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.

 

[kaitertot5249]

Excited to be able to follow a Tuvalu TR from the beginning! I always seem to hop in on page 12+

I love the Total Eclipse title parody!

 

[Swissmiss]

I too am excited to be getting in early - its way too much stress to try and catch up after several pages

 

[PacNWTigger]

I'm following along too...I never get tired of @Tuvalu trip reports!

 

[krause]

Come on, everybody! Here we gooooooooo!

 

[Bullseye1967]

I am in, and great title!

 

[Tiggertoo56]

Yay! Another @Tuvalu trip report to while away the time wishing I was in my happy place - shame I have to wait until next year . Don't stop we'l never tire of them.

 

[King Panda 77]

Following along.

Spoiler: I bought snacks for everyone

 

[12in12]

Following along.

Spoiler: I bought snacks for everyone

View attachment 244017

@Tuvalu's favorite! How thoughtful

 

[Tuvalu]

Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun
But mama, that's where the fun is
along with a Tuvalu report! I'm in.

I can name that tune in four notes, Fractal!

We will never get sick of you! Following!

Excited to be able to follow a Tuvalu TR from the beginning! I always seem to hop in on page 12+
I love the Total Eclipse title parody!

I too am excited to be getting in early - its way too much stress to try and catch up after several pages

I'm following along too...I never get tired of @Tuvalu trip reports!

Hello early birds!!

Come on, everybody! Here we gooooooooo!

I love PP.

I am in, and great title!

Thanks, @Bullseye1967!

Yay! Another @Tuvalu trip report to while away the time wishing I was in my happy place - shame I have to wait until next year . Don't stop we'l never tire of them.

Your vacation will be here before you know it!

 

[Tuvalu]

Following along.

Spoiler: I bought snacks for everyone

View attachment 244017

Brilliant!

 

[Nala06]

Coming out of lurkdom! This will help me pass the time before our trip in 2 weeks! Love your storytelling and humor.

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, August 19

This was another last-minute trip of sorts. (Not gonna blame @Doc Disney this time though.) Woody and I needed a weekend away from work and wedding stress and our plan was to go somewhere within a few hours driving distance. Somewhere that had a nice pool. And restaurants. And comfy surroundings. A place to come and go as we pleased.

When we started researching our options we were surprised that most places that fit our criteria were more expensive than Disney. Yes, you read that correctly....more expensive.

“We should just go to Disney,” Woody suggested. “Fares are cheap so we can fly.”

See why I married him, ladies?

We had an early morning flight which meant breakfast at the airport. I should have taken a picture of the “Piano Bar” dining area on Concourse A. It was an interesting place to eat our Chick-Fil-A biscuits, considering loud rap music was playing rather than soft piano tunes. We couldn’t even carry on a conversation ~ it was THAT loud. At seven o’clock in the morning.

The gate area in Concourse A is also under construction and if you have ever seen The Terminal (with Tom Hanks) you can picture what it looks like. No ceiling and exposed ductwork creates such a welcoming atmosphere. Add in microphones at the check-in counters with such a low volume you cannot hear announcements (which were vital for us since we received a last-minute change in our seat assignments.)

Thus far the “relaxing getaway” was not off to a great start. Especially when we discovered that our new seats were an aisle and a window, not side-by-side as we had selected.

The good news was that no one sat in the middle seat so Woody was able to move over. And we learned that we were flying in a brand new aircraft that had just been delivered the day before. It even had that new plane smell!

Though we departed late we managed to land on time (pad the schedule much, Delta?) and soon we were on the fonorail.

We headed for DME and although I did not take a picture of airport Mickey (too many people crowded around him) I did take a picture of the former escalator to the lower level for @Doc Disney.

Woody riding the new escalator.

For once there was no line at DME....

....but we still had to wait 20 minutes for our bus to arrive.

MagicBands?

We sat on the bus for ten additional minutes though no one else boarded. We still had plenty of time until our lunch ADR and we even had a FP scheduled beforehand, should we encounter no glitches along the way.

You know what they say about best laid plans?

Our first clue should have been when the bus driver turned on the GPS....which Woody calls “Mrs. Google”....and her instructions on how to leave the airport were louder than the DME video.

This can’t be good. A DME bus driver that needs to use an audible GPS?

Just wait. The story gets better.

 

[becca_]

Saturday, August 19

“We should just go to Disney,” Woody suggested. “Fares are cheap so we can fly.”

See why I married him, ladies?

You've got one of the good ones!!

I am here and so excited to read more!!

 

[Castle Dreamer]

Looking forward to another report! Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

[Tuvalu]

Coming out of lurkdom! This will help me pass the time before our trip in 2 weeks! Love your storytelling and humor.

You've got one of the good ones!!

I am here and so excited to read more!!

Looking forward to another report! Can't wait to see what happens next!

Glad to have y’all along!

 

[MinnieM123]

This can’t be good. A DME bus driver that needs to use an audible GPS?

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

Eventually our driver turned up the volume of the DME video and “Mrs. Google” was drowned out ~ though Woody and I were sitting in front and could see she was still using the GPS. Somehow the driver managed to get on World Drive without going under the Walt Disney World arch. (I know this because I was going to take a picture of it.) Then the bus began to slow down as it approached what appeared to be a dead end and all traffic was being routed to a road on the right.

Which road?

The entryway into the DHS parking lot!

Well this is an interesting detour!

We passed the construction for Toy Story/Star Wars lands and I would have gotten some great behind-the-scenes pics had we been sitting on the other side of the bus. The bus slowed down through the tollbooth and then had to navigate the narrow, winding road through the parking lot. I can only imagine what the cast members were thinking as they watched this large DME bus travel where only passenger cars do. The driver finally found the exit to Buena Vista Drive (the usual entrance/exit for all buses). She never acknowledged her error.

From Buena Vista we had to get back on World Drive, since our bus was going to the Poly first and then the GF. This “scenic” tour from the airport was going to cost us our first FP (at my fave HM!) After dropping off Poly guests, it was our turn at last!

Or so we thought. We did not expect to be held hostage on the bus. When we pulled up under the porte cochère there was another bus ahead of us.

And our driver would not allow us to get off the bus!!

“I will open the door when the other bus leaves,” she announced.
We waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The hostages were getting antsy. We were ready to stage a coup.

Ten minutes later we were allowed to disembark.

Seeing greeter Richard was like finding a pot of gold after a difficult search.

We raced inside to stow our bags with Bell Services before boarding the monorail.
Passed this sign.

Our lunch ADR was at 12:15. Would we make it?

 

[coachwnh]

I'm still only on page 33 of your last TR!!! (and you're only 17 days from going again) I've got some reading to do.

 

[Tuvalu]

Methinks we’re gonna be late.

And we still had quite a way to walk after leaving the monorail station.

But celebrities are expected to be late.
#ShirleyStatus

What’s on the menu today?

We didn’t need to look at the menu. I took these pictures for you, dear reader.

A turkeyvore knows what she wants.

And Pot Roast for Woody is a must.

There’s no better way to end a Colonial meal.

I was most impressed with the generous scoops of ice cream and ample topping on our Ooey Gooey Cake.
We shared 60/40.....another reason I married him.

 

[coachwnh]

Now having completed page 33 of your previous TR, I know all about the "free pirates cruise" Glad you were able to hop on. We've done it a few times and its always a fun time.