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]

Today I was a human pillow which made a great opportunity to catch up.

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Baby snuggles are the best.
Enjoy these precious moments, they pass too quickly!

 

[RememberWhen]

Another vote for Tuvalu trip reports with tiny company!

 

[Tuvalu]

Another vote for Tuvalu trip reports with tiny company!
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Awwww!
How old is the newest member of your family?

 

[RememberWhen]

Awwww!
How old is the newest member of your family?

She’s almost 7 weeks. Time goes way too fast when they’re little!

 

[MinnieM123]

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.

You had the entire pool to yourself?!! Whoa!!! I'd say that's #SuperShirleyStatus! So happy for you!!

 

[amjt660]

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

And when I ask who took the nap??

Em’s No Way José salad.

Who poured soap into the falls?

Can't prove it but my guess is Ariel....

Max

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Baby snuggles are the best.
Enjoy these precious moments, they pass too quickly!

Baby snuggles are indeed the best. You’re right about the moments passing quickly. I can already tell she is getting bigger.

Reserving my time here for when she is asleep but I can’t be. Glad to have TRs such as yours to keep me awake and entertained.

 

[Disney Loving Swede]

It’s by Natasha Lester. She has three books in the same WW2 universe and this one was probably my favorite. The other two are The Paris Seamstress and the Paris Orphan.

I'm enjoying getting my Disney fix and thanks for reminding me that she has written other books. I had read the Paris Orphan a while back and binged The Paris Secret yesterday and am working on the Paris Seamstress today. (and hence am behind on reading trip reports)

 

[Tuvalu]

Day Seven, con’t

Em and I had lunch in Roaring Fork. We still had to mobile order as there wasn’t a CM taking orders at the register. Hopefully this has changed by now.

We had about a 4 hour reprieve from rain (and the sun even briefly appeared). Spending our last afternoon at the MK was a lot of fun.

It began with a boat ride.

@TrolleyFollower91 got to see the trolley!

I immediately noticed something amiss on Main Street. I posted the following picture in my daily recap and asked if anyone else did. @Loco_driver did. How about you?

 

[Tuvalu]

We weren’t wearing the shirts but we rode the Peoplemover anyway!

Front car views.

 

[MinnieM123]

Day Seven, con’t

Em and I had lunch in Roaring Fork. We still had to mobile order as there wasn’t a CM taking orders at the register. Hopefully this has changed by now.

View attachment 573561

We had about a 4 hour reprieve from rain (and the sun even briefly appeared). Spending our last afternoon at the MK was a lot of fun.

It began with a boat ride.

View attachment 573562

@TrolleyFollower91 got to see the trolley!

View attachment 573563

I immediately noticed something amiss on Main Street. I posted the following picture in my daily recap and asked if anyone else did. @Loco_driver did. How about you?

View attachment 573564

Tuvalu -- per your question about -- I immediately noticed something amiss on Main Street. I posted the following picture in my daily recap and asked if anyone else did.

My guesses:

A missing bench for the ladies to sit on? (Oh wait . . . )

Oh, I see what you're referring to -- the barrels have not overflowed with trash, down to the sidewalk?!

 

[Loco_driver]

We weren’t wearing the shirts but we rode the Peoplemover anyway!

So in my early morning pre caffeinated state I missed the word the before the word shirts. I nearly died laughing!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I know what is missing from that picture. I was bummed because I always like to take the time to take a picture of it on Main Street, and it was gone at least until July 5 which was my last day.

 

[Tuvalu]

A comment we overheard as we left the Peoplemover: “Carousel of Progress is a video theater.”

Yeah….cause that technology existed at the turn of the 20th century.

I’d heard for years that the grandma in the scene below was used for a “ghost” in the Haunted Mansion.

Since we’d gotten stopped above the ballroom I managed to get a picture of her.

What do y’all think? I’m still not sure.

Perhaps it was this grandma?

 

[Dory71]

Not sure about Grandma, but according to our tour guide from the Keys to the Kingdom tour some of the AA were used in multiple places. For example the guy whistling for the dog in POC is also the same "face" blowing out the candles in HM.

 

[93boomer]

To me Grandma does look pretty much like the same. The next time you get on spaceship earth, look at the man and woman playing the musical instruments. They favor the father and daughter in carousel of progress!

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

Day Seven, con’t

Em and I had lunch in Roaring Fork. We still had to mobile order as there wasn’t a CM taking orders at the register. Hopefully this has changed by now.

View attachment 573561

We had about a 4 hour reprieve from rain (and the sun even briefly appeared). Spending our last afternoon at the MK was a lot of fun.

It began with a boat ride.

View attachment 573562

@TrolleyFollower91 got to see the trolley!

View attachment 573563

I immediately noticed something amiss on Main Street. I posted the following picture in my daily recap and asked if anyone else did. @Loco_driver did. How about you?

View attachment 573564

Out for refurbishment for a period of time, or removed for good?

 

[Tuvalu]

Out for refurbishment for a period of time, or removed for good?

Time will tell.

 

[krisri18]

Time will tell.

 

[fractal]

Em was right to feel anxious.

We had 10 minutes to get to our ADR.

Outside the park.

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

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How fast could we walk?

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

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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.

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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.)

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

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I enjoyed mine deconstructed.

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

The Chef wouldn't dare say no to Shirley.