Frustrated, Incorporated.

I've written several posts from my beloved Droid, but it appears they have not posted.  That's okay, I will just have to re-live our most recent trip as I re-write them.  As a random nerdy-girl aside ... Blogger is a Google product.  My Droid, although made by Motorola, runs Android (another Google product).  So, pray tell, why can't I post properly to my Google blog with my Google phone? 

OK, end of rant.  On to the important stuff.

I'm having a serious case of MTM today.  You know, Missing The Mouse.  I long to relax and people-watch at the International Showcase this afternoon.  The dole whip from Orange Leaf is lovely, but it's not the same as eating it on the Polynesian beach.  And oh, how I'd love to listen to my daughter's delighted squeals while riding Expedition Everest today.

Alas, living in Ohio has certain drawbacks.  And by "certain drawbacks", I mean ... it's not Orlando.

So, I'll have to cure my MTM and re-write my posts.  Sit tight - I have a lot to say.

I have seen heaven, and its name is Orange Leaf.

Really. Orange Leaf.

Let me back up a second here.

My love for Dole Whip is legendary.  I have an unnatural obsession with the frozen pineapple goodness.  One of the things I love most about the Polynesian is the dispenser at the Polynesian.

So, when I was so sad that I had to leave the Dole Whip behind, I vowed to find a way to get some of that frozen deliciousness for myself.

Would I have to order some from Hawaii? If I did that, I'd have to also buy an ice cream maker and make it myself.




So, seeing as how that isn't the optimal thing to do (but another month without my "fix" would have made it very necessary), I set out to find something similar.  Little did I know that the magical elixir that haunts my dreams would make an appearance in a most unexpected way.

See, my Panda is a gamer.  Like, to the point where he has Xbox jammy-pants that are threadbare (and essentially shredded in places).  So we often frequent our local GameStop for midnight releases of video games.  The most recent release, Halo: Reach, wasn't the most fun at our usual location.  So we sought another location to patronize.  We happened upon the Kingsdale branch, and realized we were home.  So, for the next release (Medal of Honor), we pre-ordered and picked up there.

Upon arrival, we had about 40 minutes to kill before midnight.  So we walked around the recently renovated plaza and looked at the new stores that we haven't patronized yet.  One was very curious ... it was called Orange Leaf.  A quick zip of the Droid revealed that it was a wonderful soft-serve frozen yogurt place.  Curious, I looked to see what flavors they offered. And there it was.

Dole Pineapple.

**squee**

I nearly fainted.

Seeing as how it was nearly midnight and this mecca of deliciousness was closed ... we vowed to wait until we had the kids (and time) to go investigate.  We went tonight, and BOY am I glad we did.  It was an awesome experience, and I got my "fix".  Everyone wins!

Now, the pineapple they offer at Orange Leaf isn't the creamy sensation that Disney has.  It's more of a citrus sorbet type substance than a creamy "whip".  I'm fairly sure that Disney's pixie-dust laden version is some sort of proprietary production method that whips more air into the raw mix than Orange Leaf does ... and I'm also not entirely sure that said Disney method doesn't involve Tinkerbell and a certain feeling of "if I tell you, I'll have to kill you."  But oh.  The Orange Leaf version?  A very acceptable substitute.  In fact, it was nothing short of amazing.

Here's my concoction.  It was delicious soft serve with raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, and the trademark orange shovel.

I'm now wondering if it's socially acceptable for me to show up there again tomorrow.  Maybe I can wear a disguise.  Maybe I can just pay one flat fee, put my head under the dispenser, and pull the lever.  A wise kitteh once said it best:  OM NOM NOM.

If lovin' the Poly is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

In the past, when visiting The Most Magical Place On Earth, I've stayed off-site.  Last year, my daughter and I stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort.  CBR was lovely ... it was peaceful, even though it was crowded; it was clean and a happy place to be.  We made some lovely memories.

But this year?  I've discovered the most wonderful, peaceful, beautiful, MAGICAL place on the planet.

Disney's Polynesian Resort.

In the past, I was one of "those people".  You know, the "I don't care where I lay my head, I'll be too tired to care anyhow" types.  The whole "It's a hotel room.  I can save a lot by staying someplace cheaper per night" thing.

Ha.  Ha HA ha. 

From the moment we arrived on Magical Express, I was taken aback at the sheer beauty and comfort of the Great Ceremonial House (the main area).  Upon check-in, the cast members behind the counter treated me as if it were the most lucky thing EVER to happen to them, that I came there to visit.  Unreal.

And then, after we checked in to our room, I captured this magical moment:

That's my daughter, on the balcony, just taking in the magic of the volcano pool. She was amazed.  She was even more amazed at the Dole Whip machine at Captain Cook's (the counter service place that we frequented with our resort mugs and a never-ending quest for sweet tea).

Over the week, we fell more and more in love with the Polynesian.  The grounds are stunning, the cast members are amazing (especially our awesome Mousekeeper, Novlet), and the proximity to the monorail was the cherry on top of a lovely week together.  My daughter now refers to it as her "happy place" ... and I'm quite apt to agree with her.

I'm honestly so in love with the Polynesian that I'm currently stalking the prices for ESPN: The Weekend to see if I can sneak in a little Mommy And Panda Magic trip. 

So, I have this little problem.

I'm hooked.  Hooked on Disney.

My poor sweet husband, who is known as The Sad Panda (or just "Panda"), puts up with an inordinate amount of what he calls "mouse talk".  So I figured that I'd save his brain matter from being bombarded with talk of The Mountains, or where we should eat next time we go, or how much I can't WAIT to go to Orange Leaf and get some Dole Whip.

Poor guy.

Anyhow, I figured that if I had my own little corner of the web, I could share my Disney love with those who might actually enjoy reading it.