Trip Report A New Hope, A New Day COMPLETED

Tuvalu · Jul 16, 2021

The plexiglass-removal fairies had not visited It’s a Small World.

Em was anxious while waiting in line. It wasn’t the plexiglass or close quarters with other guests. It was because her mother had insisted on riding “one more attraction” before our lunch ADR. And often her mother has no concept of what can be realistically accomplished in a short amount of time.

Not sure Em enjoyed the cruise, but her mom did.

slipperalwaysfits · Jul 16, 2021

Tuvalu said:
Em and I couldn’t believe we waited 6 days for our MK morning.

I'm waiting three to go to MK this trip...that's going to be super difficult for me. Hubby is DYING to see the Epcot fireworks and wants his sister to see them, too so Sunday at Epcot it is! I'll get to the MK eventually!

Tuvalu said:
Em and I discussed the pros of a morning proposal in front of the castle. First, the proposer doesn’t have to stress the entire day, waiting for the perfect moment, worrying about losing the ring and genuinely being distracted from the fun of being in the Magic Kingdom. Second, the proposee’s day just became more exciting than it already was and the celebration….the attention, showing off the ring….lasts the whole day. The couple can still enjoy castle fireworks that night, and they’ll be more relaxed.

Well, my hubby did it in the morning INSIDE the Castle at CRT but it was great because of all the reasons you said and our day celebrating the whole day was so much fun!!

Tuvalu said:
We had another front row seat on a water ride. Do the math.

SUMMER FUN!!! :geek:

Tuvalu · Jul 16, 2021

Em was right to feel anxious.

We had 10 minutes to get to our ADR.

Outside the park. :jawdrop:

Our character friends didn’t bother to wave. They knew we were in a hurry.

How fast could we walk?

You know the answer. We’d proved it last night.

While we were at Via Napoli, we had perused lunch menus on the app. We saw a sandwich that sounded really good and booked an 11:05am ADR for today.

Here.

We were seated immediately. When we scanned the paper QR code on the table, the breakfast menu appeared.

Breakfast?! Who eats breakfast after 11am?! Heck, the park quick service restaurants begin serving lunch at 10:30am!

I summoned our server. “Is it possible to order off the lunch menu? We ate breakfast hours ago.”

“Oooh, I don’t know,” she replied. “We don’t serve lunch until after 11:30. What did you want?”

“Two chicken sandwiches,” I replied.

“Let me check with the chef,” she said. She soon returned with a smile. The chef had agreed to prepare our sandwiches.

More Disney Magic!

(Although we really didn’t consider a lunch entrée after 11am an unreasonable request.)

Herb-marinated chicken breast, avocado, applewood-smoked bacon, lemon aioli, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun. Served with crispy seasoned waffle fries.

I enjoyed mine deconstructed.

It was everything we hoped it would be! So, so delicious.

Billy6 · Jul 16, 2021

Tuvalu said:
Four headliners in less than two hours. Tuvalem was on a roll!

Paging @tonystark ….

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No plexiglass worries on your upcoming visit. It be GONE!!

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Two young women had joined the line, each holding a Nutella waffle from Sleepy Hollow. They did not realize how quickly the line was moving and offered us one of the waffles. We declined, but they made a young teen very happy!

Playful spooks stopped our doombuggy in the attic….

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…..and switched our ride photo.

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Great expressions, ladies!

Certainly better than mine….(when our photo eventually appeared in MDE.)

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Yah, not posting the unedited version this time either!

For a second there I was admiring Em's new tattoo...

susan lees · Jul 17, 2021

slipperalwaysfits said:
DISNEY IS A WORKOUT!!! It's such a workout that I'm going to have to remember to pace myself next week. Congrats on making it to the front of the park and staying dry before the torrential rains came down down down!!!

Wdw workouts are the best

susan lees · Jul 17, 2021

Songbird76 said:
How are your cases doing? We were just put back on red yesterday. We went from 500 cases a day to 11,000 in 24 hours in the span of one week. Germany just put us back on its list of high risk areas, so I'm thinking we won't be traveling any time soon. Granted, I don't think they have Cultural Representatives from the Netherlands (though my daughter has planned out an entire pavilion for Epcot...they should totally have a Dutch Pavilion and sell stroopwaffels.) But I know several other places are having issues as well. Spain and France, and I think maybe Italy?

I think they might have peaked now due to Euro tournament finishing. We have less restrictions starting on Monday so that might make cases rise again. Scotland are keeping face coverings mandatory which has come with mixed feelings. As a nurse in a busy Glasgow surgery I welcome the mask mandate in busy places.
I think your daughters idea is great. Stroopwaffels are the best. We can get them in aldi or lidl, I put mine on top of my hot coffee mug to warm and soften it up

MinnieM123 · Jul 17, 2021

@Tuvalu , I think it's fun when you and Em wear matching t-shirts for a day at the MK! :happy:

(Funny thing is that you can get away with that at WDW. I like it when you see families of like, 8 people, all in the same shirts!

) Outside of the bubble, if you two were out in public wearing the same shirts, some people might do a double-take, and "wonder" a bit about the both of you! :joyfull:

brifraz · Jul 17, 2021

I'd like some kind of prize for being quite possibly THE last person to join in for your Trip Report! But now I'm all caught up on 21 pages of fun. Hard to believe that once again we were both in parks at the same time. And, while we didn't meet up with each other this time, we both met up with @ajrwdwgirl ! The universe is a strange and small place. So, I likely missed the actual dates, but when are you returning in August? We will be there August 20-27 on a somewhat unexpected trip. Perhaps our paths will cross again!

Songbird76 · Jul 17, 2021

cgersic said:
We have a Dutch bakery nearby and she makes them fresh and I am obsessed! Your daughter sounds very creative! Did you see where they are expanding operations to a new campus in Florida? Maybe she should look into it?

We will definitely look into that, thank you! I want to do Dining with an Imagineer with her, too, but who knows when our next trip will be?

Tuvalu · Jul 17, 2021

slipperalwaysfits said:
Well, my hubby did it in the morning INSIDE the Castle at CRT but it was great because of all the reasons you said and our day celebrating the whole day was so much fun!!

MinnieM123 said:
@Tuvalu , I think it's fun when you and Em wear matching t-shirts for a day at the MK!

(Funny thing is that you can get away with that at WDW. I like it when you see families of like, 8 people, all in the same shirts! ) Outside of the bubble, if you two were out in public wearing the same shirts, some people might do a double-take, and "wonder" a bit about the both of you!

OK for WDW. Eye roll everyplace else. :joyfull:

brifraz said:
I'd like some kind of prize for being quite possibly THE last person to join in for your Trip Report! But now I'm all caught up on 21 pages of fun. Hard to believe that once again we were both in parks at the same time. And, while we didn't meet up with each other this time, we both met up with @ajrwdwgirl ! The universe is a strange and small place. So, I likely missed the actual dates, but when are you returning in August? We will be there August 20-27 on a somewhat unexpected trip. Perhaps our paths will cross again!

Of course our trips will overlap....that seems to be a pattern for us lately!

93boomer · Jul 17, 2021

Tuvalu said:
Em and I walked counter-clockwise from the IG to our dinner destination. World Showcase was much more crowded than it had been on Sunday.

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We waited a few minutes to be seated. Our table was a two-top next to a window.

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With a good view of the dining room.

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We were eating in Italy. Our server was from Wishaw, Scotland and spoke with a strong brogue. Our food runner was from Hawaii. There were no Italian water boys who always kept our glasses full.

It was a different experience without the cultural representatives.

Both of us were thirsty and drawn to the same drink on the menu.

A frozen strawberry limoncello.

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Cheers!

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Em and I debated ordering a large pizza. The two of us typically share an individual. We decided to GO BIG!

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Notice the quantity of cheese? (We did not order extra.) Via Napoli pizzas tend to be skimpy on cheese. This pizza was a pleasant surprise.

“It’s because the cooks are all Americans now,” Em said. “They know how to make a cheesy pizza.”

The pie was delicious. We ate all but one slice.

Whoa huge pizza. Here's the lasagna I just had at Charleston!

Nope I only made it through a fourth of it. Even DH had to eat some.

93boomer · Jul 17, 2021

Sorry I filled your in box so much but just got caught up since you know we were out of town

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Day Six, con’t

It was too hot and humid to walk back to the MK. (Our race-walk to The Wave had done us in!) The monorail would have a/c (sorta) and was a better option. We’ve really missed the resort boats that connect CR/WL/FW during this past year.

The Grand Canyon Concourse was a sight to behold. Rooms in the tower were being refurbished and scrims covered every floor.

The partitions inside each car had been removed but the Please Wait Here stickers were new.

The boat dock for WL is much closer to the MK monorail station than the WL bus stop, so our choice was easy. Had we known we’d have a 30 minute wait for the boat, we might have chosen differently. (Did I mention how hot and humid it was?

)

Finally!

When we got off the boat at the Lodge we could hear the sound of a warning siren. We looked around the lake and saw nothing. As we continued walking, the siren noise was constant and our eyes searched for an emergency vehicle or something unusual. Guests were in the pool, so obviously no lightning on the radar. No smoke was pouring out of the Lodge, another good sign.

“I think the sound is coming from your purse,” said Em.

I pulled out my shrieking phone and discovered EIGHTEEN Public Safety Alert notifications.

We weren’t in any danger. WDW isn’t in Volusia County FL.

Clicking on the link revealed a search for a suspected murderer who was (ironically) apprehended in the metro Atlanta area several days later.

I immediately switched off the safety alert setting. It was the only way to silence my phone!

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Em and I enjoyed the coolness of our room for awhile. One of us napped.

Then we decided to head out again.

Hooray for Hollywood!

We’d come to this park for one reason only.

And the ride had gone down! We stood in the shade for a couple minutes and noticed that a few people (who had approached the CM pictured above) were allowed to join the queue. We asked if we could too, and he gave us the warning that there was no set time the attraction would reopen and we would be waiting at our own risk.

Lots of guests had already bailed.

We ended up here, in the shade, fairly close to the theater entrance.

Once again our gamble paid off. Less than 20 minutes later we were allowed inside and walked straight through the queue and onto a train.

A seamless trip through Runnamuck Park!

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Next we browsed all the shops. I made a couple purchases for the Tuva-Tinys.

We likely hit the restroom before exiting the park.

Third boat ride of the day.

Goodbye, Hollywood Studios. We won’t be seeing you tomorrow. (Sorry @Dave B)

We’ve almost arrived at our port of call.

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Em and I were a few minutes early for our ADR so we plopped ourselves down at a table and people-watched until we could check in. The couple below did not have a reservation and was turned away.

Beaches and Cream doubled its size and it still cannot accommodate everyone who wants to dine there. I miss the days when it was a hidden gem. Nostalgia (and the No Way José) continues to draw us back, which is why we end up here almost every vacation.

The Stormalong Bay swimmers were on borrowed time. Look at the sky.

We watched the storm roll in across Crescent Lake once we were seated inside.

The restaurant was short staffed though our server Steffi was great. She kept checking on us during the half hour wait for our food. I was underwhelmed by my cheeseburger and should have gotten my usual chicken sandwich. I ordered the burger because I’d had chicken for lunch.

In my opinion, a thick burger patty needs more than a single slice of cheese. (McDonald’s agrees with me.)

Em had the loaded tots.

We waited almost as long for our sundaes as we’d waited for our food.

Mine.

Em’s No Way José salad.

“How long have those goblets been on order?!?” questioned Em, when Steffi apologized for the size of the bowl.

Em made a valiant effort but there was No Way she could finish the sundae.

If I only liked peanut butter on my ice cream, I would have helped her eat the rest (and passed on a sundae of my own, of course!)

Loco_driver · Jul 18, 2021

Tuvalu said:
I miss the days when it was a hidden gem. Nostalgia (and the No Way José) continues to draw us back, which is why we end up here almost every vacation.

Me too my friend, me too.

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Once again bad weather thwarted our evening plans.

We’d hoped to pop into MK for a ride on BTMRR and a spin on the Peoplemover. Flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder nixed that. To add insult to injury, we waited 30 minutes without a MK bus showing up at the Beach Club stop. A driver who was dropping off and clocking out for the night took pity on us….and the others who were waiting….and took us to the MK.

He dropped us off in a very convenient location, one gate over from the WL gate. The WL bus had just pulled in and we were back at the Lodge in no time.

Another evening. Another monsoon.

Tuvalu · Jul 18, 2021

Day Seven

It was our last day and Em awakened with a splitting headache. I told her we would take it easy this morning. The forecast looked okay for hanging out at the pool. I headed over after 9 and told Em to meet me whenever she felt up to it.

Who poured soap into the falls?

The pool was very full from last night’s rain.

And it was deck-washing day.

I wanted to stay out of his way so I walked around and took some pictures.

When the pool cleaner left I was the only one there until Em arrived. She read her book while I took advantage of having the water all to myself. #ShirleyStatus.

I swam around the entire periphery of the pool. It was grand.

I tried to ignore the sprinkles falling from the sky.

Em had gotten off her lounger and moved under an umbrella for cover. I soon joined her.

We sat there for a little while and concluded we didn’t feel like waiting around to see if the rain would stop. Back to the room for warm showers.

Back!Elbow!Shoulders! · Jul 18, 2021

Finally all caught up with part Tu! Sorry/not sorry for all of the likes. Today I was a human pillow which made a great opportunity to catch up.

Tuvalu said:
Playful spooks halted our doombuggy above the banquet hall. I have always wanted to be stopped here and enjoyed the extra minute or two to take it all in.

Tuvalu said:
We popped into Starbucks so Em could buy a mug. Starbucks gift cards are a very popular teacher gift and Em has more Starbucks $$ than she can possibly drink.

This is one of the only things I miss from my husband’s time as teacher. There was never a Starbucks on his way to or from work and there is a Starbucks inside my work so he usually regifted those gift cards to me…

Trip Report A New Hope, A New Day COMPLETED

Tuvalu

slipperalwaysfits

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Tuvalu

Billy6

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susan lees

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susan lees

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MinnieM123

brifraz

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Songbird76

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Tuvalu

93boomer

93boomer

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Loco_driver

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit

Trip Report A New Hope, A New Day *COMPLETED*

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Marching along...

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Omnia mutantur, nihil interit

Trip Report A New Hope, A New Day COMPLETED