Trip Report A Jingle BAM Birthday! *COMPLETED*

*Sorry for the bump. This TR is from December 2016*

Let me begin by giving a shout out to all park commandos ~ those who arrive at the parks at opening and stay until closing ~ those who only use the hotel room to sleep and shower ~

We SALUTE you!!!!!

After a whirlwind 48 hours in the world, we have a new appreciation for the stamina of a park commando. We gave it our all and had a blast ~ though a third non-stop day would have likely killed us!

So do your warm-up stretches and prepare to join us on a quick jog through three parks as we celebrate the quarter-century of a wonderful gal named Em.

Cast: Tuvalu and TrolleyFollower91
Date: December 1-3, 2016
Resort: Coronado Springs

Ready, Set, GO!

 

[MerMom1981]

I think this is the 4th Trip Report you've written since we were both there in July. Meanwhile, I still haven't finished my one and only report.
You are a machine!!

And following along!

 

[MinnieM123]

I think this is the 4th Trip Report you've written since we were both there in July. Meanwhile, I still haven't finished my one and only report.
You are a machine!!

And following along!

Oh, didn't you know? @Tuvalu has sisters--they're triplets, and all named Tuvalu. They all trade off weeks going to WDW and writing their TRs.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Following along!

Happy Birthday and master's graduation to Em!

 

[MerMom1981]

Oh, didn't you know? @Tuvalu has sisters--they're triplets, and all named Tuvalu. They all trade off weeks going to WDW and writing their TRs.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[Tuvalu]

Thanks, friends for following along!

I have been trying for several hours to post pictures for this report without success. So I am throwing in the towel for tonight and hope to have better luck tomorrow.

I am on a deadline, you know.....returning home again in only 3 days!

 

[Scoppin]

Thanks, friends for following along!

I have been trying for several hours to post pictures for this report without success. So I am throwing in the towel for tonight and hope to have better luck tomorrow.

I am on a deadline, you know.....returning home again in only 3 days!

That can be very frustrating. Relieving to know not only rookies have difficulties posting. Hope the issue resolves itself when you attempt again.

I better not tell DS that you are about to make your 4 trip since we have been there. Not sure if he would be able to pick his jaw up off the floor. Or he may just ask if you could adopt him.

 

[PacNWTigger]

I better not tell DS that you are about to make your 4 trip since we have been there. Not sure if he would be able to pick his jaw up off the floor. Or he may just ask if you could adopt him.

Your DS would have to get in a LONG line for adoption by Tuvalu. I think the majority of us who read her TR's think adoption is the way to go!

 

[Doc Disney]

Well darn. There goes all my money. Just bought me and my husband a shirt! His will have to be part of his Christmas present

Ditto....just found like 10 shirts I wanted...

 

[Courtney6682]

TeePublic ~ sale going on now so you may want to check it out!

Thanks pal! I had to just close out of the site after a while lol...sooo many neat shirts! I chose 2 for her for Christmas.

 

[Tuvalu]

Thursday, con't

Our DME bus stopped at Art of Animation and Pop Century before dropping us off at Coronado Springs.

We did not have to stop at the front desk since I had done online check in. I'd received our "your room is ready" text at noon and couldn't help but laugh...of course the room is ready early since we don't need it to be!

The lobby area has a gorgeous tree.

Remember to always look up! Note the beautiful arches and light fixtures.

Em and I had been craving something sweet all day. Specifically the Oatmeal Carmelita dessert bar we had discovered last summer at the Pepper Market. We were so that there were none in the bakery case (and the CM working in the bakery had no idea what dessert bar I wanted even after I'd described it.) Em selected an M&M cookie instead.

Then I remembered the triple chocolate gelato in Cafe Rix that @Jess G told me about. I must try that! When I got to the counter I noticed toasted coconut gelato and decided to split my scoop into 2 flavors. The combination was heavenly . (But you must be a coconut fan....Em is not, so I didn't have to share!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Trying to find your room at an unfamiliar resort in the dark can be a bit of a challenge. We set out for Cabana 9A, feeling like rats in a maze searching for the cheese. Once we located the building, then we had to search for our actual room. This was complicated by the fact that we could hear Illuminations but couldn't see it ~ which for me was torture. Must. See. Fireworks. As we neared our room, I could see the holiday finale through some trees. I stopped to watch. Em continued on to the room ~ nature's call trumped partial fireworks viewing.

This was how the room looked. Don't fall in love with it, as Coronado Springs is currently undergoing a complete room refurbishment. (Which is necessary, given the well-worn condition of the furniture and bathroom.)

This notice was on the nightstand. Em wanted me to call and find out what the "special rate" would be if we spent another night. It would have been interesting, given that Saturday night had no availability when I booked.

Woody, Em and I spent one night at Coronado Springs 9 years ago. We stayed in Casitas 4. At the time CS was the only resort with the privacy curtain in front of the sink area. Em and I found the curtain to be amusing, as you can tell in the picture below.

Now that CS has upgraded to sliding doors, another pic was warranted.

Em got herself ready for bed while I accomplished a necessary task. @BuddyThomas, I picked up our in-room phone and dialed ext. 8844 and booked a bounce back offer for June.

You'll have to guess the resort.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Trying to find your room at an unfamiliar resort in the dark can be a bit of a challenge. We set out for Cabana 9A, feeling like rats in a maze searching for the cheese. Once we located the building, then we had to search for our actual room. This was complicated by the fact that we could hear Illuminations but couldn't see it ~ which for me was torture. Must. See. Fireworks. As we neared our room, I could see the holiday finale through some trees. I stopped to watch. Em continued on to the room ~ nature's call trumped partial fireworks viewing.

This was how the room looked. Don't fall in love with it, as Coronado Springs is currently undergoing a complete room refurbishment. (Which is necessary, given the well-worn condition of the furniture and bathroom.)
View attachment 178453

View attachment 178454

This notice was on the nightstand. Em wanted me to call and find out what the "special rate" would be if we spent another night. It would have been interesting, given that Saturday night had no availability when I booked.
View attachment 178452

Woody, Em and I spent one night at Coronado Springs 9 years ago. We stayed in Casitas 4. At the time CS was the only resort with the privacy curtain in front of the sink area. Em and I found the curtain to be amusing, as you can tell in the picture below.

View attachment 178455

Now that CS has upgraded to sliding doors, another pic was warranted.

View attachment 178456

Em got herself ready for bed while I accomplished a necessary task. @BuddyThomas, I picked up our in-room phone and dialed ext. 8844 and booked a bounce back offer for June.

You'll have to guess the resort.

Cute pictures of you peeping out. I'm going to take a wild guess that you booked the Poly!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

The combination was heavenly . (But you must be a coconut fan....Em is not, so I didn't have to share!)

@Tuvalu offered me a taste of the chocolate...but the coconut had shared its "essence" with the rest of the gelato. I don't think she was too disappointed when I passed on the taste.

 

[MinnieM123]

Privacy curtain? Reminds me of years ago when staying in old log cabins up in the Maine woods!!

 

[Gabe1]

Trying to find your room at an unfamiliar resort in the dark can be a bit of a challenge. We set out for Cabana 9A, feeling like rats in a maze searching for the cheese. Once we located the building, then we had to search for our actual room. This was complicated by the fact that we could hear Illuminations but couldn't see it ~ which for me was torture. Must. See. Fireworks. As we neared our room, I could see the holiday finale through some trees. I stopped to watch. Em continued on to the room ~ nature's call trumped partial fireworks viewing.

This was how the room looked. Don't fall in love with it, as Coronado Springs is currently undergoing a complete room refurbishment. (Which is necessary, given the well-worn condition of the furniture and bathroom.)
View attachment 178453

View attachment 178454

This notice was on the nightstand. Em wanted me to call and find out what the "special rate" would be if we spent another night. It would have been interesting, given that Saturday night had no availability when I booked.
View attachment 178452

Woody, Em and I spent one night at Coronado Springs 9 years ago. We stayed in Casitas 4. At the time CS was the only resort with the privacy curtain in front of the sink area. Em and I found the curtain to be amusing, as you can tell in the picture below.

View attachment 178455

Now that CS has upgraded to sliding doors, another pic was warranted.

View attachment 178456

Em got herself ready for bed while I accomplished a necessary task. @BuddyThomas, I picked up our in-room phone and dialed ext. 8844 and booked a bounce back offer for June.

You'll have to guess the resort.

Wow! Those mattresses really appear to be slope-ie. Glad it is going to get a refurb. Pretty resort. We stay there when we cannot get into POR or FQ.

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, December 2 ~ The Big Birthday!

Em's alarm startled us both awake at 5:15 am.....turns out she forgot to turn it off of her usual weekday setting! I decided to get up anyway and let her sleep a little longer. It was a MK EMH morning and we wanted to be there for the Welcome Show, so it was imperative to allow plenty of time.

We left our room at 6:40 am. This was our building. At last we could see it in daylight!

 

[Tuvalu]

Morning tranquility around Lago Dorado

 

[blreinsel]

My jealousy will never get a rest with you and your constant trips. A bounce back for June!? Will our paths finally cross!?!?!?

 

[Tuvalu]

Neither Em nor I are big breakfast eaters and when you add in first-morning-at-Disney excitement, a muffin is all we need for nourishment. Can someone please invent a chocolate muffin chock full of fiber and vitamins (so it is healthy) that actually tastes good?!

Cause the double chocolate chip muffins we bought at Cafe Rix were sinfully good, which obviously means they were devoid of fiber and vitamins.

We got our muffins and coffee to go so we could eat while waiting at the bus stop. We sat down on this bench at 6:58 am. We should have no problem making the Welcome Show, right?

We leisurely ate our muffins. We watched other guests arrive at the bus stop. We saw a Disney van drop off the bus stop intern. (No offense to the interns, but does anyone find them helpful? They seem to have no ability to route any of the buses.) We watched more guests arrive. We watched a bus for every park except MK pull up and stop. We got off the bench to find the monitor.

MK bus 7:35???!!!! WTH???!!!!

All the helpful intern could say to the large group of now-irate people was, "I don't know why the bus is taking so long. Maybe there was a scooter to load?"

Gee thanks, pal.

At 7:37, the bus arrived ~ standing room only, since stops 2,3 and 4 had loaded first. Only about 10 of us made it on, leaving a couple dozen guests in disbelief. Some had been waiting almost as long as we did.

And I don't recall seeing an ECV on the bus.

As our bus pulled into the MK station, Em and I could see the train with the characters stationary. Maybe we would get to see some of the show after all?

Our fast feet had us to bag check just as the music started. Made it through security and the turnstile as the character train arrived.

See ya inside, Mickey!

Today's greeter was not the Mayor, Fire Chief or Scoop Sanderson. It was the most unenthusiastic Dapper Dan (sorry, @ajrwdwgirl). He had a quiet, monotone voice that seemed more appropriate for a library, not the Welcome Show! And the fireworks did not shoot off ~ are fireworks not used on EMH mornings?

 

[Tuvalu]

My jealousy will never get a rest with you and your constant trips. A bounce back for June!? Will our paths finally cross!?!?!?

Forgive me, Brittany! Looks like we'll miss each other again. Em has a conference in early June so we aren't going until later in the month. (We'll miss you too, @TheMouseFan )