Trip Report Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Back to the World We Go! *COMPLETED*

Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely. I am your host ~ your trip report host. Here in the following pages you'll see how the Tuvalu family survived Spring Break 2017. Kindly sit back and relax please, and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now......

Well, that's not exactly true. You are free to FIND YOUR WAY OUT at any time. Although I hope you stick around for the tour. There's bound to be drama.

The deets:
Cast: Moi (Tuvalu), Benevolent Husband (Woody), and the only reason we braved Spring Break madness ~ our Teacher Daughter (Em)
Dates: April 1-8, 2017
Resort: Port Orleans French Quarter

Along the way you'll encounter the slowest cast members ever hired by Disney. Farewell performances of Wishes (were there tears?) The awesome Blue Angels flyover. A Magic meet-up with another mother/daughter pair equally obsessed with WDW as Em and me. And the BEST TRANSPORTATION EVER.

You'll also discover the answers to the following questions: Are Spring Break crowds really that bad? (I'll give you a hint......YES.) What the heck happened to the Trolley? And the flagpole? Is the Red Card really gone? Can you get a same-day ADR for Be Our Guest? What about 'Ohana?

And the most-pressing question of all: Will Woody be doomed to sit on a hard chair in our room chained to his PC and phone all week?

Now as they say, "Look alive" and we'll continue our little tour.

 

[mcstensrud]

I'm here also. Maybe I will get a @Tuvalu sighting!

 

[Tuvalu]

OK, we were there last week, got home Saturday. The other day we went resort hopping and while at the Poly I snapped this photo and thought, "It would be interesting to run into @Tuvalu and family while here." Seems we missed you by just a few days. OF course, I thought the same thing on our last visit, back in October. One of these days our paths just might cross. Guess we would have a better chance if we actually went to the parks, and we are thinking we might do the annual pass thing as a sorta wrap up to our theme park attending. You know, a big year of theme park attendance before giving it up.
Anyway, have ANOTHER wonderful trip!

Sweet of you to think of me. We probably have a better chance of meeting in N GA! Personally I think you and the Mrs. getting APs is a wonderful idea.....but I may be biased......

Aren't you going in June too?

Not gonna let Em go by herself.

 

[Tuvalu]

Hope we run into you!!

I'm here also. Maybe I will get a @Tuvalu sighting!

MK today

 

[mcstensrud]

MK today

Gonna be there for Dinner later!

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con't

Here's a first ~ posting about last month's vacation while currently on vacation ~ but I really want to get this TR finished.

After we said goodbye to @Doc Disney and her mom, Em and I felt like going to a sing-a-long. Okay, I felt like a sing-a-long and Em was willing to indulge me. (I didn't embarrass her....too much.)

How can you not like these guys??!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Now it was my turn to indulge Em....although Under the Sea is a favorite of mine as well. When we got there we discovered it had a 45 minute standby wait. (Because why would we want to check the app first? ) So we Plan B-ed it. (Anyone remember The Practice? "Plan B" was one of their frequent tactics.)

MPB to the rescue!

Nobody in line for Splash Mountain cause it's still down.

We did a complete circle tour.

 

[fractal]

Another entertaining report!

So cool to meet another WDWMagicer at the parks. Yeah, what was up with that photographer?

I only hope I'll be able to manage my magic band and fastpasses half as well as you.

Love the security check at the monorail resorts.

I hope (but I'm sure) you're having a great time there now. Perhaps just having a continuous Trip Report going may be appropriate? I am so jealous!

 

[sheriffwoody]

But she did not have anything clever to say about the missing rhinoceros.

I noticed that too! Maybe they're having to fix something? It moves right?

And for this monumental occasion, we picked the most inept Photopass photographer we could find.
(To be fair, it's a great shot of the rock formation in the background. )

AHHH that is so sad!!! I rarely see any photopass shots this bad . Too bad I wasn't there, I would have taken some glamour shots of the greatest mom/daughter duos at Disney World!

 

[djpoore94]

Now it was my turn to indulge Em....although Under the Sea is a favorite of mine as well. When we got there we discovered it had a 45 minute standby wait. (Because why would we want to check the app first? ) So we Plan B-ed it. (Anyone remember The Practice? "Plan B" was one of their frequent tactics.)

If anyone remembers The A-Team "There is no plan B"

 

[Tuvalu]

Another entertaining report!

So cool to meet another WDWMagicer at the parks. Yeah, what was up with that photographer?

I only hope I'll be able to manage my magic band and fastpasses half as well as you.

Love the security check at the monorail resorts.

I hope (but I'm sure) you're having a great time there now. Perhaps just having a continuous Trip Report going may be appropriate? I am so jealous!

Thanks for your kind words. We're having a great time.
Someday I'll catch up with my reporting!

 

[Tuvalu]

AHHH that is so sad!!! I rarely see any photopass shots this bad . Too bad I wasn't there, I would have taken some glamour shots of the greatest mom/daughter duos at Disney World!

Really needed your photog skills that day, @sheriffwoody!!

 

[Gabe1]

Though Em and I had missed FP #1, the window for #2 was now open (which still required a walk down Sunset Blvd.)

Em's sporting her new hat today!
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I'd really like to throw y'all a curve ball and say our next FP was for Beauty and the Beast.
But I'd be lying.
How about if I say our FP was for the TERROR TOWER (cause that is what I overheard a very insistent woman tell her family.)

A hotel surrounded by pretty flowers can't be all bad, right?
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I'm lying.
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Not sure what Em is fixated on here....my ear?
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There's not much love for Stitch in my family (apologies to @JenniferS and anyone else who finds him endearing.) However, when we saw this little guy sitting on the counter at the attraction exit, both Em and I couldn't help but fawn over his cuteness.

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A nearby CM heard us gushing and came over to tell us that Bellhop Stitch is on Twitter and his adventures are posted for all to see. As long as he doesn't TP Cinderella Castle again or deface a monorail I'm good.

So curious as to which of those guests Em was focused on, her expression is priceless!

And yes Stitch is a Hoot on twitter.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/BELLHOPSTITCH?src=hash
Been enjoying her adventures. Years ago I followed Pluto through WDW on another site. Fun times.

 

[Gabe1]

Have they been moved to the trash? Hehehe...evil laugh...not a fan of them obv!

Sadly the pastries have taken a hit in quality over the years. We grand opened the resort decades back. When the resort shut down due to decline of attendance after 9/11 Completely they and the food service including the once lovelies never measured up and I still mourn the loss of the table service that was once excellent, I don't grasp the business model in the French Quarters food service, the balance of the resort is beyond excellent, just don't eat there.

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con't

I expected MK to be at peak capacity today and did not want to contend with long lines at the counter service restaurants during lunch. So before leaving our room, I snagged an ADR for ~

Yes, I know we already ate here this week. But we could order in advance and someone else would deliver the food to us.

The only available table in our fave room was right by the door.

It was also directly in front of the Beauty and the Beast music box. This ended up being a problem because guests kept coming up to our table to take pictures of the music box. It made us uncomfortable.

We shared the turkey sandwich. The baguette was hard and crunchy, a bit of a disappointment.

"Tuvalu, I don't see any cupcakes in your picture!"
Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they weren't there.

 

[Tuvalu]

We left BOG and had to walk through Fantasyland to get to our next fastpass. You know it's a crazy day at the MK when CMs need to hold directional signs along the walkway!!

Looks like Splash is still dry.

Lots of folks in line for Haunted Mansion.

 

[Tuvalu]

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the park is SO crowded that the fastpass line (that's fastpass, not standby) for Big Thunder Mountain started here:

But it was still faster than stand-by!!!!!

And as usual @Longers, this one's for you!

 

[Gabe1]

Was this family so concerned about becoming separated that it was necessary to wear construction vests??!!

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Dear Lord! I want to slap up side the head the *planner* of the group that thought those vests up. Yeah, lets add ugly hot nylon vests to our attire for the day. Wonder how long that lasted?

 

[Gabe1]

Two words......personal space. Sadly seems to be a foreign concept to some people!


Precisely why I had to take a picture!


Now @LisaBelle, you're trying to apply logic.......

I am so sorry @TrolleyFollower91 let her guard down again as she seems to be a magnet for the odd guest wishing to sit next to her and ruin her experiences.

After the lady left her family and joined Em instead I liked the idea Em had of not sliding over until the ride was in motion. Hope she returns to that practice later in this report that I am so dreadfully far behind with.

 

[Gabe1]

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Just love that outfit @TrolleyFollower91

 

[Gabe1]

Our lunch ADR required us to take a lovely stroll out the International Gateway.

Really? It's necessary to put out this sign? Were there crowds of clueless people standing in this spot saying, "I wonder what resort this is?"
Cause the Beach Club has only been here 26 years.

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And for 26 years, guests have been able to find their way here ~
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Well, maybe they haven't recently. Despite those nifty hand-held devices that everyone has with maps and GPS, somehow it is still impossible to find Beaches and Cream (or Cape May) without a sign.

Woody arrived at the restaurant the same time we did. Our table was waiting for us.

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Our server was fantastic! She was prompt, attentive, quick to refill empty glasses and allowed me to make a substitution with the chicken sandwich without degrading me (see last summer's TR for reference.)

My yummy chicken sandwich.
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Em's delicious Patty melt.
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Woody's mouthwatering burger.
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All three of us were members of the clean plate club. And we saved room for dessert....we're in an ice cream restaurant, after all!

Woody and Em shared the No Way Jose.
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Unashamed, I devoured my chocolate marshmallow sundae all by myself.
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Had to eat it fast before the whipped cream slid off!

We spent over an hour at Beaches and Cream ~ it was the first time we'd been in there that no one ordered a Kitchen Sink.

I love the big smile on Woody's face with that Sundae in front of him. Sorry about the kitchen sink.

As most know I live in a small little Hamlet in N. IL and wandered today into a county that is half farm half wanta be urban. So my DD in route to our even more rural destination spot this. The freak'n kitchen sink!

wonder who lifted the idea from whom Disney???

*ahem* note price