Trip Report The Tuvalu Chronicles ~ Chapter 25 *COMPLETED*

Welcome, welcome, welcome to my 25th trip report.

Over the past five years, I have loved chronicling my WDW adventures with fellow forum readers who share my Disney passion. Writing keeps the magic alive for me. Discussions that result from your comments are icing on the cake! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my posts. (And for those of you who have been following from the beginning ~ THANK YOU!!)

All my reports have been live, live-ish, or shortly-afterwards.....except one. In 2016 I wrote a retro TR detailing my first visit to the park that forever captivated my heart. You can read about it here. Or you can merely mock the photo below which is proof positive I cannot pull off wearing a hat.

Similar in style to last summer’s novel, this report will incorporate my June, July and August vacations. The ship has already sailed for a live report for June, but I may attempt some live updates in July/August. Or not.

Trip #1
Who: Tuvalu and Em
When: June 8-13, 2019
Where: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Did we meet the Wicked Queen? Who got shoved in the Haunted Mansion? Did the rain rain rain come down down down? Was there an attraction evac? Did one of us really cause a ride to shut down?

Answers to come!

(Special thanks to @krisri18 for another trip report title! )

 

[Loco_driver]

Did you know that the Shootin’ Gallery is free? We didn’t. Last time I was there I remember exchanging a dollar bill for quarters/tokens. But all the guns were operational and you could shoot at targets as long as you wanted.

I did not know this! I’ve always skipped over it assuming it was an additional up charge, I’ll have to check it out next time I’m down!

 

[Tuvalu]

The park was open until 10 pm and that was a definite negative for those of us with party tickets. Day guests could enter an attraction up until closing time, so the promised “low waits” for party goers did not materialize for 45 minutes to an hour after the party started. This was frustrating and definitely not fair. I had read anecdotal info about party guests being allowed to enter FP queues, but I cannot confirm.

Knowing that Em and I would need something to do after the fireworks ended and before the party started, I managed to snag a 9-10 pm FP for Jungle Cruise.

We had a punny Skipper:

“Underwater was my last boat, but it’s under water now.”
(As we passed the apes in the tent) “My friends are clearly discussing monkey business.”
“Look at that skullpture on your left.”

We survived our journey through the jungle and once we were back on dry land the party had officially begun.

We knew what we wanted to do first.

The line was INSANE. The entire queue.....before you even enter the building.....was full! I am certain the back-up was due to day guests and not just party-goers. There was no way we were wasting 30-45 minutes of our 3 hours of party time in line for Pirates. We would come back later.

(Only we never made it. But after reading @myhappyplace ‘s review of the special effects, we didn’t miss much.)

 

[Tuvalu]

“Let’s go ride Big Thunder,” Em suggested.

We had hoped to get in a couple rides since it is our favorite attraction to ride at night. The posted wait time was 25 minutes! Em then suggested we sample a couple of the complimentary treats while the wait time died down.

I have to give Disney props for the number of snack carts that were available during the party. There was even a cart in the 7DMT queue! Complimentary treats included ice cream, popcorn and bottled water and soft drinks. Over the course of the party I drank $14 worth of bottled water. That’s 4 bottles! (It was hot, I was thirsty...)

Em and I aren’t huge into popcorn but we certainly wanted to take advantage of free ice cream....if for no other reason than to try our very FIRST Mickey bar. That’s right folks, in all our visits over the years we had never had a Mickey bar!

We grabbed a Mickey bar and an ice cream sandwich and shared them.

We’ve eaten ice cream sandwiches and so we knew what to expect. This one had cookies and cream ice cream rather than vanilla. We thought we’d really like it, but it didn’t knock our socks off.

Neither Em nor I are particularly fond of vanilla ice cream, which was one of our aversions to trying a Mickey bar.

So what did we think?

Drum roll please......

Not only were we surprised at how much we liked it, but we wished we’d gotten our own! Neither of us realized that the hard coated shell was dark chocolate.....and c’mon, everything tastes better draped in dark chocolate (amiright, @NunuBelle?!) Em and I now “get” the Mickey bar obsession....we’ve finally been enlightened.

Why didn’t we get another?

It was too late to be eating more ice cream (said @Longers.....NEVER!)

 

[MinnieM123]

Neither Em nor I are particularly fond of vanilla ice cream, which was one of our aversions to trying a Mickey bar.

Em and I now “get” the Mickey bar obsession....we’ve finally been enlightened.

Tuvalu!!! After all your many trips to WDW, you've never actually tried a Mickey Bar until now??!!! I'm stunned, I tell you -- STUNNED, Shirley!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuvalu!!! After all your many trips to WDW, you've never actually tried a Mickey Bar until now??!!! I'm stunned, I tell you -- STUNNED, Shirley!!!

I admit to being embarrassed by that fact and almost didn’t have the courage to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

 

[myhappyplace]

Never had a Mickey bar?!

I don't care for vanilla ice cream either, but I just eat all of the chocolate off and throw the rest away...

And, no, you didn't miss much on Pirates.

 

[Tuvalu]

I don't care for vanilla ice cream either, but I just eat all of the chocolate off and throw the rest away...

Brilliant!

 

[Rista1313]

That’s right folks, in all our visits over the years we had never had a Mickey bar!

:: Faint :: huh?! What??? I can't even believe it... next you are going to tell me you have never had a Citrus Swirl!

 

[AKemily]

Em and I aren’t huge into popcorn but we certainly wanted to take advantage of free ice cream....if for no other reason than to try our very FIRST Mickey bar. That’s right folks, in all our visits over the years we had never had a Mickey bar!

Could not pick a reaction to this. Unbelievable.

 

[Nunu]

.....and c’mon, everything tastes better draped in dark chocolate (amiright, @NunuBelle?!)

Absolutely!

You know what? In all these years visiting WDW, I've had maybe just 2 Mickey Bars because I don't like the taste/smell of milk and even if it's vanilla, all I can taste is milk!
I remember gnawing at (or is it "nibbling" more ladylike?) the dark chocolate shell off, though!

 

[Swissmiss]

I admit to being embarrassed by that fact and almost didn’t have the courage to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

And this is why we like you - because we can count on you for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

 

[Nunu]

my goto late nite exit MK grub is a bucket of popcorn and a tall cold diet coke(in a cup with lots of ice)

well the coke is in a cuppa ice, not the popcorn

I love Disney popcorn!

 

[riverside]

The park was open until 10 pm and that was a definite negative for those of us with party tickets. Day guests could enter an attraction up until closing time, so the promised “low waits” for party goers did not materialize for 45 minutes to an hour after the party started. This was frustrating and definitely not fair.

The line was INSANE. The entire queue.....before you even enter the building.....was full! I am certain the back-up was due to day guests and not just party-goers.

Exactly how I felt when we the did after hours at HS.

 

[Tuvalu]

What??? I can't even believe it... next you are going to tell me you have never had a Citrus Swirl!

Correct! Only I have no shame in admitting that.

(I was the kid that hated creamsicles.)

But if it helps, Woody likes Citrus Swirls.

 

[Tuvalu]

Could not pick a reaction to this. Unbelievable.
View attachment 396629
View attachment 396630
View attachment 396631

I liked the ones you picked!

 

[Rista1313]

But if it helps, Woody likes Citrus Swirls.

As @Darstarr says... I'll allow it.

 

[93boomer]

“Let’s go ride Big Thunder,” Em suggested.

We had hoped to get in a couple rides since it is our favorite attraction to ride at night. The posted wait time was 25 minutes! Em then suggested we sample a couple of the complimentary treats while the wait time died down.

I have to give Disney props for the number of snack carts that were available during the party. There was even a cart in the 7DMT queue! Complimentary treats included ice cream, popcorn and bottled water and soft drinks. Over the course of the party I drank $14 worth of bottled water. That’s 4 bottles! (It was hot, I was thirsty...)

Em and I aren’t huge into popcorn but we certainly wanted to take advantage of free ice cream....if for no other reason than to try our very FIRST Mickey bar. That’s right folks, in all our visits over the years we had never had a Mickey bar!

We grabbed a Mickey bar and an ice cream sandwich and shared them.

View attachment 396541

View attachment 396544

We’ve eaten ice cream sandwiches and so we knew what to expect. This one had cookies and cream ice cream rather than vanilla. We thought we’d really like it, but it didn’t knock our socks off.

View attachment 396543

Neither Em nor I are particularly fond of vanilla ice cream, which was one of our aversions to trying a Mickey bar.

So what did we think?

Drum roll please......

View attachment 396542

Not only were we surprised at how much we liked it, but we wished we’d gotten our own! Neither of us realized that the hard coated shell was dark chocolate.....and c’mon, everything tastes better draped in dark chocolate (amiright, @NunuBelle?!) Em and I now “get” the Mickey bar obsession....we’ve finally been enlightened.

Why didn’t we get another?

It was too late to be eating more ice cream (said @Longers.....NEVER!)

Now you have to get a Mickey bar every trip!!! A trip is not complete until you have one!

 

[Ears to Disney]

Did you know that the Shootin’ Gallery is free? We didn’t. Last time I was there I remember exchanging a dollar bill for quarters/tokens. But all the guns were operational and you could shoot at targets as long as you wanted

It is?!?! That is awesome to know! We always have considered stopping in for a few shots but we always thought you had to pay for it as well!

Em and I aren’t huge into popcorn but we certainly wanted to take advantage of free ice cream....if for no other reason than to try our very FIRST Mickey bar. That’s right folks, in all our visits over the years we had never had a Mickey bar!

WHAAAAAA??????? LOL! So glad you enjoyed the Mickey Bar!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Thursday, con’t

We finished our ice cream (the Mickey bar for sure; I think we threw away what remained of the ice cream sandwich) and went to get in line for BTMRR.

The sign said 20 minutes and we waited a full 20 minutes. A re-ride would not be happening.

We did get to appreciate some elements in the queue while we waited. I found this sign amusing.

We got the last car, though not the last row. But we got to experience the extra whipping in the back, so it was a stellar ride!

 

[Tuvalu]

I mentioned that we did not choose the party for the Villains but there was one offering I was very excited about and we happened to catch it by accident!

After BTMRR, we decided to head for Haunted Mansion. Off in the distance we spotted this ~

We picked up our pace and followed alongside Maleficent until she made the turn at Liberty Square.

Seeing her spew flames at night was really cool! Ominous music played during her trek and the creepy stilts performers led the way.

It was a highlight of our night!