Trip Report 2 broke guys and the 40% off trip (deluxe!)

Yes, yes, I know we just got back. We went in the middle of December, then again for Christmas, then again in the middle of January, and now - our third month in a row…

When: Feb 2-4
Where: All-Star Music, and All-Star Music (you’ll see.)
Who:

Tony

And Brian

Wait, wait - that’s not right. Pretty close, but not right. Let’s try again.

Tony

And Brian

OK but those were reject “blooper” pics from our last TR. Here’s one where we’re overdressed:

That’ll do.

And…Mickey.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

View attachment 864701

Tommy Bahama. Know your brands.

Honey, I get Tommy Bahama on clearance at Beall’s.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

There's a nana bread in my freezer.,,just sayin

LMK when to send it!!

I almost mentioned your (heavenly) banana bread in contrast to that poor, dried out croissantenstein!

My bday is in August. My persistent belly is currently annoying me.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Next morning:

Turns out, I did not wake up hungry, so my salad with grilled chicken remained intact.

There had been talk the night before of rope dropping. This is something I rarely do, and only do without Brian. He would never get up that early. (Actually, he would, if I asked. I wouldn’t ask. )

My issue with that would be leaving the hotel so early, and being “stranded” all day. In another solo TR, you may recall I went early to Epcot one morning, arrived back at my room a few minutes before 11, and they were already cleaning my room and going through my things.

I decided if I woke up early enough, I’d try for late checkout, and would go to the parks early with time to come back.

As it happens, I woke up at 6am, which used to be the magic time to call Mousekeeping for late checkout. There is no button for Mousekeeping or Front Desk on the phones anymore. I called “Disney Services” (apparently offsite?) who told me they would call my hotel and ask. Within 30 seconds, they told me no.

I asked what if I paid extra? Is that a thing? They said once you get past 3 or 4pm, you pay for a full night, but something paid might be available before that time, and my front desk would call me.

I had low expectations because last visit, front desk never called back. At 6:30, FD called and said the morning shift would have to make that decision, and they’d be in around 7:30.

A little after 8, FD morning shift called and said “there is no pay until 4pm available today,” but she would let me stay until 12:30 at no charge.

I was thrilled with that. I believe it’s the latest late checkout I’ve ever gotten.

I texted @Tuvalu : I got late checkout but I’m too late for rope drop! (Cue dramatic music.)

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Tuvalu’s reply was: no you’re not, we’re on the boat!

Can we go back a moment and ask: is paid late checkout up to 4pm a thing? Because those phone calls made it sound like it was a thing.

Anyway, since I had low confidence in a yes, I still needed to shower before making a mad dash to MK. While I didn’t make 8:30am early entry or 9am rope drop, I actually did arrive at 9:10am - and there was no line to get in.

I was to meet my friends at the Haunted Mansion asap.

While I thought I was making quite impressive time, in comes this text:

“To quote Richard Marx - I’m right here waiting for you.”

I sent back a quick photo to show how close I was:

Not my best pose, but hey, I was speed walking!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Ta-da!

Even though they had already experienced the attraction once, they went on again with me! It was practically a walk-on. Hey, this early stuff isn’t bad!

I stood “dead center.”

Em rode solo, and I rode with Tu. The conversation within our Doom Buggy is privileged (and some practically x-rated.)

We “cheated the system” so you could see our pic.

Great start to the morning! What’s next?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I mentioned Peter Pan since it was nearby and often a long wait. It was 30 minutes, meh. Also showing 30 minutes was Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (which I’ve only ridden once before) and seemed more worth the wait.

It wasn’t even that long. As we approached the loading area, @TrolleyFollower91 pointed out it had only been 16 minutes. #morningstuff

Since I had ridden with @Tuvalu in the Doom Buggy, I’d ride with Em on the log flume.

And since Tuvalu was walking in front of us…you guessed it…she got the front row - all to herself. Any splashing coming our way would break on Tuvalu before hitting us.

It began all nice and sprinkly, or as they say on the interwebToks:

How it started:

How it’s going:

This poor woman! The things she does for Disney!

 

[Tiki Traveler]

“To quote Richard Marx - I’m right here waiting for you.”

A Richard Marx quote! Has he ever done an Epcot concert? If Rick Springfield and Taylor Dayne are regulars why not Richard??

Also, did you even find out what the spritz on the Citrus Old Fashioned was?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Tu and Em mentioned they needed to visit the restroom. I didn’t even know there was one nearby. I was on my phone, following behind them, when suddenly I noticed toilets - and women - and said out loud, “Where am I? OMG I was just following them, sorry!”

And I walked out of the ladies room.



I forget if that was reason number 1 or 2 for what became another running gag of “things Tony did to get kicked out of Magic Kingdom” that day.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

A Richard Marx quote! Has he ever done an Epcot concert? If Rick Springfield and Taylor Dayne are regulars why not Richard??

Also, did you even find out what the spritz on the Citrus Old Fashioned was?

I never did!

Could it have been a potpourri spray?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I probably should be working right now, but let’s carry on.

My “hat” matches my shirt!

I may be forgetting something here(?) but I believe we split up at this point. The ladies had a LL for Tron. I suggested I’d go on CoP “This is a 20 minute ride” and we’d meet up after.

After CoP, it was already 11:15. Something told me not to chance it, and to start heading back. Good thing, because by the time they had ridden Tron, I was already on the bus back to ASM. I was in my room by around 11:50, and enjoyed my salad with grilled chicken.

Actual time exiting the room after packing up Kylie’s Mickey and everything else: 12:31pm. Yup - good thing I left the park when I did!

But there was still half a day left! Where to next?

 

[Tuvalu]

I walked out of the ladies room.



I forget if that was reason number 1 or 2 for what became another running gag of “things Tony did to get kicked out of Magic Kingdom” that day.

Em just said, “The bathroom was #2.”

 

[Tuvalu]

I may be forgetting something here(?) but I believe we split up at this point.

Peoplemover!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Peoplemover!
View attachment 864834

I knew I’d forgotten something! Peoplemover - and the gym!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Peoplemover!
View attachment 864834

Notice on my phone is Brian texting good morning - while we’ve already done 400 attractions! #morningstuff

 

[Tony the Tigger]

To correctly (this time) recap:after Tiana was the ladies room, then Peoplemover, then CoP (solo)

Never noticed this little sliver you can squeeze through to get into the back row and away from people! Then came the announcement, “We ask that you please remain seated…”

Reason number 367 for Tony to get kicked out of MK today.

Puppy!

…then back to the room to check out, passing Stitch hosting limbo.

Naturally, my next bus was to HS. There’s more than one Shirley on this trip.

This is unusual, but my Julie was working a Friday morning shift! And as usual, I take an unflattering picture of her rather than bother to ask her to take one with me lol. I guess that backfires every time.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Per usual, I made new friends who now follow me on Instagram lol. Per usual, I stayed too long and drank more than expected. Per usual, I bought shots for my new “friends.” They were a gaggle of gays from Seattle, and it was pride month, after all. At one point I said to Julie: “just pointing out, this is a gay bar now.”

She shot back, “Except for this guy, he has a wife.“

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I thought I had just enough time to make the villains show, but I took too long to find it. I was four minutes late, and the next show was 26 minutes away. That would have made me late for dinner!

I checked out the wait time for tower of terror, briefly got in the line, and realized there wasn’t time for that, either.

Amidst all this, I had both a business call and a telehealth call, and I booked Cali Grill for a la carte dinner at the bar. @riverside had reservations there at different times, and @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 would be dining at the QS area. Yet another possible, almost accidental but kinda on purpose Magic Meetup!(?)

All I had to do was get on a bus to CG, right?

Right?

Cue dramatic music again…

 

[rshell68]

 

[Tuvalu]

Naturally, my next bus was to HS. There’s more than one Shirley on this trip.

Excuse me??

You may have another special lady friend. But there is only ONE Shirley.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

More Pride stuff I didn’t buy on my way out of HS. (Hey, I’m picky.)

But I’m glad it was there.

Now that I think about it, I may need that droid.

All I had to do was look at the big board and see which bus stop was for the Contemporary - but I didn’t see one. My first thought was, “Oh, duh, the monorail goes through the contemporary - not a bus” completely forgetting how many times I have not only parked at but taken buses from the Contemporary. I took the bus to MK.

I walked a bit and could see it from where I was standing, so I just started walking towards it. As I got to just about where I just needed to cross the street, some security dude rushed out to yell that I can’t do that. I asked nicely how to get to the Contemporary from there, and he continued yelling to go back the way I came. Any other word out of my mouth was met with the same rude yelling. Apparently (?) it was unsafe to walk the next 30 feet, so that made it safe to walk back the much longer unsafe way I came? So, nice Tony went away, and Jersey Tony took over.

Then I got on the first bus I saw, and figured wherever it went, I’d Lyft from there. Who knew how far away the Riviera was by bus? Probably everyone reading this except Mr. No Sense Of Direction. I took the bus all the way there, and then all the way back to MK, at which point I remembered I’d find the monorail after going through security.

Did I mention I had some drinks at HS? And did absolutely nothing else?

I arrived for my 5:20 ADR promptly at about 5:50. To my relief, I was seated at the bar, had my maple old fashioned and wontons in a few moments…and ordered the fantabulous lamb.

So, so glad I ordered that lamb.

No idea why I took this picture.