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

That’s not a Star Wars reference.

Longtime readers of my trip reports know Star Wars isn’t my thing (although I immensely enjoy Rise of the Resistance.)

Fireworks are my thing. Like a moth to a flame, I am instinctively drawn to bursts of brilliant sparkles and colors in the sky. Just ask my family how quickly I’ve stopped whatever I’m doing to find the source of nighttime booms! I have serious fireworks FOMO.

Disney fireworks....especially Magic Kingdom fireworks....always flood me with nostalgia, happy memories and hope. After a long pandemic year, I know I am not alone in my yearning for hope of better days ahead.

Every step we take
Brings a new hope
A new day

The return of Disney fireworks, for me, is a sign that things are improving. Hooray!!

But there won’t be any pyro on my upcoming trip. And that’s ok. This vacation was booked with the assumption there would be no nighttime entertainment. (However when rumors began to suggest fireworks in July…..well let’s just say there might be another reservation in MDE for us.)

Who’s us?

Mother/daughter travel buddies, Tuvalu and Em. We last visited together in early April. We were there the day the mask mandate was dropped for stationary pictures.

Today the mask mandate for all those vaccinated has been suspended and we couldn’t be happier! We won’t have to be shrouded in a daft disguise again this summer!

I am not planning to do a full live report but may post a daily update. I’ll fill in the details when our vacation is over.

T-minus 3 days.
June 19 - 26, 2021
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Will any other Magicians make an appearance? Stay tuned.

 

[Tuvalu]

Holy moly!! The largest ice cream sundae bowl ever! Is that for the double No Way Jose?

Regular!

I usually don’t believe in too much ice cream, but my goodness. That may have been too much for me even!

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, June 25

Highlights and lowlights from our last day.

Em woke with a headache. We opted to hang at Lodge for a bit. Had the pool to ourselves...

….cause it was sprinkling.

After lunch we took a boat ride.

What’s unusual about this picture? (And it’s not the brief, momentary sunshine )

Somebody finally took out the trash!

The PPP insisted it was my birthday and wanted to know where was my celebration button? (Ummm….not wearing one cause IT’S NOT MY BIRTHDAY.)

A “birthday” hug.

How many times did we ride the Peoplemover this trip? (Answer to come.)

How many times did it rain this trip?

Well today we got to see the Rainy Day Cavalcade…..

…..and the Parade of Ponchos.

All 11 outdoor attractions closed down.

But hey, I learned a new song!

A little ditty from the Rainy Day Cavalcade.

Trickle trickle splash splash
Tell me how long will this rain last

I can tell you that tonight rolling thunder and lightning bolts surrounded the MK area.

And I will leave you with a familiar picture….of steady rain.

Em and I depart in the morning. I’ll be back soon with the unabridged version of this TR.

 

[LisaBelle]

Thanks for making the time to report live! I’m looking forward to the full report!

 

[Swissmiss]

Have a safe trip home

 

[MinnieM123]

@Tuvalu and Em -- safe trip home.

Looking forward to the "full" report, but this abbreviated one was very good. (If nothing else, I think you two brought the "rain gods" with you this time!)

 

[lindawdw]

Well you certainly had your share of rain on this trip but it seems like you were still singing in the rain! Looking forward to a full TR!!!

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Are you sure Darstar wasn't lurking around WDW somewhere????

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Yet easier to eat in a salad bowl.

As someone who's tried to eat it from the goblet, I would agree, the salad bowl would make eating most of it and enjoying it easier to accomplish!

.cause it was sprinkling.

After lunch we took a boat ride.

I've enjoyed pool time with sprinkles before....as long as I have an umbrella to read under, I'm good. Until it's a downpour and my book starts getting wet.

What’s unusual about this picture? (And it’s not the brief, momentary sunshine

YAY!!!!! Custodial is on it!

How many times did we ride the Peoplemover this trip? (Answer to come.

As many times as it rained?


Looking forward to your longer TR, hope you had a safe drive home!

 

[Darstarr]

Are you sure Darstar wasn't lurking around WDW somewhere????

Sorry, I was at a grad party.
(some fireworks from the party for you all, but mostly for True Value!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Have a safe trip home

@Tuvalu and Em -- safe trip home.

We got home safely!

 

[Tuvalu]

Thanks for making the time to report live! I’m looking forward to the full report!

Thank you for following, Lisa.

Well you certainly had your share of rain on this trip but it seems like you were still singing in the rain! Looking forward to a full TR!!!

Oh I sang indoors too. Ask Em

Are you sure Darstar wasn't lurking around WDW somewhere????

The rain would have been less annoying had my bud @Darstarr been there too!

YAY!!!!! Custodial is on it!

The Pan can, yes.
But the “unusual” Main Street pic has nothing to do with trash.

 

[Tuvalu]

Sorry, I was at a grad party.
(some fireworks from the party for you all, but mostly for True Value!)

View attachment 566688View attachment 566689View attachment 566690View attachment 566691View attachment 566692

 

[Loco_driver]

What’s unusual about this picture? (And it’s not the brief, momentary sunshine

Something is missing.

Oh I sang indoors too. Ask Em

I have known you to sing indoors!

 

[amjt660]

Hi Tu

Thanks for the once a day live report - I like this format - the full report will not be a slighty enhanced copy of the live report

A rainy day on the golf course or at a Disney park is always better than a sunny day at work!!

If it rains on my first day back in Disney I will just do this....

and soak it all in!!!

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

A rainy day on the golf course or at a Disney park is always better than a sunny day at work!!

If it rains on my first day back in Disney I will just do this....

and soak it all in!!!

Max

 

[Songbird76]

Thank you for following, Lisa.


Oh I sang indoors too. Ask Em


The rain would have been less annoying had my bud @Darstarr been there too!


The Pan can, yes.
But the “unusual” Main Street pic has nothing to do with trash.

Singing is for ANYWHERE! I sing all the time. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it until someone comments on it.

The unusual pic: I was looking at the lone woman wearing a facemask where no one else was, but she didn't even have it covering anything. What's the point of wearing it when it's not mandatory if you aren't going to wear it properly?

 

[KellBelle]

Wow! I am SO late! Excited to finally have found this!

 

[Tuvalu]

The unusual pic: I was looking at the lone woman wearing a facemask where no one else was, but she didn't even have it covering anything. What's the point of wearing it when it's not mandatory if you aren't going to wear it properly?

You ask a question I’ve asked myself numerous times during the past year!
Honestly I wish the woman wasn’t in the picture, as it wasn’t the “unusual” I was referring to….(though you did point out it could have been.)

Wow! I am SO late! Excited to finally have found this!

 

[Tuvalu]

Okay, time to get the unabridged version of this TR going!

Turn the calendar back to Saturday, June 19, 2021.

Day One

Em spent the night at our house so we could depart at zero dark thirty. However due to being on the cusp of the longest day of the year, it wasn’t pitch black when we backed out of the driveway. Dawn was breaking.

You may recall Em runs on Dunkin’ so we made the requisite drive-thru purchase before hitting the interstate. This tided her over until our stop for breakfast a couple hours later.

And for the first time in 15 months, we were able to dine inside a Chick-Fil-A! It may seem silly that we were excited by this, but the CFAs in our area remain drive-thru only. We’re getting weary of eating in our cars!

Our go-to order ~ chicken, egg and cheese biscuits and hash rounds. Yummy and filling!

We drove through light showers for the next several hours. We did not know at the time that it was a foreshadowing of the rainy weather to come. ️

As we entered the state of Florida I received our room number text, sweet! Having your room ready upon arrival eliminates the waiting and wondering that can cause stress at the start of a vacation. Now we could relax knowing our room awaited us.

The freshly painted entrance gate says WDW is 50.
The car in front of us says we’re in the 1950s.
An anachronism before our very eyes!

“Mom you take this picture every time!”

So sue me!

I can’t help feeling elated. I adore the Wilderness Lodge, especially the pool. And I am ready to escape the awful stress I’ve been under the last several weeks.

We park, grab our luggage and head for room 5005. Very pleased with our courtyard view.

Up next ~ refurbished room pics!

 

[Spash007]

Okay, time to get the unabridged version of this TR going!

Turn the calendar back to Saturday, June 19, 2021.

Day One

Em spent the night at our house so we could depart at zero dark thirty. However due to being on the cusp of the longest day of the year, it wasn’t pitch black when we backed out of the driveway. Dawn was breaking.

You may recall Em runs on Dunkin’ so we made the requisite drive-thru purchase before hitting the interstate. This tided her over until our stop for breakfast a couple hours later.

And for the first time in 15 months, we were able to dine inside a Chick-Fil-A! It may seem silly that we were excited by this, but the CFAs in our area remain drive-thru only. We’re getting weary of eating in our cars!

View attachment 567995

Our go-to order ~ chicken, egg and cheese biscuits and hash rounds. Yummy and filling!

We drove through light showers for the next several hours. We did not know at the time that it was a foreshadowing of the rainy weather to come. ️

As we entered the state of Florida I received our room number text, sweet! Having your room ready upon arrival eliminates the waiting and wondering that can cause stress at the start of a vacation. Now we could relax knowing our room awaited us.

The freshly painted entrance gate says WDW is 50.
The car in front of us says we’re in the 1950s.
An anachronism before our very eyes!

View attachment 567996

“Mom you take this picture every time!”

View attachment 567997
So sue me!

I can’t help feeling elated. I adore the Wilderness Lodge, especially the pool. And I am ready to escape the awful stress I’ve been under the last several weeks.

We park, grab our luggage and head for room 5005. Very pleased with our courtyard view.

View attachment 567998

View attachment 567999

Up next ~ refurbished room pics!

Oh man, I may have been super late to the part one, but am I really first to part tu?? Does that count?