Trip Report Everything Is Just So Peachy Keen! *COMPLETED*

It certainly was for us Georgia peaches this last week! For those who may be new here, let us introduce ourselves. We are Tuvalu and Em, a mother-daughter duo who love traveling together to Walt Disney World. We take multiple trips per year (this was our third for 2022) and for us, time spent at our resort is just as important to us as time spent in the parks. Slow-paced relaxation is vital to us!

I’m sure this laid-back vibe is what draws people to cruises: pools, bars, a variety of restaurants and activities from which to choose . I can’t do ships. But I can happily “land cruise” at WDW!

Hope you decide to follow along and learn about the surprises on our most recent voyage.

When: July 20-27, 2022
Where: Disney’s Yacht Club and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resorts

Nothing can stop us now!

 

[Darstarr]

But the most odd (or awkward) feature of the bathroom were the three pocket doors, two of which opened into the hallway. At minimum two of the doors needed to be closed for privacy.

I complain to dvc every stay about how stupid (yeah, I said stupid) their bathroom set ups are. Who lives like this???

 

[Tuvalu]

It is only in DVC rooms. A $30 charge is placed on your card if the book ends up being “misplaced”. We had a note stating such at OKW one time.

They had that at Aulani too! There was a note in it about not taking it.

Clearly I never opened the book!

 

[Tuvalu]

J & I ate(for the first time) at the Regal Eagle on our last trip. It was so good!! As much as I wanted to get the S’Mores brownie I couldn’t. He wanted his favorite, the funnel cake, for dessert!!

Next time get it to go.

@Tuvalu, yours are my favorite trip reports. Thanks for sharing!

And now you have to book taking it on the app at 7am.

Don’t give them any ideas!

I complain to dvc every stay about how stupid (yeah, I said stupid) their bathroom set ups are. Who lives like this???

Guaranteed the architects were male.

 

[Darstarr]

Guaranteed the architects were male.

And stupid. (Yeah, I said it again!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

Time for the reveal of why we started our vacation a day early.

I am a HUGE fan of Journey. And although Steve Augeri is no Steve Perry (the band’s original lead singer) his voice and style are close enough for me. I’ve also seen a few Journey tribute bands, though none will top the DSB performances I watched with Em in this very theater during the Sounds Like Summer concert series in July of 2016.

From my 2016 trip report:

It was nearing 5 p.m. and we made a hurried walk past China, Africa, Germany and Italy. I wanted to make sure we would get seats for:

DSB...A Tribute to JOURNEY!!!!!!

I *may* be just a *tiny* Journey fan. I *may* crank up the volume for Who's Cryin' Now and get a tear in my eye when I hear Lights (the first song Woody and I danced to as husband and wife.) And my kids *may* have been raised with a Journey soundtrack in the background.

The show rocked!! I tried to contain my enthusiasm, as to not totally embarrass Em. (There were others in the audience who were already doing that for me.) For those who may be interested, this was the set:
Be Good To Yourself
Any Way You Want It
Stone In Love
Who's Cryin' Now
Ask The Lonely
And of course the finale:
Don't Stop Believin' (The original, NOT the Glee version!)

When we exited the theater, I was one happy camper.

We ate dinner at Tangierine Cafe. After enjoying the yumminess, I casually asked Em if she wouldn't mind walking back past the America Gardens Theatre on our way to Future World. (We had a FP for Spaceship Earth.) DSB was just beginning their second show as we approached the theater.

As we heard the opening riff for Only The Young (one of my favorites), Em looked at me and said, "We're going to have to go back inside aren't we?" I grinned.

As you can see, our seats weren't as close and we were not in the shade. But Em was indulging me (and hoping she might get to hear her favorite Journey song.) After each song concluded, she would chant: "Separate Ways! Separate Ways! Separate Ways!"

But this was the set list:
Only The Young
Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
Lights
Escape
(Medley) Foolish Heart/Patiently/Open Arms

"We have time for one more song," the lead singer announced.

I turned to Em and said, "Well, since they are called DSB, you know they'll end with Don't Stop Believin' again."
"Yeah, you're probably right," she replied.

And then it happened. The opening chords for Separate Ways.

Em. Went. NUTS!!

There was screaming. (Her? Me? Both?) Embarassment was no longer a factor as we both sang along at the top of our lungs. It was by far the most magical moment of our trip!!

So six years and one month later, here I sat without Em but with my beloved, waiting for the first show to start.

It was about 45 minutes prior to showtime. Woody and I watched as the dark clouds rolled in, hoping for no storm. There had been only the slightest chance of rain in the evening forecast so we'd left our umbrellas in the room.

Soon I forgot about the weather. I was excited for the music to come. And unlike six years ago, I was planning to stay for more than one show.

Finally the band took the stage. Steve Augeri was introduced and the crowd went wild.

"Tuvalu, that looks like a very mellow crowd," you may be thinking. And you'd be right. Because I took the above pictures during a love ballad in the middle of the set.

I could not take any pictures during the opening number. Because....

Separate Ways!!

As fast as I could, I FaceTimed Em. I didn't say a word. I just held my phone up facing the stage. It was a moment I had to share with her.

We disconnected when the song was over.

Steve was having a little trouble hitting the notes in the songs that followed. During one song he skipped over several words. It was not his finest hour.

It also made the decision to leave after the first show easy.

Well, that and the weather.

 

[Tiggerish]

Stone in Love may be one of the best songs ever.

 

[Tuvalu]

Stone in Love may be one of the best songs ever.

That was the song immediately after Separate Ways! Steve also made it through Lights before his voice took a turn for the worse. Faithfully did him in.

 

[Tuvalu]

Guests are required to exit the America Gardens Theater after each performance. They are free to join the line for the next show.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for the next set?” Woody asked. He knew how much I’d been looking forward to this Eat to the Beat concert. But even if the singing had been flawless, the uncertainty in the sky made me nervous.

There had been quite the lightning show around us while we were in the theater. Loud thunder now startled us. It was definitely raining in the front of the park. I didn’t feel like becoming a drowned rat. There was also the possibility that the next show would be cancelled. We weren’t the only ones in the theater currently seeking shelter from a potential storm.

The “convenience” of staying at a Skyliner resort was no longer convenient. The Skyliner was down. Disney’s solution for alternate transportation is this lonely sign posted near the International Gateway.

Yeah, we’re not walking aaallll the way to the main entrance into the storm. There should be a shuttle service adjacent to the IG Skyliner station! (The Skyliner is great…..when it works.) At the very least, there should be a push notification in the app with clear instruction of transport options when the Skyliner is closed. I feel sorry for those guests who don’t know what to do!

Woody and I headed out the International Gateway, hoping to make it to Beach Club before the torrents began. Our plan was to get to the BC bus stop via its covered walkway and board the MK bus. The gate for Riviera is adjacent to BC’s gate at the MK station, so we wouldn’t have to get wet.

Would we make it in time?

 

[Tuvalu]

I breathed a sigh of relief once we entered the Beach Club lobby. We were dry.

We made a quick restroom stop and then took the covered walkway to the bus. It was now raining, though not too hard. There were a handful of people waiting for buses.

Just as Woody and I arrived so did a bus with Skyliner Resorts on its directional sign.

The driver opened the door. No one immediately moved towards the bus, so we did. I asked if the bus was going to the Riviera.

“Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and Riviera, yes,” she said loudly. Woody and I boarded. A few others did behind us. We all marveled at our good fortune not to have to transfer elsewhere. The rain intensity had picked up.

I hoped that Riviera would be the first stop due to it being a deluxe resort. It was not. Pop was first, followed by AoA — no guests got off at either resort and the bus did not pick up any guests, since it had used a non-marked drop off spot.

CBR was next. The bus winded through the resort and did not stop until it reached the Skyliner bus station. Who knew there was a Skyliner bus station? Our bus idled behind another bus for a couple minutes until it was able to get closer for drop off. One woman got off. The driver told her she would need to wait for the internal shuttle at this station.

Seven of us remained on the bus, all going to Riviera. We wondered why the driver didn’t ask each passenger for their destination (like Magical Express drivers did). It would have saved time and the futile effort of driving to Pop/AoA. (And as the majority, perhaps we Riviera guests could have been dropped off first?)

Thirty five minutes later, we were home.

Woody and I entered through the lobby. It’s got to be the smallest WDW resort lobby. A “lobbyette” so to speak.

We popped into the gift store. It was small too. But they sold Richie Rich luggage!

Cute ornaments that I did not buy.

We checked out Le Petit Cafe and its library-themed seating area.

We ended up outside to get back to our first floor room. The rain had stopped temporarily and I had to take this pretty picture.

I forgot to mention that Woody and I had checked into our room at 3 pm.
At 6:30 pm, I got our check out notification for the morning.
“Welcome Home. But you can’t stay here very long!”

 

[Tuvalu]

We could hear the rain resume from inside our room.

Shortly after 9 pm we heard a thunderous explosion. Then another.

I threw open the drapes to a marvelous sight.

Then I stepped out onto our patio for a better view.

Not the best fireworks (or pictures ) I’ve ever seen, but certainly better than being in Epcot and having to suffer through the rest of Harmonious!

(My buddy @Tony the Tigger prefers his fireworks from a cruise ship .)

 

[93boomer]

We could hear the rain resume from inside our room.

Shortly after 9 pm we heard a thunderous explosion. Then another.

I threw open the drapes to a marvelous sight.

View attachment 673241

Then I stepped out onto our patio for a better view.

View attachment 673243

View attachment 673242

View attachment 673244

View attachment 673245

Not the best fireworks (or pictures ) I’ve ever seen, but certainly better than being in Epcot and having to suffer through the rest of Harmonious!

(My buddy @Tony the Tigger prefers his fireworks from a cruise ship .)

Lucky you! Some are better than none.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Lovely overhead light fixture but we missed having a FAN. The a/c shut off during the night for lack of air movement and we woke up hot.

Yes---I'm so sad they've removed the fans--it's just too hot to sleep!!

I am a HUGE fan of Journey. And although Steve Augeri is no Steve Perry (the band’s original lead singer) his voice and style are close enough for me. I’ve also seen a few Journey tribute bands, though none will top the DSB performances I watched with Em in this very theater during the Sounds Like Summer concert series in July of 2016

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaawwwwwwwwwwww......I'm so happy you and Em have such a connection with the music---and you and Woody, too.

 

[Zipadeelady]

View attachment 673243

COME ON! This is a super cool shot. It could be a lit up palm tree or a perfectly placed fireworks picture!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Though our check-out time was 11 am, Woody and I planned to “check out” Riviera’s recreation amenities today. That meant no rushing around. We slept in and had a leisurely breakfast with items brought from home.

One of those items was not bacon. So when Woody’s bare foot stepped on a piece of bacon as he proceeded to sit down at the table, we knew it wasn’t ours.

And neither was the cold tablet about six inches away from the bacon.

It made us question Disney’s “Covid Cleaning Standards” they brag about on the display card in every resort room….

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

It made us question Disney’s “Covid Cleaning Standards” they brag about on the display card in every resort room….

View attachment 673535

Eww. Especially troubling since that looks to me like NyQuil. So that previous occupant was sick.

 

[rshell68]

One of those items was not bacon. So when Woody’s bare foot stepped on a piece of bacon as he proceeded to sit down at the table, we knew it wasn’t ours.

And neither was the cold tablet about six inches away from the bacon.

 

[MissingDisney]

Eww. Especially troubling since that looks to me like NyQuil. So that previous occupant was sick.

I take a vitamin supplement that looks exactly like that, so hopefully not

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

I take a vitamin supplement that looks exactly like that, so hopefully not

True. I am unable to tell from the picture if there are any markings on the other side so I can’t positively identify it but regardless of what it is it shouldn’t be on a hotel room floor. Especially somewhere with lots of young children.

 

[Tuvalu]

True. I am unable to tell from the picture if there are any markings on the other side so I can’t positively identify it but regardless of what it is it shouldn’t be on a hotel room floor. Especially somewhere with lots of young children.

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, con’t

By 10:30am we’d loaded the car and were ready to explore Riviera’s outdoor offerings. We knew we’d prefer the quiet pool rather than the feature pool so we headed there.

A MagicBand or key card was required to enter the pool area.

Though hard to see in the picture, there were stairs between the two safety bars which made for a nice sitting shelf in the water.

View from the opposite end of the pool.

I really liked the blue striped cushions on the loungers. Pretty and comfy!

This would be our spot for the next several hours.

And this would be our view.

Better to face the lake than the towers, don’t you think?