Disney World---Polynesian Pool Pining...

Today's post is dedicated to pining for our times at Disney's "other" theme park in Florida, and, more specifically, the Polynesian Resort.
Even more specifically, I pine for the Volcano Pool and its white sand beach overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon and the majestic Cinderella's Castle.
These photographs from our last trip (alas two long years ago) pre-date the global economic collapse. The five of us were able to fly east. We checked into the Polynesian in mid-June 2008. A dig through the Jungle is 101 archives will turn up a report from our trip back then. Happily, we received an unexpected upgrade to a Concierge level room as part of the Year of A Million Dreams promotion or something like that.

This meant wine, cheese and beer in the evening and free cereal and coffee in the mornings. It meant a lagoon view room in the Hawaii longhouse. It meant a short walk to the Volcano Pool.For an Adventureland and Tiki fan like me, the Polynesian and its grounds are a true paradise.

Hawaii is nice, but last I checked it has no FastPasses and is utterly devoid of any semblance of a Disney theme park. There is no Monorail on any of Hawaii's islands that can whisk you to EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom. Such a luxury can only be found at the Polynesian, nestled as it is near the Transportation and Ticket Center ("TTC") and also along the Magic Kingdom Monorail track.But the Volcano pool is its own mini destination. It shimmers with crystal blue waters along its own white sand beach. It has a water slide that goes through a volcano. It is a dream for swimmers young and old alike---but especially five and ten year old daughters and a 13-ish son. When the Florida heat and humidity took it out of you by mid-day, the Volcano pool was a Monorail ride away, where you could splash, hot and tired, into a cool, tropical dream come true.

Oh. And it has the Barefoot Bar.

A Mai Tai with a float of 151, please. Keep the change.

Dear Volcano Pool:

I miss you.
Wish I were there.
With an umbrella firmly planted in the pineapple wedge at the edge of my drink.
Write if you get a chance.
Better yet, just wave.

Fondly,

Mike

And to close out today's post, here is a shot of a humidified former skipper, lost in a far off corner of an Animal Kingdom in 2008.
A flash of photographic proof that you can take the skipper out of the jungle, but you'll never get the jungle out of the skipper.
Nice outfit.
Heck, all it needs is a name tag and a boat.

Stay fabulous, readers (or at least stay awake),

---Mike