Trip Report Tu in ‘25 *COMPLETED*

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise
Tu in ‘25

These lyrics came to mind when I thought about my trip reporting. (I also thought, Here we go AGAIN but the above sounds much more poignant.) It’s now that time of year when my Disney trips are frequent. And this Disney Senior loves sharing her visits with y’all because your engagement makes it fun!

Yes, there will be stuff that’s the same. Yes, there will be surprises (too soon for the reveals). And yes, there will be sun rises!

Spring break countdown is at 4 days.

Since this intro needs a picture, here are Tu.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, November 17

I had a very rough night. Sleep was elusive (although I can’t blame that on noisy neighbors) and I felt off. It wasn’t until I first spoke to Woody - and a gravelly voice sprang forth from my mouth - that I suspected I might be coming down with something.

Can’t blame the Disney Petri dish - I’d been on property less than 18 hours. However I had been in close contact with germy Tuva Grands right before our trip (and would later learn that all 3 were sick and had to miss school while we were at WDW.)

We had a slow start to our morning but I felt well enough to go to the parks, in spite of my voice (which I would lose by the end of the day.) We had a park reservation for MK, but during my sleeplessness I’d seen online that John Stamos had performed with The Beach Boys at Epcot and would be doing so again tonight. (I fully admit my crush on Uncle Jesse and once waited a couple hours with Em to hear him narrate the Candlelight Processional.)

I asked Woody if he minded we switch parks to Epcot and of course he said no, even after hearing the reason. I’d read that Regal Eagle offered a same-day dining package for the Eat to the Beat concerts on a first-come first-served basis when the restaurant opened at 11:45 am. I told Woody we could get to the restaurant early and get in line so we could be guaranteed a seat for one of the shows.

We hauled our belongings to the car and said goodbye to All Star Sports - forever.

Upon entry to Epcot the park felt busier than usual for morning, but we managed to make our way through former Future World and onto the World Showcase promenade. A line had already begun forming near the water for guests willing to wait standby for the first Beach Boys show at 5:30 pm — nearly 8 hours away!

So while I was expecting a line at Regal Eagle, I was surprised there wasn’t one. Though the restaurant would not open for awhile, there was a Cast Member stationed outside the door along with a sign stating that the dining package was already sold out!

How can that be? was my first thought and the question of each guest that approached him. The CM explained that Regal Eagle gets “unsold” occupancy from all the table service restaurants with dining packages. Since all TS DPs were sold out for tonight, Regal Eagle had nothing to offer.

My brilliant idea wasn’t so brilliant after all. (And @DisneyDreamer08 while you may have entered Epcot unknowingly today, I was fully aware of the choice I had made! )

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

Woody and I still wanted to lunch at Regal Eagle but we had time to kill first. Epcot had a few holiday decorations in addition to the big tree, one of which was the America tree.

As you can see it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a nice stroll to France. Remy had just switched from 3D to 2D and I wanted to see if I could now ride without motion sickness.

Standby was posted at 45 minutes but we waited closer to an hour. In hindsight I’m not sure we would have made that choice.

While I could tolerate the 2D without awful queasiness, there were still moments (when our rat vehicle moved up and down) that I felt woozy. Woody said he felt the same even though he doesn’t remember having any issues when the ride was 3D.

Neither of us needs to do it again.

We then backtracked to America for lunch.

Brisket sandwiches for the win.

Tu, what’s at the bottom of the tray?

I’m so glad you asked! It’s the best Disney treat that I’ve had in recent memory - a s’mores bar.

Now this is not the same yummy s’mores brownie that was previously featured at Regal Eagle. This one ups the ante to a whole nother level!

While served cold, this is not an ice cream bar. I can’t describe what the filling is (and the menu description is no help) but it tickled my taste buds to the point that I regretted having to share it with Woody. Next time I’m getting my own!

 

[Swissmiss]

The description says it has meringue - very popular over here but I suspect less frequently used in the States. Was the inside crumbly but crunchy and airy?

 

[Tuvalu]

The description says it has meringue - very popular over here but I suspect less frequently used in the States. Was the inside crumbly but crunchy and airy?

I recall it as more smooth and creamy.

 

[lindawdw]

Finally caught up with your latest postings! We've only stayed at All Star Resorts once, but it was a one and done for us. We did enjoy our many years of stays at Pop Century though before buying into the DVC. I heard about the crowds in Epcot for the John Stamos show! Your meal at Regal Eagle looked delicious and now I have to try that Smores dessert in January!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

I have to try that Smores dessert in January!!!

We’ll sneak away for girl time.

 

[lindawdw]

We’ll sneak away for girl time.

Definitely!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

Since we had rushed past the countries on our clockwise walk earlier to get to Regal Eagle, we took our time on the way back. While I’d like to say it was a romantic stroll, the reality is the sea of humanity forced us to slow down. The standby line for Beach Boys had grown wider, taking up valuable promenade space. The line for Frozen Ever After had spilled out on the promenade as well. But it wasn’t hot or humid and there was a breeze so our temperatures stayed in check.

I did insist on going inside Mexico. The pavilion is even prettier during the holidays.

We did join the outrageous line for Gran Fiesta Tour. It moved quickly.

Standby for Spaceship Earth was manageable so we did it before leaving the park.

Still trying to figure out how we went from the Great Wall of China to outer space.

@radiorae the album today was Wizard of Oz. I figured it would be since Wicked: For Good was premiering on Friday.

 

[lindawdw]

I heard that the World Showcase around the side was extremely crowded due to the Beach Boys/John Stamos performance line!!!

 

[mpaulam]

I love your top!!

 

[radiorae]

@radiorae the album today was Wizard of Oz. I figured it would be since Wicked: For Good was premiering on Friday.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

We left Epcot and headed to Wilderness Lodge. I had Woody drop me off in front while he went to park the car. I hurried to the Front Desk to check in and confirm the surprise I had arranged for him.

“Our room is not ready yet,” I said to him when we reunited in the lobby. “But here’s your birthday button.”

I imagine he was expecting we would hang out there until we got the room text. But he followed me without questioning when I suggested riding the elevator up to an overlook.

For those curious, NO - the resort was not decorated for Christmas. The CM had told me they did not know when it would be, as there is one crew with a specific work order - MK and DHS first (due to the parties), AK, Epcot, monorail resorts and then the rest of the resorts in random order that changes each year. The goal is to have all resorts done by Thanksgiving - which was still 10 days away. We had a five night stay.

The elevator doors opened on the 7th floor. “We can wait in the Old Faithful Club for our room to be ready,” I announced. Woody gave me a hug. He did not expect we’d be club level guests!

He helped himself to some cookies.

The DVC side of the Lodge was under scaffolding this month.

A little while later we got the room text. We went to see the room before retrieving our luggage. The concierge had left us some snacks and the signature chocolate totem pole. The refillable water bottles were new, replacing the small bottles of Dasani in the lounge cooler. Boardwalk club lounge had these bottles when my mother and I stayed there in January 2024.

We had a king room.

 

[Tuvalu]

Once we were settled Woody showered and I enjoyed some balcony time. I had told him earlier that I had no desire to fight the crazy crowds at Epcot to see John Stamos. (I was able to watch the performance the next day on YouTube.)

Instead we returned to the lounge for evening appetizers. Tonight’s offerings were tempting and delicious, substantial enough to serve as our dinner. (There were very few club guests during our stay so we did not feel guilty for helping ourselves to seconds!)

Since there wasn’t a MVMCP event, we took a sunset cruise to MK to see the lights.

A fellow guest offered to take our picture after the selfie.

The tree was pretty….

….if not a little crooked.

I do miss the Castle icicle lights. Simply put, projections are not as breathtaking!

Had to have a bird’s eye view from Tomorrowland.

Satisfied with our nighttime pop-in, we took the Main Street bypass to the exit.

We were back on the ferry in time for dessert. The chocolate hazelnut cupcakes were great!

 

[Tiki Traveler]

Finally! I’ve vicariously enjoyed every trip! Thank you for helping us Disney dreamers keep dreaming!

 

[Tuvalu]

Finally! I’ve vicariously enjoyed every trip! Thank you for helping us Disney dreamers keep dreaming!

Thank you for faithfully following!

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuesday, November 18

I awoke after another night of restless sleep. There was no doubt that I had developed a full-fledged cold. I medicated with symptom relievers I’d thankfully brought from home and went outside to watch the sunrise.

It was a beauty @littleroo and bat-free, @MissingDisney!

Once Woody was roused we went to get breakfast. My hopes that the Lodge had magically transformed into Christmas overnight were quickly dashed as I peered down into the lobby.

Breakfast was the egg, cheese and ham dish that I like (and real bacon, not the turkey stuff!) which overshadowed my initial disappointment of no holiday decorations and my pesky cold.

Woody and I caught the ferry in time to make early entry at MK. It was a party day and crowds were as low as I hoped they would be. Beautiful sunshine with a slight breeze made park touring perfect!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Ugh. I'm sorry you had to deal with being unwell while you were there.

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuesday, con’t

Absolutely no surprise that we would head to Fantasyland first. I was happy to see that Christmas decor had made its way past Main Street, as fall/Halloween decor had also done this year.

I was properly dressed to Arty Pooh!

Turns out Woody and I shared our hunny pot with another forum friend - although unknowingly, until I received this picture in a private message.

@DisneyDreamer08 and her daughter were sitting behind us. I was in such a fog that I never noticed. She had remained quiet as to not embarrass herself if it wasn’t Woody and me. Our paths have crossed on previous trips but this was the closest we’d ever been, and I was bummed to have missed the chance for a proper hello!

Peter Pan was posted at 40 minutes. We braved the line anyway….

….and waited 12.

 

[littleroo]

Love your arty Pooh tshirt!!! I am sorry that you had a cold but it seems you are making the most of it!!

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

I couldn’t resist buying that Pooh T-shirt, love it. And we had a similar experience waiting for Peter Pan the day before, wait time said 45 minutes but we pretty much walked straight through to the LL merge point.