Adults vs Teens: A Blended Family Weekend at Universal and Poly

[Dotluvsdisney]

Hello! Hubby and I are new DVC resale owners at Poly. Hubby (aka my Grumpy Cat) is finishing his final year in the Navy. I am an SLP and opened my own practice almost 2 years ago. We have been enjoying wedded bliss for 5 years ago after being in wedded hell with our exes.

We brought 4 teens for Memorial Day weekend. To enjoy time at the Poly and get hubby’s kids out to try some theme park fun at Universal. We prayed, planned and hoped for the best.

This is me and hubby riding from Portofino Bay to the parks. We are on a $2500 budget for the weekend. Used our Poly points for 2 studios. Called the week ahead of time to request rooms near one another. Got blessed by adjoining rooms in Moorea (NO construction noise or visuals). I now know 1) there is a parking lot right in front of Pago Pago, 2) you can park at Portofino Bay for $45+tax and avoid the Universal parking garage/security line.

My grumpy cat HATES crowds and traffic and lines. But, he said that going with me is fun! I do my best to avoid those things.

Here we are enjoying the boat ride to Universal! Happy Memorial Day everyone. Grateful to those who were lost in defense of our country.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Thanks for the mini report. Tell us more as the weekend progresses, or after it ends. Enjoy. And congratulations on your purchase. I hope it turns out the way you want/expect.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Thanks for the mini report. Tell us more as the weekend progresses, or after it ends. Enjoy. And congratulations on your purchase. I hope it turns out the way you want/expect.

We had a great time! Thank you. We love having DVC. Prepaid lodging makes our vacations so much more fun.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Hubby and I were up at 5 to get packed up for our drive down Saturday morning. We are a 2 1/2 hour drive from Orlando. We had reservations to stay at the Poly Saturday and Sunday night. As a military family we had the 3 park Universal pass which is good until December. We had hubby’s two youngest, DD 15, DS 13, my DS 16 and his best friend, 16.

His kids have not been to a theme park since they were very small. My son and I have enjoyed FL resident tickets to either Disney or Universal throughout my time with him as a single mom. My son’s best friend’s father works in robotics for theme park companies so he is another seasoned park goer. This trip was a test in blending our kids together in the pressure cooker of theme park adventure!

We were on the road in our two vehicles by 8:30 am with clean kids, clean clothes, and a cooler with sandwiches to stave off the hangry monster and save some money.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Day 1 continues. Universal here we come! We each had a little pit stop along the way. As I pulled on the road for the Portofino Bay resort, saw my hubby right in front of me! FYI: Google maps takes you to the service entrance. I passed it and took a right to make it into the guest entry at 11 am.

At Portofino, we were able to activate our military tickets. No line! Walked through security to a waiting boat. Another win!

Once at the parks, around 11:30, my boys went to IOA for thrill coasters. DH, myself and bonus kids went to Universal to try some tamer rides. We knew this would be a busy weekend. We knew my hubby is a grumpy cat in crowds so we planned to only ride a few rides each day. First stop: Fast and Furious. I loved the tricked out cars and the fun led lighting in the “party bus!” It was about a 20 minute wait. Next stop? Simpsons for DH and bonus kids. I went to do single rider at Gringotts as bonus kids were not interested in HP. I got to soak in Diagon Alley and had about a 30 minute wait. Not gonna lie. The single rider line is very boring! I missed the theming of the regular queue. But, did get to peek at the bank vault and lobby goblins on the way in.

We met back up and bonus daughter wanted to meet one of her friends who happened to be at Diagon Alley for a bit. So they went off and DH, bonus son and myself tried to do the single rider at Gringotts together. I am not sure what happened but we stood in line, not moving for almost 30 minutes. We called it and headed out to refill our Universal refill cups, grab a churro and ride MIB.

At that point it was around 4. We called my boys at IOA who had ridden: Velocicoaster, Spider Man, Hulk, and Jurassic Park. We all joined up, rode the boat to our car, and headed to check in at the Poly!

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

The Poly! My home! Soooo, DH put Polynesian resort into Google Maps. But, selected some place called Polynesian Isles Resort. Don’t do this! Lol. My crew arrived and called him. He got the correct name and joined us with a small delay .


Okay! We got our rooms! Moorea, adjoining rooms and very close to the TTC. Love, love, love walking the grounds of this resort. Soft Hawaiian music playing, that beautifully scented lobby, the tiki torches and lush landscaping. This was hubby’s first time and he was in love too.

We did encounter an accident on I-4 so of course as soon as we got to the room, it was time to change for our 7:10 dinner reservations at Boatwright’s. I have never been to Port Orleans. It’s beautiful! The guard checked our IDs but, did not make us prove reservations. In the future I may try to pop over for the beignets. While waiting for our table, walked the shops and outdoor area. Saw two horse drawn carriages. The horses were ENORMOUS and so sleekly groomed down to French braided tails. Bonus daughter was so excited! It was nice to see her smile, we had to do some attitude correction with her earlier in the day. Teen attitudes are so much fun! Lol.

Our dinners were all wonderful! The cornbread and honey butter disappeared into those hungry teens’ faces as soon as it hit the table. Boatwright’s has a New Orleans theme. Aaron ordered the Big Easy Whisky Sour. OMGoodness. Nicely balanced cocktail with layers of flavor. Our table enjoyed the shrimp and grits, jambalaya, low country boil and blackened prime rib. We all sampled from each other. Most of us loved our food. (With 4 teens, you’re gonna have at least 1 apathetic reaction no matter how good it is.)

Damage for Day 1: $95 for parking, $65 for snacks/2 Universal Freestyle refillable cups, $350 for dinner at Boatwright’s in Port Orleans= $510.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Back to the Poly! Kids hit the pool. Hubby and I watched the fireworks from the pool deck. Everyone was exhausted and happy to return to bed to get ready for Day 2.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Day 2: waking up the teens.

DH and I are early birds by nature. We were both awake at 5:30. I quietly made coffee by iPhone light and we discussed our plan for the day. The kids at dinner all talked about what they wanted to try the next day. Bonus son and daughter had never ridden a real roller coaster and were somewhat hesitant. But last night, my boys had them talked into it. They were in for Hulk and Hagrid’s. So, IOA it would be.

Got everyone moving and out the door by 8:00 with Uncrustables in hand to be at the park before 9 am open. Again, parked at Portofino. There were lines about 10 people deep when we scanned in. Hagrid’s was down! We headed to the Hulk. I held everyone’s things and stayed back to enjoy my Auntie Annie’s breakfast (that and Dole Whip are always on my to-do list). Here’s the crew on their way in!

They walked on and were done by around 9:20. Hagrid’s was still down! Doesn’t look like we’re going to see him this time around . Bonus son loved it, bonus daughter said it was a little too intense but, they all said it was fun and laughed at the picture that was taken. #blendedbonding

Next stop? After some debate and ride descriptions, my boys wanted to head back to VC. Bonus kids needed something tamer so we walked onto Spider Man which is next to Hulk. Then, headed to Kong. Hubby always thinks of his Nana who helped raise him when walking through Toon Town because she loved Betty Boop. Little sentimental moment there.

At Kong, we waited for the posted 35 minute wait. We enjoyed it! Next stop? Churro time! Then to Jurassic Park. Wait times were climbing. When we got there it was about a 30 minute wait. Bonus son and daughter don’t have theme park line stamina yet! They thought that was forever. Lol. But they loved it. Bonus son thought Jurassic Park was scarier than the Hulk! He said the fall felt like it lasted forever. The group photo was hilarious. Hubby and I were laughing and his kids looked like the grim reaper was at their door. We all shared a chuckle.

We decided to look at Hogsmeade and possibly try HP Forbidden Journey. Bonus son saw the 60 minute wait posted and was done for the day. I dragged everyone to Honeyduke’s because, jelly babies and fizzy wizzies! Hubby and I got some yummies for our tummies. The kids were not willing to part with the spending money we gave them. But did try to get us to put candy for them in our bags! That was a nope. #unitedfront

The kids were getting tired and grouchy as were their parents. Back to the boat! But first, hubby mobile ordered Voodoo Donut. Our crew reunited (my boys rode Forbidden Journey, the train back to IOA for VC and Hulk again) and got back to the Poly (the right one this time) by 1:30 for more pool/rest time. FYI, once ordered, the “pick up” button doesn’t activate until you are in the store.

It was a relaxing afternoon until the siblings started to fight. Attitude correction #3 for the weekend occurred. We gave our biological kids $150 each for spending money with the caveat that complaints, insults or disobedience would result in a $5 fine. As we don’t have DH kids during the week, it can be hard to have effective consequences. This worked like a charm! Everyone had to be reminded of the fine once and only one kiddo lost $5 one time. It also eliminated begging and frivolous requests. We are calling that a win for our #blendedbonding adventure.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Day 2: we old.

When I was younger, I took my son and we theme parked all day, took a rest and went back for the night time fun. Now, I do not know how I did it! Hubby and I were feeling exhausted. We had our donuts and got the kids Dole whip swirls as a little extra pick me up and enjoyed pool time. I had a double mastectomy a few months ago so, was hesitant to get pool water over some areas where I had an infection. Brought some Tegaderm to protect those little spots and was able to enjoy that wonderful feeling of letting your legs float in water after putting in 10 miles of theme park steps. Oh, plus we had our Dole whips with Jack floaters. After two of those we forgot our feet were sore!

Time flies! It was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight was a 7:00 reservation at the GF Cafe. We got the crew together and walked to the TTC to take the monorail. Hubby thought it would be closer than the monorail stop in the Poly lobby. Ummmm, cue Bugs again. Another lesson learned! The kids were a little grumbly but, everyone kept it together. It’s hard to navigate so many new settings! The lobby is so grand. I was blown away by the fresh flower displays. Hubby sniffed them out to ensure they were not artificial. There was a pianist playing at the grand piano. It was perfect!

Our table was all about that beef. Except me. I had the pork shank. The boys had steak and fries, hubby had a gluten free burger and bonus daughter had the regular burger. The service was high end. Our servers checked on us consistently throughout our meal, clearing any little bits of trash with each visit. Hubby is gluten intolerant and we are just getting used to thinking about that. Disney has amazing service for food sensitivities. We were asked at both restaurants if we had any allergies. We forgot night one but, did speak up for night 2 at the GF. The servers explained that the kitchen is “shared” but avoids cross contamination and gave hubby an allergy friendly menu. He was brought a separate basket of GF rolls and they were actually good! He was pleasantly surprised.

We had a great dinner with hubby pulling out the stops to spark conversation (not looking at phones ) and share bad dad jokes and magic tricks. He took a moment to thank me for the time and effort I put into planning this weekend and the kids followed suit. Love this man so much! We rode the monorail back to the room. My heart flutters to see the castle at night! Not sure what else we viewed but it was colorful and beautiful. My quick snap does not do it justice.

Damage for the day: $95 parking, $25 for 2 Universal freestyle cup reactivations, $15 candy, $40 Dole whips, $325 dinner=$500

Total damage for the weekend. Day 1=$510, Day 2=$500, kids’ spending money=$445, tickets for hubby and his bio kids= $750=$2205. Made it under budget!

Bed time! Almost time to say aloha to the Poly!

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Day 3: aloha Poly!

#blendedbonding
#unitedfront

Was a great success. Hubby and I have been through some trials since we married 5 years ago. It is wonderful to be united with a true partner. Deployment, difficult exes, aging parents with declining health, two cross country moves, the pandemic, cancer yadda yadda yadda. We were thankful this weekend helped bring more unity to our family. We know God helped us this weekend! We love Disney and are grateful our kids are all raving about the amazing time they had.

Packed up, said aloha to the Poly and goodbyes to the bonus kids. Now, back home to our Gordy pup (who coincidentally hopped on the forbidden couch in our absence) and work tomorrow. Thanks for reading about our trip! Have a magical day!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Enjoyed your report. Sounds like a great success.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

Thank you for encouraging me to write this out! It was fun to think about all we did. Felt like a whirlwind in the midst of it. Cheers!

 

[KyLand]

I didn’t realize parking at Portofino was an option, thanks for the insight!

 

[Dotluvsdisney]

I didn’t realize parking at Portofino was an option, thanks for the insight!

We loved it! Much less walking. Nice to grab donuts or a snack right before boarding the boat.