robbalvey Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (edited) Walt Disney World kicked off their "Coolest Summer Ever" event with the 24 Hour Party over Memorial Day Weekend (Read our report here!) but there is a lot more to what is happening this summer than just that! We were invited to spend a couple of days at the Walt Disney World Resort, along with my friend Olaf, to find out more about what is happening this summer on property, and also be reminded how much fun the parks are and whether you are visiting for your first time or your hundredth, that you're going to have an amazing time! Kicking off in June will be another summer of "Frozen Fun" at the Hollywood Studios with new fireworks, an expanded parade, and more. Over at Downtown Disney there are new offerings such at The Boathouse with their "Amphicars" attraction. The Polynesian Village Resort has received some of the coolest looking upgrades we've ever seen at Walt Disney World, and there is just loads of fun to have all over the entire property! We'll do this report in several parts as there is a lot to see! So lets kick things off with Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and more! I know it sounds cliche, but even driving under this sign hundreds of times I still get a little giddy with excitement ! First stop! Checking into Animal Kingdom Lodge! I grabbed my media day credentials, my new pal Olaf, and we are off to start our adventures! We stayed in one of the standard rooms at the Animal Kingdom Lodge which are super nice! One of the most comfy beds you'll find at a hotel anywhere. Love the view! It's like a jungle out there! Since we were close by, we had some free time to check out the parks and Olaf suggested Animal Kingdom! Apparently Expedition Everest is one of his favorite roller coasters! Who knew? (Must be the snow on top!) I have a feeling that yeti is going to cause some trouble for us... A very familiar view from Expedition Everest! New video of Expedition Everest! Watch it in 60fps if your browser supports it! Yup, that yeti always making problems, ripping up the track, etc... After Animal Kingdom we headed down to Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) for the official grand opening of "The Boathouse." The funky and totally cool "Amphicars" are part of The Boathouse, but we'll get to those in a little bit... The Boathouse is a concept restaurant from Schussler Creative and managed by Chicago's Gibson Restaurants, known for some high-end dining establishments in that city. Some of the top brass from those companies, along with Disney came out to talk about the Boathouse and officially open it for us! The theming inside is absolutely incredible! Easily one of the nicest, most high-end restaurants at Downtown Disney. But how is the food compared to the atmosphere? Let's check it out... If you are a seafood fan, OMG, you will want to die for this! Olaf likes it because of all the ice! There were many dishes to keep any seafood fan happy! Banks Lee from Attractions Magazine says "I'm not a seafood fan! What else do they have for me! BANKS MUST EAT!!!" Well, Banks, you're in luck... "No! Not Greens! Banks wants MEAT!!!" And your wish is granted! This absolutely amazing "Tomahawk Steak" was some of the best meat we've ever had! It does carry a 5 price tag, but it's meant to be shared, although I'm not sure I want to! Pretty much ALL of the food at The Boathouse was just fantastic! Even this Mac N' Cheese literally melted in my mouth! Olaf is a little unsure about the Tomahawk steak because it reminds him of Sven, but he assured him that no reindeer were harmed in the making of this dish! Next up was the dessert! Ridiculous! But VERY tasty! I think my favorite part of The Boathouse's atmosphere was all the waterfront views. For years, Downtown Disney lacked great places to hang out and sit on the water, but all the new areas of "Disney Springs" are fixing that, including The Boathouse. The watercraft on display was also a nice touch! NOTED!!! "Walt's Dream!" Really cool, funky looking things which reminded me of something from a James Bond movie! Loved the bar on the water! This has already proved to be a very popular night time hang out spot! I'm sure whatever is in this barrel is going to leave an impression! lol It was just cool to see even some of the tables inside of real boats! Speaking of James Bond movies, let's take a closer look at the Amphicars. These are REAL vintage 1960s amphibious vehicles that can go from land to water in an instant! Our watercraft captain Gary, is going to take us for a ride! SKLOOSH! There we go into the water! There is just something SOOOO COOL about how this looks! Check out this video of what it's like to ride in an Amphicar! So cool! For you car geeks, here's a closer look at the inside of the vehicle. Gary says "Yup, I'm just driving a car in the water...nothing out of the ordinary!" Gary tells us that the front tires actually do steer the car in the water! There is no rudder like on a traditional boat! Crazy! (and yes, you can buy those rubber duckies in the gift shop!) From the Amphicars, you can get some spectacular views of Downtown Disney! You can see here the propellers in the back that help power the car in the water. Two thumbs up for the Amphicars! While they cost 5 for up to 3 people (4 if you have a small child), they were well worth it! What a fun, unique was to see Downtown Disney! Overall, we LOVE The Boathouse! This was the first of the big, main new restaurants to open as part of the new "Disney Springs" property and if this is a sign of what's to come, it's going to be AWESOME by the time it's all completed. Oh, and Olaf gives his approval as well! Part two coming soon! (thank you to Jack Crouse for the use of some of his awesome photos!) Inertiatic.nltrack This is what we called the "Ghetto Wild West Show." Yep, that's a quality show right there...fold-up chairs in the grass in front of the make-shift stage! Edited June 13, 2015 by cfc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 You had me at $115 steak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Oooooh this is going to be a fun report to follow! Really like what they have done with The Boathouse at Downtown Disney. I didn't check it out when I was there, but it looked great from the outside. And I must say that food looks fantastic! Really looking forward to see the pictures from "Frozen Fun" at Hollywood Studios! I know it sounds cliche, but even driving under this sign hundreds of times I still get a little giddy with excitement ! Oh I can totally understand that! I have only driven under it a handfull of times myself, but just thought of driving it under it again makes me feel like a little child again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthFan Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 You had me at $115 steak. Yeah all that meat looked amazing! Even though the fact its meant to be shared I don't agree with! I would have to eat that all to myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 ^The huge dessert didn't look too shabby, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cool Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Food looks awesome!! Love the boat table, awesome touch. Great report Robb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I don't even want to know how much that chilled seafood platter costs, but it does look delicious! The Boathosue looks pretty impressive, like that surprissing or soemthing. When that location was announced I thought it sounded a bit generric but looks like they really did a ncie job with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 President Lyndon Johnson owned his own Amphicar back in the 1960s. From Wikipedia: President Lyndon B. Johnson was known as an owner of an Amphicar. Johnson, a known practical joker, was said to enjoy frightening visitors at his Johnson City, Texas ranch by driving them downhill in his Amphicar, directly into his property's lake, all the while shouting that he had malfunctioning brakes. I wouldn't mind ride in one of them myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 The next stop for us was a look at the new upgrades for the Polynesian Village Resort. This has always been one of my favorite resorts on WDW and the upgrades have made it even better! Holy cow! The expanded pool area, the new Trader Sam's Tiki Bar and totally over-the-top Bora Bora Bungalows now make this one of the most interesting and best properties at Walt Disney World! Check out some photos & video: This is most certainly a tradition when coming to the Polynesian Resort! Check me out, I'm Hawaiian now! lol I absolutely LOVE LOVE the new entrance lobby area for the resort. It feels fresh, updated, but yet still keeping the traditional theme of the resort. First stop is Trader Sam's! This was a popular Tiki Bar at Disneyland Resort in California and Polynesian was the perfect place to introduce the location here at WDW. The detail inside the lounge is amazing! There are interactive elements in the bar depending on what drinks order. Trader Sam's serves food & drinks and you can get the same menu both inside the bar or outside on the patio. The patio overlooks the pool area and is also very well themed! Inside Trader Sam's...yes there is fire! Here are some of the themed drink glasses you can order. All of them are very fun... really detailed... And fit the theme perfectly! And just like Pokemon, you gotta get them all! Depending on what drinks you order inside the bar, sections of the theming come to life! You'll find little hidden easter eggs throughout the bar. Here's an overview. Such a cool place to hang out! The bar is small though, so come early to get a seat! Olaf feels that you cannot visit the Polynesian Village Resort without getting some Dole Whip. I agree! The new pool area looks FANTASTIC, but we'll get back to that later. The Bora Bora Bungalows really are the star of this new expansion! Now, i'll be honest and say they are VERY expensive, but if you have the means, OMG they are just over-the-top amazing! First off, they sit right out in the water and each one is your own private cabin. The artwork inside is themed to a tropical paradise. It's a small apartment suite including two full bedrooms. In the living room area there is a pull out bed as well so they can sleep up to 8 guests. But the view...OMG! THAT VIEW!!! The level of luxury is just nuts. I could hang out here all day! The view from the patio even looking at the other bungalows is great! There is a foot pool in the back so you can hang out here and watch the fireworks! Here's how it looks from the other buildings at the resort. Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle is your backdrop, and yes, they pipe in the Wishes fireworks music into your bungalow so you can get your own private viewing across the lagoon! The rooms are insanely details and well themed. And you can have a nice relaxing bath in here! The bathrooms include "TV in mirror" screens so you can watch Disney programming while you do your business. Just fantastic! More little Disney touches throughout the rooms. Beautiful! We highly recommend these new rooms for the *perfect* Walt Disney World resort stay! Here's another look at the new updated pool area. The pool is huge! Yes! The back side of water! And of course there is a slide. This new kids water play area looks awesome! Olaf agrees, this is the COOLEST way for a snowman to spend Summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Everything - looks - yummy. The drinks, too! And souvenir cups/mugs! Easy bankruptcy for me, right there, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I would definitely stay in one of those bungalows if I had the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 ^Likewise. Looks to be the nicest room on WDW property by a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Looking at these pictures and also having had a great look at the bungalows from the ferryboat, I would definitely love to stay there. Just need that lottery win to happen first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthFan Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Okay so I forgot to ask this earlier. Are you required to have such a magnificent moustache to drive the Amphicars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I would definitely stay in one of those bungalows if I had the money. Well, between you and me, and....six other people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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