The MURPHYS are LIVE from the Polynesian!! 7/27-8/3 Come join the fun!!! :)

Joining along for the ride (better late than never). We will be there in less than 30 days. We did not stay at Poly last year (the first time after four years in a row there) but we will be there this year! Looking at your pics and hearing about what you're doing is getting me really excited for our trip! Dd doesn't know we are staying at Poly, and she will be over the moon when she realizes we will be back. I am trying to keep it a secret as long as I can, hopefully until we pull up at the resort.

Looking forward to all the updates and photos!! Go Sox!!!
 
I never knew that "live" trip reports existed! I'm loving this one as the Poly is our favorite. I keep seeing that you have posted a lot to photo bucket...how do I find you there? It looks like you are having a great trip...thanks for thinking of all of us that can't be there. :wave2:
 
Joining in for the fun! I'm LOVING all of your Poly pics!! We'll be there for the first time in 58 days! SO excited!!!:woohoo:
 
Hey gang :) We are back to the room early tonight. After watching the EWP and Wishes we all agreed we were exhausted! :faint: I think the heat at Epcot today combined with several hours of swimming wiped us out.

I have a ton of pics to share! We walked over to the GF and checked out the new villas. :thumbsup2

I'm uploading them now :cloud9:


Some thoughts about Poly CL food offerings: I can definitely tell a big difference in the food since we were here 2 years ago. The quality has been reduced as many others have reported. The sushi tonight was good, they had a california roll and a vegetable roll, also a raw spicy tuna, along with assorted cheeses and a salad. People were gobbling it up as fast as they could put it out. They ended up running completely out of sushi around 6:15 and I heard them calling down to the main kitchen to see if someone could bring more. I'm not sure how long that took because we were done nibbling by then. From what I've seen so far this week I think the lounge castmembers have a very hard time keeping up with the demand for food. I'm not sure what the answer is to this problem. A lot of folks want to try to save money on meals by eating lounge food, but there never seems to be enough. Maybe Disney needs to raise the room rates to cover the high volume of food being eaten?? When you've got a line of people stretching to the stairs (easily 20 people in line at any given time) and only a couple of trays of appetizers, it just isn't going to work. I'm not sure how many guests are here, probably a few hundred??? I think larger pans of the hot item (catering type chafing dishes) kept warm with a burner would be easier. If you go to a Holiday Inn Express they use large pans like that to feed people because it allows you to keep larger quantities of food ready instead of constantly swapping out tiny little plates. The poor CMs are literally running in circles putting things down and going back for more... A plate of 12 pieces of sushi lasted about 60 seconds ...I saw PB&J trays go down that were gone in probably less than 2 minutes, the cheeses, the salad, the crackers, all the same story...even things like forks, plates, napkins, etc, are all gone in just a few minutes. They either need to provide enough quantity to feed everyone in the building, or just stop serving the food altogether. Now I'm not going to even get started on the people who go back over and over again filling up plates as high as they can stack them, because it happens everywhere and there isn't anything that can be done about it, but I do want to mention that the quantity of food people are eating here is the largest I've ever seen in any Club lounge at WDW. DH and I joked a bit tonight that we felt bad for being hard on the YC CL last trip, I think they actually have the Poly beat as far as the food goes. Not in quality, but in the ratio of food to people.

OK, I said I wasn't going to get started on this but I will mention this one woman yesterday because it was a story worth telling. :rolleyes: During the afternoon they have the bowls of snacks... one goldfish crackers, one was jellybeans, one was cookies, and the other might have been popcorn, I can't remember. So they have these paper plates and paper bowls people can use. Also lids. This woman took about 12 bowls, filled them all to the rim with snacks, put lids on all the bowls. Then she stacked the bowls into two towers and carried them out of the lounge and out of the building... presumably to the pool. :eek: This is not a joke, or an exaggeration. :sad2: I wonder if she stopped to think for a minute that if all 300+ people staying in this building did the same thing she did the castmembers would have to back a dumptruck up to this building to keep the snack bowls full. :lmao:

OK, off that topic. It's just a pet peeve of mine... I will never get used to it and I don't understand it. The evolution of club level over the last several years is something you could truly base a psychological study on.
 
That is nuts, Erika about the food being scarfed down like that. INSANE. We have stayed at YC CL and BC CL every summer for the last 5 junes in a row. Except last month. did not. I was really disappointed in my BC CL 2012 stay in terms of food, etc. and opted to skip it in 2013. None of us missed it. I think the food is "eh" at best but honestly how much quality can we expect when people treat it like a dinner buffet? I remember in 2009 the difference between YC GV and YC GV CL was 90. We used the lounge for tea, lemonade, dessert offerings a night or two and breakfast. I got my money's worth that week and thought it was GREAT. I think they need to lower the rate, do away with hot offerings, etc. and make it snacks and breakfast and cold drinks. Period. I think the high rates are making people think "this isn't worth it so lets load up on food to get our money's worth".

Having said the above, I did book BC CL for June 2014 b/c of the big rehab on the rooms and lounge but honestly I may end up downgrading to non club. Not sure if it is worth it at the prices...
 
Our walk from the GF to the Poly:

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Grand Floridian's fire pit.

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I didn't think I was going to like the location but it's actually very close to the main theme pool and beach. A very easy walk to the main building too. But would be quite a ways to the boat launch.

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Pretty good Space Mountain view from the GF villas... possibly the castle from the higher floors I would assume.

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That is nuts, Erika about the food being scarfed down like that. INSANE. We have stayed at YC CL and BC CL every summer for the last 5 junes in a row. Except last month. did not. I was really disappointed in my BC CL 2012 stay in terms of food, etc. and opted to skip it in 2013. None of us missed it. I think the food is "eh" at best but honestly how much quality can we expect when people treat it like a dinner buffet? I remember in 2009 the difference between YC GV and YC GV CL was 90. We used the lounge for tea, lemonade, dessert offerings a night or two and breakfast. I got my money's worth that week and thought it was GREAT. I think they need to lower the rate, do away with hot offerings, etc. and make it snacks and breakfast and cold drinks. Period. I think the high rates are making people think "this isn't worth it so lets load up on food to get our money's worth".

Having said the above, I did book BC CL for June 2014 b/c of the big rehab on the rooms and lounge but honestly I may end up downgrading to non club. Not sure if it is worth it at the prices...

We paid about $90 extra and I feel we get our money's worth on breakfast, snacks, and drinks. I wouldn't mind at all if they got rid of the hot appetizers, I'd actually vote for no dinner appetizers at all and just beef up breakfast with some eggs and bacon. We always stop at Hampton Inns and Hilton Garden Inns when traveling and I think a nice big breakfast is really all I would want from club level. They can keep their goldfish crackers and jelly beans. ;) :laughing:
 
I'm trying to picture the CL, and some of the people trying to have "dinner" with "appetizers" :confused3. I can't imagine the poor CM's trying to keep up with the demands.

We stay at RPC every year and I have yet to see this. We spend more time in the resort than the parks. The lounge is never crowded at any given time. I don't know if maybe we go when there is less people? We tend to go in April or late August (this year it's early August- DD is competing in a National Fine Arts Festival the week before). I wonder how the lounge situation will be then? It will be interesting to see :scared:.
 
Hey gang :) We are back to the room early tonight. After watching the EWP and Wishes we all agreed we were exhausted! :faint: I think the heat at Epcot today combined with several hours of swimming wiped us out.

I have a ton of pics to share! We walked over to the GF and checked out the new villas. :thumbsup2

I'm uploading them now :cloud9:


Some thoughts about Poly CL food offerings: I can definitely tell a big difference in the food since we were here 2 years ago. The quality has been reduced as many others have reported. The sushi tonight was good, they had a california roll and a vegetable roll, also a raw spicy tuna, along with assorted cheeses and a salad. People were gobbling it up as fast as they could put it out. They ended up running completely out of sushi around 6:15 and I heard them calling down to the main kitchen to see if someone could bring more. I'm not sure how long that took because we were done nibbling by then. From what I've seen so far this week I think the lounge castmembers have a very hard time keeping up with the demand for food. I'm not sure what the answer is to this problem. A lot of folks want to try to save money on meals by eating lounge food, but there never seems to be enough. Maybe Disney needs to raise the room rates to cover the high volume of food being eaten?? When you've got a line of people stretching to the stairs (easily 20 people in line at any given time) and only a couple of trays of appetizers, it just isn't going to work. I'm not sure how many guests are here, probably a few hundred??? I think larger pans of the hot item (catering type chafing dishes) kept warm with a burner would be easier. If you go to a Holiday Inn Express they use large pans like that to feed people because it allows you to keep larger quantities of food ready instead of constantly swapping out tiny little plates. The poor CMs are literally running in circles putting things down and going back for more... A plate of 12 pieces of sushi lasted about 60 seconds ...I saw PB&J trays go down that were gone in probably less than 2 minutes, the cheeses, the salad, the crackers, all the same story...even things like forks, plates, napkins, etc, are all gone in just a few minutes. They either need to provide enough quantity to feed everyone in the building, or just stop serving the food altogether. Now I'm not going to even get started on the people who go back over and over again filling up plates as high as they can stack them, because it happens everywhere and there isn't anything that can be done about it, but I do want to mention that the quantity of food people are eating here is the largest I've ever seen in any Club lounge at WDW. DH and I joked a bit tonight that we felt bad for being hard on the YC CL last trip, I think they actually have the Poly beat as far as the food goes. Not in quality, but in the ratio of food to people.

OK, I said I wasn't going to get started on this but I will mention this one woman yesterday because it was a story worth telling. :rolleyes: During the afternoon they have the bowls of snacks... one goldfish crackers, one was jellybeans, one was cookies, and the other might have been popcorn, I can't remember. So they have these paper plates and paper bowls people can use. Also lids. This woman took about 12 bowls, filled them all to the rim with snacks, put lids on all the bowls. Then she stacked the bowls into two towers and carried them out of the lounge and out of the building... presumably to the pool. :eek: This is not a joke, or an exaggeration. :sad2: I wonder if she stopped to think for a minute that if all 300+ people staying in this building did the same thing she did the castmembers would have to back a dumptruck up to this building to keep the snack bowls full. :lmao:

OK, off that topic. It's just a pet peeve of mine... I will never get used to it and I don't understand it. The evolution of club level over the last several years is something you could truly base a psychological study on.

Holy heck!!!

I hate to say it, but I'm not surprised. Sigh. We noticed similar things at the Poly--people taking trays and getting as much on there as they can. But I have to share this story of what my husband saw at the AKL CL one evening. It was during dessert and cordials time and another guest came up to the cordial area where my husband was standing and proceeded to pour the ENTIRE BOTTLE of Grand Marnier into two glasses, pick them up, and leave.

:sad2:

My husband was shocked. People going back for seconds, thirds, taking tons of food, etc. isn't too shocking--but that was pretty insane. THE WHOLE BOTTLE!!!

Anyway. We found the Poly lounge to have enough food for us, but definitely noticed there was always a line and the CMs had to work hard to keep up with demand. I'm not sure how much longer they can continue like that.

ETA--I would much prefer their adding hot items like eggs and bacon to breakfast, too. My husband has a ton of dietary restrictions and the pastry-heavy breakfast doesn't do it for him. I would also love a different option for my kids besides croissants and fruit loops :rotfl:
 
We have never stayed at Poly CL so I don't know how the food offerings are set up. Could this have anything to do with lines forming to get the food?
 
We go in Sept every yr & of course we saw ppl hoarding but it wasn't to the extreme I keep reading about. Also there was always plenty of food & chef always insisted on ppl coming back for more.. I hope this is still the case, the late afternoon snacks is one of our faves but its meant to be snacks not a meal.. Lol

We might get one or two of most things & come back for one or two of our favorites & get a glass or sangria but that's about it, I hope to make it back in time for desserts & cordials once or twice, we always seem to miss it.

At home for breakfast I normally eat yogurt & fruit so in the lounge I do the same with an added mini pastry but I do wish they had boiled eggs or lunch meats/ sliced cheeses & smoked salmon like over at the GF CL.. A bit of protein can take you a lo g way with all the walking in the parks...

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
 
We have never stayed at Poly CL so I don't know how the food offerings are set up. Could this have anything to do with lines forming to get the food?

I noticed at GF & BC CL there wasn't the lines we see at the Poly so I think the set up may have something to do with it. I also noticed at the other CL ppl didn't really stand in so much of a line but dart back & forth to get the items they wanted, but it wasn't rude like cutting, & it worked.. No long lines..

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
 
Hey gang :) We are back to the room early tonight. After watching the EWP and Wishes we all agreed we were exhausted! :faint: I think the heat at Epcot today combined with several hours of swimming wiped us out.

I have a ton of pics to share! We walked over to the GF and checked out the new villas. :thumbsup2

I'm uploading them now :cloud9:

Some thoughts about Poly CL food offerings: I can definitely tell a big difference in the food since we were here 2 years ago. The quality has been reduced as many others have reported. The sushi tonight was good, they had a california roll and a vegetable roll, also a raw spicy tuna, along with assorted cheeses and a salad. People were gobbling it up as fast as they could put it out. They ended up running completely out of sushi around 6:15 and I heard them calling down to the main kitchen to see if someone could bring more. I'm not sure how long that took because we were done nibbling by then. From what I've seen so far this week I think the lounge castmembers have a very hard time keeping up with the demand for food. I'm not sure what the answer is to this problem. A lot of folks want to try to save money on meals by eating lounge food, but there never seems to be enough. Maybe Disney needs to raise the room rates to cover the high volume of food being eaten?? When you've got a line of people stretching to the stairs (easily 20 people in line at any given time) and only a couple of trays of appetizers, it just isn't going to work. I'm not sure how many guests are here, probably a few hundred??? I think larger pans of the hot item (catering type chafing dishes) kept warm with a burner would be easier. If you go to a Holiday Inn Express they use large pans like that to feed people because it allows you to keep larger quantities of food ready instead of constantly swapping out tiny little plates. The poor CMs are literally running in circles putting things down and going back for more... A plate of 12 pieces of sushi lasted about 60 seconds ...I saw PB&J trays go down that were gone in probably less than 2 minutes, the cheeses, the salad, the crackers, all the same story...even things like forks, plates, napkins, etc, are all gone in just a few minutes. They either need to provide enough quantity to feed everyone in the building, or just stop serving the food altogether. Now I'm not going to even get started on the people who go back over and over again filling up plates as high as they can stack them, because it happens everywhere and there isn't anything that can be done about it, but I do want to mention that the quantity of food people are eating here is the largest I've ever seen in any Club lounge at WDW. DH and I joked a bit tonight that we felt bad for being hard on the YC CL last trip, I think they actually have the Poly beat as far as the food goes. Not in quality, but in the ratio of food to people.

OK, I said I wasn't going to get started on this but I will mention this one woman yesterday because it was a story worth telling. :rolleyes: During the afternoon they have the bowls of snacks... one goldfish crackers, one was jellybeans, one was cookies, and the other might have been popcorn, I can't remember. So they have these paper plates and paper bowls people can use. Also lids. This woman took about 12 bowls, filled them all to the rim with snacks, put lids on all the bowls. Then she stacked the bowls into two towers and carried them out of the lounge and out of the building... presumably to the pool. :eek: This is not a joke, or an exaggeration. :sad2: I wonder if she stopped to think for a minute that if all 300+ people staying in this building did the same thing she did the castmembers would have to back a dumptruck up to this building to keep the snack bowls full. :lmao:

OK, off that topic. It's just a pet peeve of mine... I will never get used to it and I don't understand it. The evolution of club level over the last several years is something you could truly base a psychological study on.

That's ridiculous! I don't know that she has ever heard the word "moderation"???
 

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