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.

 

[Tuvalu]

Do you have a favorite seller of stickers for your bands? I heard stories about people getting suntan lotion on them, and smearing all to heck. Wondered if you have experienced that?

I use myfantasybands.com and have no complaints!

 

[Tuvalu]

While we were in the area it just made sense to treat ourselves to Ample Hills. (Don’t end your vacation without trying Ample Hills, @Longers!)

It was worth a wet walk and maneuvering around refurb zones.

See the container on the far right? That’s for the ice cream flight ~ six scoops of the flavors of your choice!

If not for his big Italian dinner, Woody would have been game for the flight. I could not tackle the flight on my own. In the end we shared scoops of Dark Chocolate and Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.

A perfect end to the evening would have been a leisurely stroll through Epcot and monorail back to the GF.

A leisurely stroll is no fun in a downpour.

Thankfully we were able to get to the Boardwalk bus stop mostly under cover. We had a LONG wait for the MK bus but it worked out in the end. The rain had stopped when we needed to walk from the bus area to the monorail platform. And we ended up outside Sago Cay just as Happily Ever After began.

There’s no better way to conclude a day than with fireworks.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Good choice on Ample Hills, but booo for not getting the Oatmeal Lace. That is the best flavor!

 

[need2go2wdw]

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.”

You mean there’s places to vacation other than Disney? Wait, what?

What is this foolery you speak of?

 

[MerMom1981]

I'm so glad to hear you had a good experience at Trattoria al Forma! I was considering the very same Boardwalk dinner and dessert combo, and you've tilted the scales!

 

[LisaBelle]

I missed the beginning, but I'm here now. The GF is on the top of my "places to stay" list. I loved walking around there on my last trip. Your relaxed pool day looks like heaven. Love that you called Em so she could lounge with you virtually, lol! Dinner looked delish. I would not have enjoyed the egg on the pasta either ! Looking forward to seeing what's next on your agenda.

 

[Tuvalu]

You mean there’s places to vacation other than Disney? Wait, what?
What is this foolery you speak of?

I don’t know what we were thinking!

I'm so glad to hear you had a good experience at Trattoria al Forma! I was considering the very same Boardwalk dinner and dessert combo, and you've tilted the scales!

I want credit if you like it, but not blame if you don’t.

I missed the beginning, but I'm here now. The GF is on the top of my "places to stay" list. I loved walking around there on my last trip. Your relaxed pool day looks like heaven. Love that you called Em so she could lounge with you virtually, lol! Dinner looked delish. I would not have enjoyed the egg on the pasta either ! Looking forward to seeing what's next on your agenda.

Happy you are here. Hope to post more soon.

 

[Pirate Magic]

I agree that the runners were a nice decorative touch....the beds look so plain without them. I’ve also read that in addition to theft (which still stuns me!) that guests were complaining that the runners were unsanitary and were difficult to keep on the beds.


Have you had the croissant at Gaston’s?


Adorbs!


Thanks for confirming....I thought the “Island” was new!


Yay!!

Thanks for commenting! Trying to keep up with my reports is akin to an AP Lit class ~ a lot of reading.


Can’t wait to read all about it!


I really wanted to be there but the 35th was wedding weekend. Woody and I had a blast at the 30th!

We were at the 30th too!!!!


Right?!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, August 21 ~ Eclipse Day

I picked up two apple crumb cakes for breakfast which were surprisingly yummy. Crumb cakes can sometimes be dry but these were moist and the chunks of cinnamon-tinged apples added another layer of flavor. We did not dine al fresco because it was full-on sun and too hot to sit on the balcony.

A perfect day for an eclipse. Or so I thought.

We made our way to the Courtyard pool around 9:30 am ~ the Beach pool was a “one and done” for us.

I relaxed while Woody prepped our loungers (isn’t that what cabana boys do? )

Then it was his turn to relax.

I laid back and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the summer sun. Woody began to read.

A few minutes later our “quiet” pool was no longer quiet. The sounds of Kung Fu Fighting reverberated across the water. I opened my eyes and Woody looked up from his book.

See the gal in pink? She was beckoning the few people at the pool to join in water aerobics.

Two women participated. Neither of them were me.

It seemed so weirdly out of place. Especially when You Make Me Wanna Shout began to play.

Were we really at the quiet pool at Disney’s flagship resort? Or had we teleported to the local YMCA?

The lesson lasted 30 minutes. Then Pinkie picked up her boombox and water noodles and left.

But that wasn’t the only odd thing we witnessed.

 

[krause]

But that wasn’t the only odd thing we witnessed.

Always leaving us with a cliffhanger

Very odd to have water aerobics at the quiet pool though With Woody’s luck, I’m surprised it wasn’t a kid’s activity!

 

[MerMom1981]

[QUOTE="
I want credit if you like it, but not blame if you don’t.
.[/QUOTE]

Naturally

 

[Tuvalu]

With Woody’s luck, I’m surprised it wasn’t a kid’s activity!

LOL!!

Naturally

 

[Tuvalu]

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.

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

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.

 

[12in12]

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.

Who would leave a child unsupervised at a pool?
I wish people had to take a test before being allowed to reproduce.

 

[MinnieM123]

I laid back and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the summer sun. Woody began to read.

A few minutes later our “quiet” pool was no longer quiet. The sounds of Kung Fu Fighting reverberated across the water. I opened my eyes and Woody looked up from his book.

See the gal in pink? She was beckoning the few people at the pool to join in water aerobics.

Really? Tuvalu, I can't believe you didn't get with the program!

This is the new Disney--if it's not an upcharge event, what you get is a leftover music tape from 1974 . . .

 

[Doc Disney]

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.

may it rest in peace

I wonder if Muppets will still be performed once the Hall of Presidents reopens (assuming it ever does!)

I mean...its still not open...who knows if it ever will

The mousekeeper arrived to do turn-down as soon as we got back to the room. We let her in as I wanted the chocolates!

Does everyone get turn down? We didn't get it on this last trip and I thought I had read everyone at GF gets it but I probably made that up

(For the record no one came to these loungers for the two hours I was there. And there were only a handful of people in the pool, who seemed to be camped out in the opposite end. I suspect sandal-leaver was in a park and was “saving” the loungers for later in the day. )

There are like a million chairs there...is it even necessary ? haha

 

[disneypearl]

Was the water aerobics lady a cast member or another guest? I don’t see a tag on her.

 

[MegRuss626]

Oh for Pete’s sake! All of that to get a lizard! I can’t....just can’t!

 

[Tuvalu]

Does everyone get turn down? We didn't get it on this last trip and I thought I had read everyone at GF gets it but I probably made that up

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?

 

[Tuvalu]

Really? Tuvalu, I can't believe you didn't get with the program!

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

Was the water aerobics lady a cast member or another guest? I don’t see a tag on her.

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.

Oh for Pete’s sake! All of that to get a lizard! I can’t....just can’t!

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