker/weird. I told her that meeting a TCD Twin was on my List of Fun. She was lovely in every way.

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Hard to work going back there into their schedules, maybe.  It is handy for CMs who park in the lots near there.

 

True.  Twin #1 does park in the MK lot, but not close to the store.  I was surprised by the amount of traffic back there.

 

I got to meet her on Tues, Oct 28! I hope she didn't think I was too creepy/stalker/weird. I told her that meeting a TCD Twin was on my List of Fun. She was lovely in every way.

 

 

Great job!

 

Thanks for sharing the photo- very cute!

 

This made my day.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well, guess what?

 

I just have a bit more bonus content, and then I'm fresh out for now.

 

That means I'll need to get over to WDW soon.

 

Going back to my October 23 visit, we are still at the Polynesian.

 

Here's a shot that shows that there is still a hill of dirt over there where the bigger Sunset Point used to be:

 

 

I wondered what the guests in the building closest the beach would see from their patios and balconies.  Well, here's the view from right outside of the first floor rooms:

 

 

I used to like the view of the Contemporary Resort with the monorails going in and out from here.  Forget about that view:

 

 

I couldn't tell if anyone was staying in these rooms.  I certainly hope not. They would have construction site view rooms.  But, there's a stuffed Mickey up there on that balcony, so who knows:

 

 

This is the view from the last room on the first floor-which is the room closet to the pool:

 

 

You can't see the castle from there, which means none of those rooms will have a view of the castle and the MK fireworks.

 

As luck would have it, Twin #1 went to the Polynesian beach the week before last to watch Hallowishes.  Here's the new view from the beach.  The bungalows wreck it:

 

 

After checking out the bungalows, we hit up the new Dole Whip stand.

 

I think I mentioned earlier that this trip was not planned until the afternoon before, so I didn't charge my camera battery.  As luck would have it, my camera died right there at the Pineapple Promenade.  Which isn't a great loss.  It's just a counter with two Dole Whip machines.  I got a float.  Which you couldn't get at the self serve machine at Captain Cook's.  I'm sad that the self serve machine is gone, but this is still pretty good.  Nobody needs to eat that much Dole Whip anyway.

 

After our dessert, it was back to the monorail. This is a view of the old koi pond at the Polynesian as seen from the monorail stand (I turned the camera on, and it had enough juice for one more photo) :

 

 

We hopped the monorail, and headed back toward the MK.  The camera let me take one more photo, which is the view of the Seven Seas Lagoon, with the Four Seasons Resort off in the distance:

 

 

And then the camera was really dead.

 

Which is just as well, because all we did was go back to fetch our cars and leave.

 

I hauled the new furniture home, where it will sit in our garage until it's time for the girls to go back to school in a couple of months.

 

And that's all I have for you.

 

But, stay tuned.

 

The new era is still going strong, and I'm going to get some more bonus content.

 

TCD

[lklasing 16]

Wow about those bungalows and how much the kill the view from the Poly rooms. Do you think that the rooms on the top floor of any of the existing longhouses will still have a view, or do the bungalows block even the highest floor?

And thanks for the Wonder Woman clarification. I thought I had missed a newsflash or other important announcement of some resurgence of that superhero.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That view from the beach really Bunga-blows.  

[Family of Bears 98]

LOL at bunga-blows.

TCD, we actually stayed at the lodge the weekend before this and it is also under construction. No big pool, big walls, whole thing. One thing to mention about the lodge if anyone is wondering or not familiar, they tell you that you can use contemporary or fort pool. There is also a small pool at the lodge by the villas. Honestly, other than not having a slide, the small lodge pool was actually really enjoyable. Nice and shaded, not too crowded, they've got a makeshift bar set up. Oh, and no lifeguard so Bella got to wear her mermaid tail.

Anyways, just a little tip for your mass following that reads along here. All that poly construction got me thinking. Is there a second pool at the poly or are the guests there just having to pool hop?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow about those bungalows and how much the kill the view from the Poly rooms. Do you think that the rooms on the top floor of any of the existing longhouses will still have a view, or do the bungalows block even the highest floor?

And thanks for the Wonder Woman clarification. I thought I had missed a newsflash or other important announcement of some resurgence of that superhero.

 

I think that the rooms at the top of the longhouses are high enough that they will be able to see over the bungalows.  But, those bungalows are going to be lit up, and full of people. It's still going to wreck the view.

 

I still have no idea what the deal is with all the Wonder Women.

 

That view from the beach really Bunga-blows.

 

As always, you have a way with words.

 

LOL at bunga-blows.

TCD, we actually stayed at the lodge the weekend before this and it is also under construction. No big pool, big walls, whole thing. One thing to mention about the lodge if anyone is wondering or not familiar, they tell you that you can use contemporary or fort pool. There is also a small pool at the lodge by the villas. Honestly, other than not having a slide, the small lodge pool was actually really enjoyable. Nice and shaded, not too crowded, they've got a makeshift bar set up. Oh, and no lifeguard so Bella got to wear her mermaid tail.

Anyways, just a little tip for your mass following that reads along here. All that poly construction got me thinking. Is there a second pool at the poly or are the guests there just having to pool hop?

 

The Polynesian folks get special treatment: 

 

Understandable, my best guess is that due to the bus changes at DTD, that sign is for guests going to TL. It may be at all the resorts.

 

Below is a portion of the letter that guests booked at the Poly receive. There is also a in-room flier that says the same thing.

 

 

"The Nanea Volcano Pool and Slide will close for enhancement in late July through early 2015. During this time, the Polynesian East Pool, the leisure pool at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, will remain open for your use. Should you find the Nanea Volcano Pool unavailable during your stay, one complimentary ticket to Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, our watery winter wonderland featuring waterslides, a wave pool, water play areas for the kids and more, will be given to each member of your party. To ensure you have a seamless visit to the Park, Walt Disney World® Bus Service will be provided to a dedicated check-in at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park where you will receive your complimentary tickets and towels."

If you wish, you can read more about what's going on at the Polynesian Resort in this thread:http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/12642-changes-coming-to-polynesian-resort/

TCD

[Family of Bears 98]

Wow, now that I see that I remember reading it before. There were good fl res deals for just a bit more than what we paid for the lodge.

It's amazing the things you can learn here!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow, now that I see that I remember reading it before. There were good fl res deals for just a bit more than what we paid for the lodge.

It's amazing the things you can learn here!

 

You were better off staying at the Wilderness Lodge.  The Polynesian Resort is a great big mess.  The lobby is just plain sad.  At least at the Wilderness Lodge, it's just the pool that's messed up.

 

You are right that it is amazing the things you can learn here.  There isn't a better site for accurate Fort Wilderness and WDW information.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I can't eat enough Dole Whip to make self serve worth it, but I know a lot miss it. 

 

There is a second pool at the Poly too. It's actually pretty big. Here are some pictures from my 2013 TR...

 

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/10596-aloha-gadawgfan-turns-a-convention-into-a-week-long-stay-at-the-poly/page-9

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Great job by the twins on the furniture, costumes, etc.

I am all caught up and can start your new TR tomorrow. I have to catch up on some others too.

I am way behind.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I have a bit of bonus content for this old report.  So, it's time to respond to the comments.

 

 

I can't eat enough Dole Whip to make self serve worth it, but I know a lot miss it. 

 

There is a second pool at the Poly too. It's actually pretty big. Here are some pictures from my 2013 TR...

 

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/10596-aloha-gadawgfan-turns-a-convention-into-a-week-long-stay-at-the-poly/page-9

 

That pool was busy the day we visited.  I didn't get any photos, though.

 

I can't imagine that very many guests take them up on their offer to go to Blizzard Beach.  It's nice that they can go for free, but that's a big time commitment if someone just wants to take a dip in the pool.

 

Great job by the twins on the furniture, costumes, etc.

I am all caught up and can start your new TR tomorrow. I have to catch up on some others too.

I am way behind.

 

Glad to know you got caught up with this one, Aaron.

 

There's still some time left in the new era.

 

And some big stuff is about to go down.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Since the new era is still going on, and still shining quite brightly, we need a real time update.

 

As the twins have not been at their schools for the fall, we needed to line up housing for them for the spring and summer terms.  None of us want it to end, but the new era will end at the beginning of January.

 

Twin #1 lucked in to an apartment with some friends.  One of the friends is going to study abroad in the spring, and needed a girl to sublease her bedroom in a 4 bedroom apartment.  One of the roommates in that apartment is also a good friend of Twin #1's, so that deal worked out perfectly.

 

It was more work for Twin #2.  We had already made two trips to Tallahassee to look at potential apartments, and were about to sign a sublease on one, when a new one popped up.  It was exactly what we had been looking for, and that meant we needed to make a third trip to look at the apartment on Saturday.  Twin #2 was able to trade shifts, and we went.  That meant that I needed to drive to WDW to pick up Twin #2 before we headed north.  So, I left home at about 4 am, and was at Twin #2's apartment at around 5:30 am.  We made it to Tallahassee a bit past 10, and toured the potential apartment.  All of that work was worth it, as she loved this one, and we agreed to least it on the spot.

 

So we have an exit plan for the new era.

 

After we sealed the deal on the new apartment, we grabbed some lunch, and headed south.

 

Twin #1 had three friends from school visit her on Saturday.  One of them is the new roommate she is friends with.  She couldn't get them in to the MK, since her CM passes are blocked out there.  So, they went to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios instead.

 

Here they are on Dinosaur:

 

 

We were hoping to catch up with Twin #1 and her friends when we rolled in to town, but Twin #1 had already left them in Hollywood Studios so she could get to work in the MK that night.

 

She had used our Magicbands to make FP+'s at AK, and was not able to use one because the ride was temporarily down.  I got an email letting me know that those FP+'s could be used on any attraction through the end of the day, and Twin #1 and her group were not there to use it. So, Twin #2 and I decided to head to AK first.

 

I took a couple of photos at the entrance to show that as of November 15, there were no Christmas decorations up yet at AK:

 

 

 

There is construction going on everywhere around AK.  The "river" which passes under the bridge in front of the Tree of Life is blocked off and looks almost as bad as a Fort Wilderness canal:

 

 

I still don't know why all these walls are up around the Tree of Life, but they're still here:

 

 

 

 

There's a bunch of construction going on around the lake in front of Expedition Everest. There are walls and fences up all around there as well.  But they haven't put up any walls on the side where the seating area is for the Flametree BBQ, so you can see it all from there:

 

 

 

 

You can see the train entering the mountain in this shot:

 

 

We decided to use our FP+ on EE, and headed there.

 

It was only a 20 minute wait, but not for us.

 

The sun was already leaving for the day when I took this shot from our train at 5:29 pm:

 

 

A shot of the snow covered mountain at sunset.  With a crane photobomb:

 

 

I didn't know that they fixed the bird on the stick, but they did:

 

 

Everyone in our car did a good job with their hands. Thanks for the photo, photopass:

 

 

More walls all around the EE area:

 

 

We had time to catch the 6 pm showing of the Lion King.  This was my first time being back here in the area of the new theater,  They really put a lot of work into this:

 

 

I was surprised that they didn't change the theater or the show. In fact, it was disorienting leaving the theater, because everything is identical to the old show, except the location.  In my mind, I was in Camp Minnie Mickey, but I was really in Harambe.

 

After AK, we headed to Port Orleans Riverside, and ate dinner there.  We then popped over to the MK to visit Twin #1.  That was a fun visit, as the Magic Carpets are currently down for a short refurb.  That meant all of the CM's in that area mainly had to tell guests that yes, the ride really is closed and would not be reopening that evening.  We got to talk to Twin #1 and her CM friends including her bosses, for about 45 minutes.

 

Then it was time to go.

 

But first, we got a ride on the Mine Train.

 

Then we left.

 

I dropped Twin #2 off at her apartment and headed home.

 

I wonder how long it will be before I find an excuse to go back.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Wow, all caught up.  Somehow I lost touch with this TR when I was at the Fort and my phone quit tethering.  So I've read through several pages this morning.

 

Great find on the furniture.  Glad the Twins' housing situations for January worked out so well.

 

I'd really like to know what all those construction walls around the Tree of Life are for.

 

I'm sure it won't take you long to find another excuse to visit!

[BigTom 76]

You needed to have talked the twins into staggering there time at WDW. You could have gotten 2 more months of this era.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I thought the walls around the Tree of Life and EE are for the Rivers of Life night show they're adding?

 

PS- Great Everest photo! 

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Nice bonus!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow, all caught up.  Somehow I lost touch with this TR when I was at the Fort and my phone quit tethering.  So I've read through several pages this morning.

 

Great find on the furniture.  Glad the Twins' housing situations for January worked out so well.

 

I'd really like to know what all those construction walls around the Tree of Life are for.

 

I'm sure it won't take you long to find another excuse to visit!

 

The twins are sneaking home for the night tomorrow.  Hopefully, one of them will forget something when they head back, and I'll have to bring it to them.

 

You needed to have talked the twins into staggering there time at WDW. You could have gotten 2 more months of this era.

 

Hindsight is 20/20.

 

It actually worked out good this way.  They have been able to spend a lot of time together. They were apart a lot last year because of school.  Being there together has made it fun for both of them.

 

When this new era ends, I know that someday there will be another one.

 

They both want to go back.

 

I thought the walls around the Tree of Life and EE are for the Rivers of Life night show they're adding?

 

PS- Great Everest photo! 

 

I don't get what the walls around the Tree of Life have to do with a river show.

 

The "river" is what you cross over on that bridge in front of the Tree of Life.  The walls are closer to the tree, and there isn't any water on the other side:

 

 

It probably does have something to do with the show, but I don't know what.

 

All I know is that there are walls up everywhere around AK.  And it looks terrible.  Too much being done at one time.  And you know how slow they go.

 

Nice bonus!

 

Indeed.

 

I am looking forward to the next one.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

The TCD twins popped home for a quick visit on Tuesday.  Mrs. TCD made a home cooked meal, and did a couple of mountains of laundry.

 

There were some things that Twin #2 needed fixed on her car, and I wanted to bring it in to the place that we trust for those issues.  So we got that done during the day yesterday.

 

We had a quick dinner at one of their favorite local restaurants last night, and then they headed back to WDW.  They were home for just over 24 hours.

 

They had to get back to WDW because they had both signed up to be extras for something that was being taped at the MK last night.  They weren't sure what it was, but they were going to get two complimentary park hopper tickets each for being at the MK from midnight until 5 am.  They probably would have volunteered to do that for nothing.

 

I haven't spoken to them since we said goodbye last night, but this morning, there were some Snapchats that told the story:

 

 

Here's a clue to what was going on:

 

 

You can't read the whole wristband in that screenshot, but it says Fiesta de Año Nuevo.

 

Do you know your Spanish?

 

I believe that means New Year's Eve Party.

 

On November 20th!

 

As best I can tell, some Spanish-speaking media company was filming a New Year's Eve party at the MK last night.

 

As with most TV productions, there was a lot of standing around.  Good thing the twins are able to amuse themselves:

 

 

I'll bet guests at the Fort were wondering why fireworks were going off after midnight at the MK last night:

 

 

Various musical groups performed. The twins didn't know who any of them were:

 

 

It got pretty late:

 

 

I would guess it was about this time that the girls realized that maybe this wasn't worth two free parkhopper tickets:

 

 

This was the last shot I saw that had a time on it, but there was video after this, so they weren't quite done here:

 

 

I hope they made it through the night and are sleeping it off now.

 

This new era sure is something.

 

If any of you will be watching a TV show on a Spanish-speaking TV station for Fiesta de Año Nuevo, look for the TCD twins.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I used to enjoy watching Sabado Gigante on Univision now and then.  Maybe this will air after that some Saturday in late December and I could catch them both. 

[CampMImi 22]

 

I haven't spoken to them since we said goodbye last night, but this morning, there were some Snapchats that told the story:

 

 

 

The sanpchats with my daughters are the highlight of my day!  They look like they totally enjoyed themselves!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I used to enjoy watching Sabado Gigante on Univision now and then.  Maybe this will air after that some Saturday in late December and I could catch them both. 

 

Wow, who knew you were such a cultured man?  Fuego!

 

The sanpchats with my daughters are the highlight of my day!  They look like they totally enjoyed themselves!!

 

All of my daughters love making those Snapchat stories. It's good for us, because there's usually something new added every night, and it gives us a snapshot of what the girls have been up to.

 

Here's a couple screenshots from this morning.

 

From Twin #2 (in reference to the tragedy at FSU the night before) :

 

 

From Twin #1- she worked a special event at Hollywood Studios last night.  Yes, after being up all night in the MK the night before. This party was a recognition party for WDW CM's with 10 or more years of service.  They pulled out all the stops.  She has no photos from the party, as she was working, and the rule is "no phones on stage."

 

 

TCD

[CampMImi 22]

HAHAHA!  I could look at snapchats all day long.