Trip Report Shortest Retirement in History?

Justin Bieber lasted 2 weeks.

Tom Brady lasted 40 days.

I, Tuvalu, outlasted them both. Not by much, mind you. Yet if not for the encouragement of some forum friends - along with some unusual circumstances - you wouldn’t be reading this.

Unusual circumstances, you say?

Around Thanksgiving my beloved Woody learned his presence was required at a work conference. In Orlando. At Universal.
Just down the road from Walt Disney World.

Woody said I could accompany him if he drove (rather than flew) to Florida. And that we could leave a couple days early and have some Disney time together.

Well you don’t have to ask me twice!

I’d be on my own during the conference. Since the majority of Universal’s attractions don’t appeal to me, it didn’t make sense for me to buy Uni tickets when I could visit WDW for free with my AP. Being solo, I thought it might be fun to do a live trip report so y’all could be my virtual companions!

Turns out I won’t be alone while Woody is occupied after all. Some friends that you have seen in my previous TRs (and one you haven’t) have offered to play with me. I can’t wait!

 

[Tuvalu]

Temporary pause to celebrate Tuvaleen’s 6th birthday.

Where does the time go?

 

[donaldtoo]

“Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, time stays, we go…” ~ Henry Austin Dobson

 

[RememberWhen]

SIX?! Impossible. They get so big too fast!

 

[93boomer]

Temporary pause to celebrate Tuvaleen’s 6th birthday.

View attachment 779208

Where does the time go?

View attachment 779210

That cake is so cute. They grow up entirely too fast.

Miss Tuvaleen

 

[MinnieM123]

Temporary pause to celebrate Tuvaleen’s 6th birthday.

View attachment 779208

Where does the time go?

View attachment 779210

Wow -- Tuvaleen is six already?!! By the way, that's a beautiful Minnie cake, for the birthday girl !!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wow -- Tuvaleen is six already?!! By the way, that's a beautiful Minnie cake, for the birthday girl !!

I was hoping you’d like the cake!

Big sister Tuvalette is seven and a half. Both girls will be driving in the blink of an eye.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

Em and I left via the IG for lunch at our fave spot. Usual burger & chicken sammie. Decided to splurge for sundaes and vowed to eat only half of them.

I’m proud to say we kept our vow!

Headed back to Epcot.

Just after tapping in we saw Sleeper #2 - a barefoot 55+ woman snoozing, stretched out on a park bench in the shade. Perhaps she was homeless - like we currently were, as no room text yet.

We continued our tour around World Showcase. (Not gonna lie - I kinda missed riding on a scooter!)

In the Japanese garden When You Wish Upon A Star was playing on the xylophone (far left), powered by the water wheel. Very cool!

And I am happy to report that koi are back in the pond!

 

[Tuvalu]

Continuing our tour.

The smokestack in the train layout was puffing real smoke!

Betcha can’t guess where we were.

Okay, so that was easy.

Betcha can’t guess what’s missing here.

 

[93boomer]

Continuing our tour.

View attachment 779374

View attachment 779376

The smokestack in the train layout was puffing real smoke!

View attachment 779375

Betcha can’t guess where we were.

View attachment 779377

Okay, so that was easy.

Betcha can’t guess what’s missing here.

View attachment 779378

You would put one up where I’ve not been today.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

The Three Caballeros boat ride concluded our WS tour. We headed for GotG so that Em could ride with a less-full stomach.

We passed a woman sporting a hilarious tee:
If you’re going to be salty
Bring tequila

Some topiaries along the way ~

Our favorite!

Sure, you’re special. Go ahead and climb over the retention wall for a cushy seat in the shade.

I entered Guardians with Em to keep her company in the queue. Due to the ride’s earlier downtime, the wait was brutal - 65 minutes to the pre-show, 85 minutes total for Em’s experience.

We did encounter Sleeper #3 in the queue. A woman my mom’s age was dozing while on her scooter. I couldn’t blame her as the line had been stationary for a long time at that point. I was exhausted and ready for a nap myself. I couldn’t believe she was actually going to ride the coaster.

When I saw her at the exit (as I waited for Em), I’m sure grandma second-guessed her decision.

No ride photo, but we can be certain Em was looking upward to the right as always. For the first time ever she came off the attraction a little queasy.

It was also her first time riding to Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Coincidence?

 

[Zipadeelady]

It was also her first time riding to Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Coincidence?

 

[cgersic]

I was queasy the first time I rode it, something pretty unusual for me, and now I'm scared to ride it again. But I really have to, because I don't want my only time to be Conga - I want to Rule The World!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

I was queasy the first time I rode it, something pretty unusual for me, and now I'm scared to ride it again. But I really have to, because I don't want my only time to be Conga - I want to Rule The World!!!

I didn’t want my only time to be Conga either.

And while I would have loved Disco Inferno or I Ran the most, September was fun.

But I still came off queasy. So I’m a two and done!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

I finally received our POR room text while waiting in the GotG queue. And as much as I would have loved to head out of the park, we had an early dinner ADR which I was unable to modify (or cancel without penalty) because we were within the two hour window.

So Em and I had some time to kill.

Tuvalu and Em, you’ve just spent the last hour and a half standing in line - whatcha’ gonna do now?

Why wait in a 40 minute queue for Spaceship Earth, of course!

The smiles are for sitting down AT LAST.

What does our future hold?

Boredom. Clearly boredom.

 

[Tiggerish]

The one time I rode GotG, I was so occupied with screaming my dang fool head off, I didn’t even notice there was music playing, so I honestly can’t say which song it was.

I wasn’t queasy, but I’m not sure I need to do it again.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

We explored more of World Nature before dinner.

Anyone care to guess what this giant umbrella thingie is?

No?

I’m feeling generous.

New 'Forces of Nature' acrobatic show debuts at EPCOT

New 'Forces of Nature' acrobatic show debuts at EPCOT

www.wdwmagic.com

Too bad the shows had already ended for the day.

We were able to check in at the restaurant a few minutes early and put in our server request.

La Hacienda for the win!

Em has a new favorite margarita. It surpasses her former Mama Melrose fave.

She called it “very smooth.”

We shared the chips and guac (both excellent) and each ordered the Ensalada Hacienda (Em added chicken) as our main, since we’d had that big lunch - with sundaes - at Beaches & Cream.

You can imagine our reticence when our server surprised us with complimentary Dulce de Leche ice cream!

Not one dish to share, mind you. We each got our OWN dish.

We ate as much as we could to be polite. And crossed our fingers that all that lactose would not come back to haunt us.

 

[MickeyCB]

@Tony the Tigger @MickeyCB @RememberWhen

Where are you guys?!!!

View attachment 776788

Awww miss you guys, hope you had fun!

 

[krause]

I was hoping you’d like the cake!

Big sister Tuvalette is seven and a half. Both girls will be driving in the blink of an eye.

WILD that I’ve been following your stories for over SEVEN and a half YEARS! Sheeeeeeshhhh. I’ve had a second baby and a divorce in that time frame.

Some day I will be meeting you and you’ll be saying “my long time follower @??? (I shall change my last name and therefore my handle when my divorce comes through haha)” and I’ll snag a card of my own.

Love your stories as always and the non-retirement

 

[LeighM]

Am I the weirdo for actually hoping I get Conga for my first, and probably only, time riding GotG?

 

[Zipadeelady]

Am I the weirdo for actually hoping I get Conga for my first, and probably only, time riding GotG?