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.

 

[Tuvalu]

Yay! So excited for a new @Tuvalu TR! I am most definitely in!

YAY!

I'm in (as always)!!!

Hopping on board!

Yay another Tuvalu TR!!!!!!!

Happy to have you friends along, @LisaBelle, @bee, @LadyBelle, @MerMom1981, @PrincessL

 

[Tuvalu]

So, my dog was sitting on the floor next to my desk chair here at home. I told him that Tuvalu was back in WDW again . . . and he barked, and trotted out of the room. Apparently, we're both jealous!!

Do you have your yearly trip coming up? I hope so!

Man...I was already bummed we decided not to join my sister in law for a quick 2 day "babymoon" to watch Wishes one more time...but now I see I would have been there during your trip! Boo!!

So close and yet so far......

Best intro post ever. Can't wait for more!

Thanks, Brittany!

 

[Tuvalu]

Hi Tuvalu
I guess I will follow along
Although if I remember correctly I was supposed to be included in this trip.
Maybe next time???
If you have room in the car???

Max

Well if it isn't too much trouble for you......
There were some last minute changes to this trip and I neglected to put "Pick up Max" on my to-do list. My bad.
No car next time....we're flying the friendly skies. (Not with United....we don't want to arrive bloody and bruised!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Yay! Another Tuvalu report and just as I'm about to leave on my Disney trip (but to Disneyland), so I will have to catch up when I return. I'm looking forward to reading about your adventures though.

Have a fabulous time!! Think of me when you ride Radiator Springs Racers, hands down my favorite Disney ride!

Following along. Can't wait to read more!

Welcome, @Castle Dreamer!

Excited to read! Your teacher daughter needs to live a little! Leave the munchkins during the year. I'm saving up personal days for two years to take a fourteen day, off-season vacation extravaganza October 2018. My fourth graders will survive without me for a bit...

Em would like nothing more than to make an October visit...MNSSHP has been on her bucket list for years!

 

[Tuvalu]

I'm ready for another great Tuvalu TR!!

I'm in. Your trip reports rock!

I'm in!

I'm here with my popcorn ready for drama!

Yay, glad y'all are along for the tour.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I've been (im)patiently waiting for your next report. Can't wait to read more!

 

[PacNWTigger]

I'm following along too. I'm looking forward to your adventures and drama.

 

[Tuvalu]

I've been (im)patiently waiting for your next report. Can't wait to read more!

I'm following along too. I'm looking forward to your adventures and drama.

More to come!

 

[DisneyJeff]

I guess I need to cancel my meetings for a while... There's a new @Tuvalu trip report to follow!!!

 

[joshsprincess921]

Yay, another Tuvalu trip report! I'm on board!

 

[LeighM]

Finally a trip report I'm not late to

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, April 1

When I booked this trip back in the fall, Woody had just changed jobs and we weren't sure he'd be able to come along. I made our ADRs for a party of 3 (figuring it is easier to drop a person from a ressie than add one) but only had my name and Em's name on the resort reservation (no sense paying the additional adult fee in advance if only 2 of us would be in the room.)

A few days before we were set to depart, Woody determined that he could work from Disney and offered to be our chauffeur. It would mean no loud party tunes sing-along for us gals, but opened the possibility for napping to pass the time. We anticipated heavy Atlanta spring break traffic (so we left home at 6 am), but even with the collapse of the I-85 bridge two days prior we did not encounter any traffic slowdowns. However the Chick-Fil-A in Macon (our usual breakfast stop) was packed to the gills! I waited 10 minutes to use the restroom.

We hit the stop-and-go traffic in Gainesville (a couple hours north of WDW) which made the remainder of our drive drag. It seemed like the entire state of Michigan (followed closely by Kentucky) was heading to see the mouse. We finally arrived at POFQ shortly after 3 pm. Though I had done online check-in, my room text never came. In fact, I didn't even receive the "your room is not quite ready yet" text. Oh well ~ I needed to stop at the front desk anyway to add Woody to our room.

Oddly, there was no desk marked "Online Check In" and my puzzled expression caught the attention of an older male CM who told me to follow him to the concierge desk. He did a lot of key punching (and kept making odd jokes which weren't funny in the least) and finally announced (almost gleefully), "Your room's not ready yet!"

Huh. By my watch it was pushing 3:30 pm and aren't rooms supposed to be ready by 3?

I mentioned I needed to add Woody to our room.
"Do you want him to have charging privileges?"
"Uh, sure?"
"Because if you want him to have charging privileges, I need to charge you the nightly extra person fee. If you just want him to have a room key, I can add him as a Day Guest at no charge."
Well that's a no-brainer. Woody can use his own credit card if it means saving $140!
"Day guest, please."

More typing. I wait. And wait. "I don't understand why your room is not ready," the CM muttered.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Woody.
Is he transferring us to the Poly?
Sadly no, I replied.

The CM squinted at his screen. My phone buzzed again.
Your room 4120 is ready.
"You'll get a text when your room is ready," said the CM.
"Just got it," I replied, anxious to be done with the slowest online check-in process EVER.

I met up with Woody and Em in the lobby and we headed off to see the room.

It certainly met my "near transportation" request. The bus stop was mere steps away.

Just down this path....

....and to the left.

We unloaded the car and I plugged in my clock, @MinnieM123.

Then we were off to our first park!

 

[Tuvalu]

I guess I need to cancel my meetings for a while... There's a new @Tuvalu trip report to follow!!!

You may as well keep to your schedule. This TR may take awhile.

Yay, another Tuvalu trip report! I'm on board!

Great! You'll be home soon, right?

Finally a trip report I'm not late to

Gold star for you!

 

[rshell68]

Usually just a lurker but I do just have to say I totally adore your trip reports! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!!

 

[Courtney6682]

I asked for the same request and got room 4223...such a great spot! @Tuvalu

 

[Tuvalu]

Usually just a lurker but I do just have to say I totally adore your trip reports! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!!

My pleasure. Thanks for reading!

I asked for the same request and got room 4223...such a great spot! @Tuvalu

I forgot to mention in my post that our room 4120 was the same room that we had stayed in on our last POFQ visit. How weird is that??

(I'm such a dweeb, I keep records of our room numbers! )

 

[onesandzeros]

My pleasure. Thanks for reading!


I forgot to mention in my post that our room 4120 was the same room that we had stayed in on our last POFQ visit. How weird is that??

(I'm such a dweeb, I keep records of our room numbers! )

I do that too! But never hit the same room twice at Riverside.

 

[TheMouseFan]

Wow, I'm really late this time! But I'm here now and can't wait to read all about your adventures! It will help my 53 days until I'm "home" go faster!!

 

[Big Hair]

Yay, Tuvalu, a trip report, my heart is glowing with happiness. I will be following in eager anticipation for every turn of events. Made my day. Thank you for all the magic you share.

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con't

So despite just bragging about how close our room was to the bus stop, we opted to drive to Epcot. Had we known we'd end up parking in the far corner of the lot (Explore section, where the marathon tents are set up) and needed to take the tram to the entrance (since it was too far to walk), we might have reconsidered. (Especially after we discovered that the bus stop for POFQ was very close to the park entrance! )

We did not get a good look at the entrance topiary due to too many people blocking the view. (Not guests who were admiring it or photographing it; most were sitting on or leaning against the wall. Thanks so much Disney for removing park benches. )

Our first stop was the Art of Disney store. I love this painting! The flowers, the Disney birds, the iconic birdhouses...what a visual treat for the eyes! (Don't worry, we left it behind for others to enjoy. )

Since the Flower and Garden Festival Center is only open Friday-Sunday, we walked across the park to explore it.

Though hard to tell, this sign is mounted on a waterfall.

Floral beauty is everywhere you look. This time of year, Epcot is a carousel of color!

Never realized how much the ceiling of this pavilion resembles Spaceship Earth.

I remember when the Flower and Garden Festival had a different logo each year (which included the date.) Now the undated signs are recycled. Environmentally green or money saver? I'll let you decide.