Got our trip in just in time! High & not so highs.

[PoohBears#1fan]

We landed back at Gatwick last Monday and of course the changes in the last week have been unprecedented, I'm SO sorry to everyone affected by them and really do hope you manage to rearrange your hard earned holidays.

Back to normal now and I start my new job tomorrow so have been enjoying some down time & helping DS prepare for his upcoming driving test.

Our highs

Reward flights! We were incredibly lucky to score Upper Class reward flights with Virgin Atlantic for this trip so that made it seem even better knowing we'd only paid the tax for our flights. Both ways were very nice, the crew on our outbound even gave us an anniversary card which I thought was a lovely touch.

Shulas - By far the best meal we've ever had on Disney property, aside from 'maybe' V&A's but I'd be far more likely to return here as it's a fraction of the cost. The service was excellent, without being suffocating which I did find in V&A's to be honest and it doesn't have that rushed ethos so many of the onsite restaurants seem to have.

Starters were gorgeous, I had shrimp, DH had French Onion soup.

We shared a 24oz porterhouse steak for our main with truffle creamed corn and green beans, DH had his half cooked medium rare and mine was medium so they bring it first cooked to his requirements, then let us cut it, take my half back for more fire, they had told us this is what they do first and made sure we were ok with it, it really didn't take long to make mind a little less pink. Absolutely delicious.

They had comped our pudding (chocolate soufflé to share) as an anniversary present, so that was very much appreciated. All washed down with a very nice Rioja. mmmm Beats last night's roast chicken hands down!

The Poly - Absolutely loved staying here, I've wanted to for many years, but being DVC and usually travelling with the kids, the studios just weren't big enough for my older family, being a couple's only trip was the perfect time to try it out and it really didn't disappoint. I just feel that they got everything right with this resort, totally fallen in love with it and hope to stay again.

We also got our room request which helped of course as we were perfectly located but to be honest, I don't think there is a bad location here.

Amazing Animals - if you get a chance to get out here and do a tour with Kirsty & Brian I thoroughly recommend it, we did this on our actual anniversary, I'd read so many great reviews and they're not wrong. We met and fed sloths, Capybaras, skunks, saw gators, owls, parrots, pot bellied pigs, snakes... it was just such a wonderful visit and it was just the 2 of us as you can only go by booking a private tour.

Minnie & Mickey's Railway - loved it, really fun, clever ride. I do still miss The Great Movie Ride, but I'm old and we fear change but really enjoyed this.

Getting a low boarding group for ROTR, we were out for opening of this in December but just didn't bother, I didn't get up at 4am for my babies so am unlikely to for a ride Plus we knew we were back in March so hoped things would have died down a little.
We gave it a go fully accepting that it may not happen and were lucky enough to get BG37, which saw us on for 10.40 that morning. We'd only got to the park at 7.40 so no buying into the panic rushing etc.
Loved it, totally mind blowing and worth the hype.

Picking our car up from the car care centre - we only paid £108 for our car for 6 nights after a tip from elsewhere when Jet2 were offering a massive discount, I've collected cars from here before and always end up with a much bigger one than I've booked, I guess they just don't have that many smaller cars.


Not as highs

Cali Grill brunch - not a low as such, but we did this in December and absolutely loved it, doing it again just didn't give us the same feelings, just felt like an overpriced meal with an nice view this time round, and my eggs benedict in The Rainforest Cafe was FAR better than the one here! Definitely a once only to do for the experience IMO.

DDP+ We added this on at the 11th hour, I'm not a fan of the DDP at all and have never managed to make the numbers add up, but because we had a split stay of 2 nights at the front, California Grill brunch booked & would have bought the mugs anyway, this new plan only cost us another $75 or so and gave us another 2 TS credits each - which we used in Kona Cafe and 50's Dine in - and more snacks than required so did make sense.

I wouldn't add it for any longer to be honest, it's still FAR too much food and neither of us are portion shy, plus we're very much foodies, but we don't usually order desserts, preferring to share a starter and just don't need that amount of snacks - we still had Goofy's left when we got back home! I do like the flexibility it offers however over the older plans.

All in all a fantastic trip and feeling very, very lucky with our timings that we managed to get it in!

[Ivegottadream]

It's lovely to read about your trip. The poly is on my daughter's wish list but I'm not sure we can stretch to it!

[BarryandCaron]

I’m so glad you loved the Poly as much as we do xx

[Mexy02]

I loved the poly as well, thanks to you we got to stay there ❤️❤️ Glad you had a fabulous trip x

[returnplanning]

Sounds lovely, and what fortunate timing - don't feel bad that luck was on your side.

Shula's sounds great, and Cali grill brunch is on my "hit list", so it was nice to hear your views.

[2point]

Sounds a lovely trip. We are hoping to do the DDP thing when we 'hopefully' go in May as we have a split stay, BLT(1), AKL(2), CCV(12) and VB(1).

[Inky]

Glad you got your trip xx

[PoohBears#1fan]

Originally Posted by BarryandCaron

I’m so glad you loved the Poly as much as we do xx

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Absolutely loved it, really hope we get to stay there again one year

Originally Posted by Mexy02

I loved the poly as well, thanks to you we got to stay there ❤️❤️ Glad you had a fabulous trip x

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Oh of course, I'd forgotten about that! It's amazing isn't it, we really loved it there? Thank you xx

[returnplanning]

I think it's lovely to hear stories like this as counterbalance to all the bad stuff.

[disneypars]

Glad to hear you had a fantastic trip. Agree about California Grill brunch first time brilliant second visit not quite so. The animal experience sounds like the one Tim Tracker vlogged the other day. He sponsors one of the enclosures. Jen and Tim were there cleaning out the skunk enclosure.