Trip Report A Total Eclipse of the Park *COMPLETED*

Not quite.

And apologies to Bonnie Tyler for parodying her hit song title from 1983 (although that was a very good year .)

So if you want to turn around and not read further I’ll understand. After 17 trip reports in less than four years you are probably sick of me. Heck, I am sick of me! But after a few requests from you kind people for another report I decided to forge ahead.

Unlike my last epistle, this will not take me four months to complete. First, this trip was shorter. Second, there is no live section which needs to be expanded later. Third, I’m heading back to the World in 2.5 weeks and then into the holiday season ~ so I’m giving myself a “Do or Die” deadline.

Let’s get started.

Who? Tuvalu and Woody
What? End of summer getaway
Where? Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
When? August 19-22, 2017
Why? There has to be a why?

It certainly wasn’t to witness the eclipse. In fact when I booked I didn’t even realize our dates coincided with the eclipse. We live within two hours of the path of totality and missed a viewing party with friends who delighted in watching the total phenomenon. Instead Woody and I got to experience.....

Well, you’ll have to wait to find out.

Here we are on arrival day. Can you tell the photographer was earning his ears?

I’m proudly wearing the dress that was instrumental in our free Pirate Cruise. (For context please see my July TR.)

Stay tuned for this trip’s shenanigans.

 

[MegRuss626]

Sorry but I went to the pool to relax, not work out.


She wasn’t a guest. Woody and I thought she was a local instructor hired by the GF to run the class. I noticed the activities board later that day and “water aerobics” was on the schedule every Monday and Wednesday morning.


I was thisclose to telling the boy to get down. (After all I’ve been known to do bolder things than that!)

Haha I’m the same way....I blame my inner teacher! When we were staying at AKL last year, there were these boys that kept running up the slide while we were waiting and pushing everyone out of the way. My husband had to remind me that I was not in the classroom and they weren’t my responsibility

 

[King Panda 77]

Sorry but I went to the pool to relax, not work out.


She wasn’t a guest. Woody and I thought she was a local instructor hired by the GF to run the class. I noticed the activities board later that day and “water aerobics” was on the schedule every Monday and Wednesday morning.


I was thisclose to telling the boy to get down. (After all I’ve been known to do bolder things than that!)

I thought you only harrased small children when they had drier lint .

 

[Tuvalu]

I thought you only harrased small children when they had drier lint .

Touché

 

[DryerLintFan]

I thought you only harrased small children when they had drier lint .

Touché

 

[Doc Disney]

All GF guests are supposed to get turn down, whereas only club level guests at the other deluxe resorts receive it.

We’ve always received turn down at GF....wonder why you didn’t?

hmm that is curious. I'm glad to know I'm not crazy though

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

Woody and I walked over to Gasparilla Island (can you walk to an island @MinnieM123? ) for lunch. We placed our order and went back outside to eat. This was Woody’s view ~

This was mine ~

Soon we were munching on fries and grilled chicken (me) and bacon cheeseburger (Woody).

We did not wait the requisite 30 minutes before going back in the pool (don’t tell my mom!) The once sunny sky was being overtaken by clouds....would we even notice the eclipse? Just before 1 pm all the lights in the pool area were turned on. We stayed in the water for another hour as more clouds rolled in. I told Woody I wanted to watch the event unfold from our balcony, so we packed up our stuff and returned to our room.

The lights were now on all over the resort. This is the front of Sago Cay.

 

[King Panda 77]

Yes you can walk to an island. I can walk from my island (Guernsey) to Lihou at low tide.

 

[Tuvalu]

Woody turned on the TV and positioned it towards the balcony so we could watch eclipse coverage from areas that were in the path of totality. Below us lots of people were gazing at the sky, some with approved eclipse glasses (but most not).

Anybody need a futon?

We watched a professional photographer set up his gear. He took a lot of pictures.

We could see lights were on at the MK entrance and the monorail had its high beams on. But it wasn’t dark....more dusk-esque. I took these two pictures during the supposed “totality” at WDW.

The photographer had drawn a crowd and he had a few pairs of viewing glasses that he loaned out.

The boy in orange cried out, “I can’t see anything!”

Total eclipse? Hardly.

It didn’t even get as dark as when a thunderstorm is approaching.

Woody and I got a better view of this unusual event watching the TV. But it was fun people-watching from our balcony.

This is my favorite eclipse picture:

If only he’d put the glasses on Mickey!

 

[Tuvalu]

Yes you can walk to an island. I can walk from my island (Guernsey) to Lihou at low tide.

Good to know, @Mr Ferret 88!

 

[Tuvalu]

We had an early dinner ADR. It required this mode of transportation to get there ~

Where were we going? Have you read any of my TRs?

At the check in desk I asked if Ryan was working. The CM checked the schedule and said, “He is. Would you like to sit in his section?”

Is the pope Catholic?

We climbed aboard the elevator and I received my “Your table is ready” text before the door opened. The hostess turned right to lead us to our table.

But the intimate Monterey Room is to the left.

Ryan always works the Monterey Room.

Did they not get my Ryan request?!!?

My panic was short-lived.

Ryan explained that he was working the main dining room due to a special request from a VIP.

Was it Shirley?

Our booth was in an empty area.....

....and the menu was new.

Most importantly, Ryan was our private server for TWO HOURS!

Say what???!!!

 

[gwhb75]

Woody turned on the TV and positioned it towards the balcony so we could watch eclipse coverage from areas that were in the path of totality. Below us lots of people were gazing at the sky, some with approved eclipse glasses (but most not).

View attachment 245605

View attachment 245606

Anybody need a futon?
View attachment 245603

We watched a professional photographer set up his gear. He took a lot of pictures.
View attachment 245604

We could see lights were on at the MK entrance and the monorail had its high beams on. But it wasn’t dark....more dusk-esque. I took these two pictures during the supposed “totality” at WDW.
View attachment 245607

View attachment 245608

The photographer had drawn a crowd and he had a few pairs of viewing glasses that he loaned out.
View attachment 245609
The boy in orange cried out, “I can’t see anything!”

Total eclipse? Hardly.

It didn’t even get as dark as when a thunderstorm is approaching.

Woody and I got a better view of this unusual event watching the TV. But it was fun people-watching from our balcony.

This is my favorite eclipse picture:
View attachment 245610
If only he’d put the glasses on Mickey!

Completely agree. The eclipse was like a non-event. We went back to our room to watch it too("watch it"...), and we're greatly disappointed. I actually napped through it ("napped"), but Tammy and Steph stayed up and said they couldn't tell when it supposedly started or finished.

 

[MinnieM123]

This is my favorite eclipse picture:

Love it! This is great!!

 

[MinnieM123]

Most importantly, Ryan was our private server for TWO HOURS!

Say what???!!!

OMG! Only Shirley could receive such VIP service!!

 

[Missy_May]

Completely agree. The eclipse was like a non-event. We went back to our room to watch it too("watch it"...), and we're greatly disappointed. I actually napped through it ("napped"), but Tammy and Steph stayed up and said they couldn't tell when it supposedly started or finished.

We drove to the zone of totality in Idaho. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. I would definitely recommend going if any of you ever get the chance to see one in the future.

 

[LadyBelle]

GF is totally on my Bucket List.

 

[Gabe1]

When water aerobics concluded, Woody and I deemed it safe to go in the pool. We swam, floated and even sat in the shallow end for awhile.

As we began to get hungry we returned to our chairs to recline and dry off.

There we caught the latest episode of Where are the Parents?

Kids are curious by nature. Kids make stupid decisions because they can’t (or don’t) consider consequences of their actions. That is why parental instruction (and reprimanding when necessary) is absolutely vital. Kids left to themselves will eventually hurt themselves or others. A parent’s job is to protect the child, not just from the world, but from the child’s own foolishness.

Irresponsible parents leave children to their own devices (and not just the electronic kind!) Then they blame/sue Disney when their child is injured on Disney property.

This was an accident (lawsuit?) waiting to happen. All because a parent was not watching their child....or worse, was watching and not reprimanding.

View attachment 245369
(For the record the boy had to climb through bushes to get to the fence.)

View attachment 245370

I thought the child was going to go into monkey mode and climb the light pole. Turns out he was trying to get to a lizard. As the lizard came within arm’s reach the boy grabbed it and held it in his hand. Then he spent the next few minutes determining how to get down from the top of the fence without losing his grip on the lizard or falling into the bushes. Ultimately he slid down the pole onto the concrete. He dropped the lizard which scurried away.

The boy jumped into the pool. There was no adult in the vicinity who seemed to be connected to him. For all we know he was left unsupervised at the quiet pool, where there are no lifeguards.

It was time for us to get lunch.

Pet Peeve of my adult kids. One a Parks and Rec major and a Disney Internship Alumni. My DD beyond her career at a University still part time manages a Water Park by Summer and an Aquatics Center by winter part time. Just this weekend one of her lifeguards had to pluck a 3 year old attending a birthday party from the deep slide end of the pool and no she didn't go down the slides she was too short. My DD had to go between 4 pools looking for the parent of the 3 year old after she was plucked. Mother annoyed being told she must be within arms length of preschooler that was a NON SWIMMER!!! Angry as it is the lifeguards job to watch children and rescue children if need be! If of course the kid wound up at the bottom of the pool it would have been all over the news the facility failed to guard not the Mom that was found in the bleachers chatting it up with others. My DD is at her 11th Anniversary of aquatics and had zero interest in Parks and Rec as a career unlike my DS. She is so over stupid parents. She doesn't blame little ones, it is the parents who could careless.

 

[Gurt]

CG private server for 2 hours, this is beyond Shirley status now, I think you were treated to the VIP time that Ryan had been requested for.

 

[Pixieish]

Pet Peeve of my adult kids. One a Parks and Rec major and a Disney Internship Alumni. My DD beyond her career at a University still part time manages a Water Park by Summer and an Aquatics Center by winter part time. Just this weekend one of her lifeguards had to pluck a 3 year old attending a birthday party from the deep slide end of the pool and no she didn't go down the slides she was too short. My DD had to go between 4 pools looking for the parent of the 3 year old after she was plucked. Mother annoyed being told she must be within arms length of preschooler that was a NON SWIMMER!!! Angry as it is the lifeguards job to watch children and rescue children if need be! If of course the kid wound up at the bottom of the pool it would have been all over the news the facility failed to guard not the Mom that was found in the bleachers chatting it up with others. My DD is at her 11th Anniversary of aquatics and had zero interest in Parks and Rec as a career unlike my DS. She is so over stupid parents. She doesn't blame little ones, it is the parents who could careless.

Some parents' attitudes about water safety really makes my head explode. People don't *look* like they're drowning, when in fact they are. They make extra-long, sturdy fences that go between your house and your pool for a reason - USE THEM. At water parks or anywhere else there are lifeguards, I see people constantly that are either face-first into their phone while their non-swimming kids are in the water or the parents are even reading a book. I'm NEVER more than 3 feet from my 6-year-old at the pond we go to every summer, and he knows how to hold his breath under water. Before that, I was always within a foot and a half. At places like Great Wolf Lodge, he wears a life jacket and we stick to the kiddie areas. (I was pleasantly surprised on our last trip to Great Wolf in Oct. - I didn't see any kids without parents close by...but it wasn't packed, so there's that. I will also say that the lifeguards there are ON THE BALL. They pace around the water non-stop, making a visual grid with their eyes, and they change places with each other often.)

One of the reasons we love our own pool is that there is a chain link fence around it and it's padlocked - away from the house. It's impossible for any kid to just randomly get in there unless they climb the fence, and it's up on a hill that's higher than the first floor windows, so unless you know the pool is up there, you would have no idea it even exists.

 

[coachwnh]

Total eclipse? Hardly.

Completely agree. The eclipse was like a non-event

The eclipse was not a total eclipse in Central Florida. You were only in the penumbra, meaning a partial shadow. The maximum coverage in that area was closer to 80%. Totality, even in the umbra, maxed out at just 2:30 seconds, and that was in westerm TN. The total eclipse made a very narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina. The umbra for a total solar eclipse is always very narrow. (sorry, thats the Earth Science teacher in me coming out).

 

[Songbird76]

Pet Peeve of my adult kids. One a Parks and Rec major and a Disney Internship Alumni. My DD beyond her career at a University still part time manages a Water Park by Summer and an Aquatics Center by winter part time. Just this weekend one of her lifeguards had to pluck a 3 year old attending a birthday party from the deep slide end of the pool and no she didn't go down the slides she was too short. My DD had to go between 4 pools looking for the parent of the 3 year old after she was plucked. Mother annoyed being told she must be within arms length of preschooler that was a NON SWIMMER!!! Angry as it is the lifeguards job to watch children and rescue children if need be! If of course the kid wound up at the bottom of the pool it would have been all over the news the facility failed to guard not the Mom that was found in the bleachers chatting it up with others. My DD is at her 11th Anniversary of aquatics and had zero interest in Parks and Rec as a career unlike my DS. She is so over stupid parents. She doesn't blame little ones, it is the parents who could careless.

How stupid can you be?? My kids both have their A and B swimming diplomas and they are 11 and almost 10 and we STILL don't let them go swimming by themselves. We're not always within arms distance, but it made me super nervous at DLP last month to let DS swim without being right next to him. Who lets a non-swimming toddler swim by themselves???