Trip Report Whose Trip Is It Anyway?

It's mine. But it wasn't supposed to be.

The vacation to celebrate my <number redacted> birthday with my beloved Woody was supposed to happen at the end of January and included time with @lindawdw, @ajrwdwgirl and a few other forum friends. But a predicted ice storm and a couple other extenuating circumstances caused us to cancel our plans two days prior to departure.

This trip was supposed to be a belated birthday celebration for my mother during winter break for my brother's family. I was going to accompany her and assist with her mobility challenges. The day after we canceled my birthday trip, Mom announced she no longer wanted to go to WDW and insisted Woody take her place since the resort was already paid in full. (She did have several local celebrations on and around her actual birthday.)

Our airline tickets were refunded and since Woody prefers driving from Atlanta we added a couple nights to our trip. No spoilers yet, just a math problem.

Winter break + Presidents' Day + Mardi Gras + Lunar New Year + Snowbirds = A crowd collision of massive proportions

When: February 14-19, 2026
Where: Disney's Art of Animation Resort
Who: Tuvalu and Woody, with family introductions to come

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con’t

My dear Woody also persuaded me to buy LLSP for TRON.

“Isn’t it one of your favorites?”
Me: “Yeah, but…”
“Isn’t it your birthday celebration?”
Me: “Yeah…”
“Then why are we even having this conversation?”

Woody’s wisdom was much appreciated when we strolled past the very long standby line.

Once inside, the wait after the merge can be 15-20 minutes (even longer for those of us who like the front.) TRON is slow to load and I am always anxious that there will be a breakdown, making that boring wait even longer. (I’ve been burned before!)

Happily no breakdown today.

Although Woody said he was disappointed I didn’t ride hands-free.

I said I had already shown off in Little Mermaid. I didn’t need to do so again!

 

[Tuvalu]

Lunchtime!

The staff knew that Shirley was in the house!

Her status didn’t last long. Apparently she doesn’t tip enough to cover the cost of a private dining room.

“Wouldn’t you rather be looking out the window at the castle?” asked Woody.

Me:

We immediately switched seats. While I adore looking at my husband, it’s not every day I can have lunch with this view….

I kept my eyes focused heavenward.

Recent protocol has been order one turkey club and share it with my dining partner. Not as a cost savings, but as a “room for dessert” savings.

But Woody was hungry. (And he did give up his seat for me.)

So we ordered two of these bad boys.

Woody finished his. I ate half and deconstructed the other half, omitting the bread.

Then we ordered dessert.

At first I was disappointed not to receive the rest of my chocolate shake in the stainless mixing cup, which happened on my last visit.

However this shake was the thickest I’d ever been served - like barely soften some ice cream and scoop it into a glass. It was not at all sippable. I had to eat it with a spoon. I did not come close to finishing it.

Woody enjoyed his (smaller ) hot fudge sundae.

We waddled out of the restaurant.

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con’t

We browsed the Emporium before leaving the park for an afternoon break. It was odd to see this castle where the registers used to be. Wonder if it will be repainted to erase the pink, now that the original has returned to its former glory?

In the store I saw a pre-teen boy sporting a tee with these words:
I’m not arguing.
I’m explaining to you why I’m right.

(Memories of our own son came flooding back!)

Woody and I were heading out at just the right time. Tour group? No thanks!

Back at the resort we ran into E on our way past the pool. She and the kids were soaking up the sun and splashing in the water. “T’s in our room if you want to pick up your cookies.”

Ah, yes! I’d forgotten about my cookies. E and T had a morning date at Disney Springs. They were going to Gideon’s Bakehouse and I had given them money the other day for a couple of these little beauties:

I’m not a huge fan of Gideon’s other flavors but this one I cannot resist. And it is only available in the morning.

Woody went to our room while I knocked on TEAML’s door. T opened the door and we visited for awhile. My cookies were in their original wrappers but had been thoughtfully put by E into individual plastic bags to keep them fresh!

I noticed a Figment popcorn bucket on the table under the TV.

E had purchased it for my mom, who is a big Figment fan. He now has a permanent spot in her kitchen.

“Did you hear about all the ride closures at Epcot?” T asked me as we were chatting.

I had not, so I opened the app to see for myself.

Yikes! Woody and I had contemplated going to Epcot for dinner.

Now a change was in the works….

 

[lindawdw]

What a fun day at MK and a perfect lunch at The Plaza! Definitely a good move to avoid Epcot at night with all the closures!!! Woody is such a great guy encouraging you to buy all the LL's and switching seats at lunch!

 

[Swissmiss]

That is the first picture of a Gideon’s cookie that actually appeals to me.

 

[mpaulam]

“Then why are we even having this conversation?”

Woody is a smart man!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con’t

Can you believe this was the change to our plan, @Zipadeelady?

First visit of 2026!

TEAML was not doing AK this trip and we didn’t intend to either. But as I mentioned at the beginning of this TR, the theme for the week was go with the flow.

So here we were. And since we were, might as well pick up the latest AP magnet for Em. (At least it wasn’t raining!)

Remember I said that today’s LLMP ended up being valuable but not in the way I expected? I was able to book three additional LLs at AK which saved us a ton of time. (And we doubled the usage of the average Disney guest!)

We stopped to watch Kevin before our first attraction.

 

[Swissmiss]

@Zipadeelady AK is finally growing on Tuvalu!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Wednesday, con’t

Can you believe this was the change to our plan, @Zipadeelady?

First visit of 2026!

View attachment 913607

TEAML was not doing AK this trip and we didn’t intend to either. But as I mentioned at the beginning of this TR, the theme for the week was go with the flow.

So here we were. And since we were, might as well pick up the latest AP magnet for Em. (At least it wasn’t raining!)

View attachment 913608

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Remember I said that today’s LLMP ended up being valuable but not in the way I expected? I was able to book three additional LLs at AK which saved us a ton of time. (And we doubled the usage of the average Disney guest!)

We stopped to watch Kevin before our first attraction.

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@Zipadeelady AK is finally growing on Tuvalu!

Animal Kingdom for the win AGAIN!

 

[dumbo67]

Wednesday, con’t

My dear Woody also persuaded me to buy LLSP for TRON.

View attachment 913429

“Isn’t it one of your favorites?”
Me: “Yeah, but…”
“Isn’t it your birthday celebration?”
Me: “Yeah…”
“Then why are we even having this conversation?”

Woody’s wisdom was much appreciated when we strolled past the very long standby line.

View attachment 913430

Once inside, the wait after the merge can be 15-20 minutes (even longer for those of us who like the front.) TRON is slow to load and I am always anxious that there will be a breakdown, making that boring wait even longer. (I’ve been burned before!)

Happily no breakdown today.

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Although Woody said he was disappointed I didn’t ride hands-free.

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I said I had already shown off in Little Mermaid. I didn’t need to do so again!

May we all find our own Woody.

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con’t

To say I was thrilled to score a LL for Kilimanjaro Safari is an understatement. That is my favorite AK attraction and one I would make the effort to visit the park for. (Except in summer when it’s a gazillion degrees and most of the animals hibernate in covered areas!)

You never know what you might encounter.

Today we had a rare sighting of the jungle stroller bridge.

Like you @TheMouseFan (and @wdisney9000) Woody and I were assigned the front row of the handicap accessible Jeep. It’s the best place to sit for unobstructed views.

Let’s go!

Can you spot Lyle?

Camouflage at work.

The ostriches were minding their own business until one noticed our Jeep….

….and began to charge at us!

Trust me, a video would have been more dramatic than my still photo.

The zebras were fun, as were the cheetahs and goats at the end of our journey. The only disappointment was our vehicle bypassed the elephant area.

 

[Tuvalu]

We had a little bit longer before our next LL and noticed we were right in time for a show. It was Woody’s first time in forever. (I’m not sure the joke was intentional.)

We sat in the warthog section. It’s fun to watch the floats move into place.

The opening number is so powerful.

The little girl in me would have loved to be a tumble monkey.

But I’ll pass on playing with fire!

Woody said he very much enjoyed the show and was glad we were able to see it.

 

[Tiki Traveler]

Re: the ostriches, we were in the last row of a jeep stuck in a rhino standoff (Jan. 24 report) with two irritated ostriches around us. I had hoped the driver was paying attention to what was happening at the back of the jeep as well as the front!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con’t

Upon leaving FotLk we trekked from Africa to Asia.

Though I can’t ride Expedition Everest (because my two experiences right after it opened did not end well), I offered to wait with Woody in the LL.

New sights for me -

When we were next in line I informed the CM that I wasn’t riding and she escorted me to the exit. I stood in the area where you can watch the coaster rush out of the mountain and thanks to Woody’s burgundy shirt, I was able to capture him on board.

You’ll need to zoom in to see him.

Or you can just look at the ride photo.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Tu I'm happily following along, as we haven't been to WDW for a while now.
I wasn't able to ride Expedition Everest either because of the indoor backwards part. That made me sick and dizzy, so it was a one and done for me. AK was our favorite park in all of Disney

 

[Minnie1986]

Monday, con’t

It was time to say our goodbyes to C&N. Woody and I offered to walk out with them. I expected park commandos TEAML to remain but they said they were ready for a break.

We shared a gondola from DHS to the Caribbean Beach station.

View attachment 912067

Then we split up - TEAML to AoA, Woody and I to Epcot.

Oh, we planned to relax in our room for a bit - just not yet. There was a VIT (very important treat) that I was craving and the only place it’s available is in Epcot.


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This s’mores-loving gal is thankful that Regal Eagle BBQ incorporated a s’mores dessert on the menu. For its first few years the dessert was a S’mores Brownie.

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While good, it was very dense and very sweet and I was able to share it.

On last November’s trip I discovered the dessert is now a S’mores Bar. Based on my prior S’mores Brownie experience, I ordered only one for Woody and me to share.

It was love at first bite. I did not want to share it, but I did. I told Woody then and there next time I was getting one just for myself.

Today was next time.

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(And though I probably could have eaten both, one was his! )

We browsed the art exhibits from America to the International Gateway before taking the Skyliner back to AoA.

That s'mores bar looks AMAZING

 

[Minnie1986]

Tuesday, con’t

After leaving Norway Woody and I strolled towards Italy, admiring some of the art.

While Em is partial to anything It's A Small World themed, she said a $575 gallery wrapped canvas was a little out of her price range!

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All of these were great. Woody was fond of Goofy Singing in the Rain, and @Tony the Tigger I think you and B need Chip and Dale at Fort Wilderness!

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Upon arriving in Italy we headed to Via Napoli to see if the restaurant was accepting walk-ins. The take-out window at Pizza Al Taglio next door was mobbed and there were lots of folks milling around, so I didn't get my hopes up.

Much to my delight, Woody and I were seated at a table in the enclosed patio less than 10 minutes later. It certainly was a quieter location than the main dining room!

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This was our view -

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Behind us in a booth was a mother and daughter wearing matching tees that said Magic Tragic. While I don't know for sure, I assume it was their last day of vacation.

I smiled inside knowing we had 2.5 days left!

For us there are two musts at Via Napoli.

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Pinot Grigio and Frozen Strawberry Limoncello beverages

AND

a large Margherita pizza!

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It was the perfect lunch.

Behind us in a booth was a mother and daughter wearing matching tees that said Magic Tragic

The shirts are merch from a Disney/Orlando theme park based YouTube channel and website called "AllEars.net." They play a game called "Magic or Tragic," where they rate food, drinks, etc. as a "Magic" (something the person really likes) or "Tragic" (something the person doesn't like). I watched a bunch of their videos when planning my trip with S, since it had been seven years since my previous Disney World trip.

 

[Minnie1986]

Tuesday, con’t

Woody and I continued around World Showcase and eventually made it back to World Celebration/Nature/Discovery (madness! Can’t the front of the park revert back to one name?)

We saw this (early) topiary. Not sure which named section it was in.

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Woody and I killed some time in Creations Shop while waiting for TEAML. Everyone but me had a LL for Guardians. The girls were the first to arrive. M was carrying an adorable baby Eeyore plush that she had recently purchased.

“You won’t be able to take him on the ride,” E said, as M squeezed Eeyore tightly in a protective hug.

“But I did on the Donald boat ride!” M protested.

Auntie Tu stepped in. “M, I promise to take good care of Eeyore while you’re on the ride. He and I will be waiting for you at the top of the stairs.”

Uncle Woody asked me to hold on to his hat, which I promptly put on Eeyore. It was a true Kodak moment.

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Pretty sure M enjoyed saving the galaxy, as there appears to be a smile underneath the flyaway hair. Her brothers sure did!

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She was the first one up the stairs when the ride was over, still smiling. I immediately handed over Eeyore, my donkeysitting complete.

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Woody and T appear to be looking at whatever always captures Em’s attention on this attraction.

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Their song?

According to Woody, it was “Run.”

That Eeyore with the hat one picture just made my day

 

[Minnie1986]

We always got good food at the ABC Commisary over the years. Loving your TR

Same; I've yet to have a bad meal there. The buffalo chicken grilled cheese is my favorite.

 

[Tuvalu]

AK was our favorite park in all of Disney

That’s ok - we can still be friends!

That s'mores bar looks AMAZING

IT IS!! Already counting the days until my next one. Spoiler alert: 8 days.

The shirts are merch from a Disney/Orlando theme park based YouTube channel and website called "AllEars.net." They play a game called "Magic or Tragic," where they rate food, drinks, etc. as a "Magic" (something the person really likes) or "Tragic" (something the person doesn't like). I watched a bunch of their videos when planning my trip with S, since it had been seven years since my previous Disney World trip.

Thanks for the info. I was a years-long All Ears fan back in the day when Deb Wills owned it.