Trip Report I Vowed Never Again ~ Yet Here We Are! *COMPLETED*

Wait, what?

WDW-obsessed Tuvalu actually vowed never again ?!?!

Must. Read. More.


Clickbait! :joyfull:

But there is truth in my statement. I did vow not to visit the world whenever our spring break...always the first week in April....aligns with Easter. The first week of April typically brings heavy crowds since most southern school systems are out. I can handle heavy. But add in additional volume from schools that coordinate their break with Easter and “heavy” becomes INSANE. (Not quite the insanity of Christmas week....I am smart enough to avoid that, thanks to a one-day trip in 1994.)

But I’ve BEEN THERE ~
In 2009 (during the recession) when it took 40 minutes just to get through the Epcot parking booth....and the line for the boat ride in Mexico was out the front door of the pavilion....and Magic Kingdom was closed due to capacity.

In 2010 when the mid-morning standby wait for Test Track was 240 minutes (that’s 4 hours, people!) and the wait time for Nemo (Nemo!) was 150 minutes.

In 2015 when we watched the 6:45 am MK Welcome show in the dark because we wanted to ride a few attractions before the hordes descended.

Long lines to use the restrooms (always filthy because attendants couldn’t keep up); no available tables in quick-service locations, forcing guests to sit on the ground outside the restaurants; and a general atmosphere of cranky/angry guests who didn’t like dealing with the multitude any more than I did.

So I declared, DONE THAT!

Or so I thought.....

My darling daughter Em lives for spring break. As a student she vacationed (Disney or beach) every year but one ~ and there was nearly a mutiny! Now that she’s a teacher, going away for spring break has reached an even higher level of importance. 😉 With this year’s Easter/spring break overlap, we began researching other warm-weather destinations.

Guess what we discovered. Transportation, resort and dining costs were cheaper if we went to WDW! And having APs means our entertainment would be free. Em’s teacher budget would not be strained. The practical side of me could not argue....and the mom side of me could not disappoint my daughter.

We leave on Monday. We’re prepared. And we’re gonna be LIVE!

BB429FCD-F668-4041-835B-D5BAFEDFD831.jpeg


A few Magic meet-ups are in the works. Hope to keep them a surprise (as long as @Zipitidoda doesn’t spill the beans! :cautious:)

Despite declining MagicBands for our upcoming stay, these arrived in yesterday’s mail ~

B65C6FED-62FE-4F60-AC49-54D2F3BA526E.jpeg


Yeah, like we’re gonna wear the UGLY gray ones.....🙄

See Ya Real Soon!
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
“Tu’s” day, con’t

As I mentioned in the LIVE part, we were very happy to discover the alternate walkway behind Main Street open. Festival of Fantasy was being performed twice today, once at noon and again at 3 pm. Both sides of Main Street were already lined with guests (3-4 deep) waiting for the first parade.

And Em and I practically had the bypass to ourselves. 😊

Tony’s Town Square was jam-packed with families. There was a long line to check in as well. We hoped that, being a party of two, odds were in our favor about being seated on the porch. Tony’s was Em’s choice ~ it used to be part of our regular rotation but after a menu change and a couple not-so-good meals it fell off the list.

A few years have gone by and she thought Tony’s deserved a revisit.

Being seated on the porch certainly started our lunch off right!
E13C533D-161E-43C8-B684-E7F972E42595.jpeg


And when focaccia (albeit not lavender) was brought to our table, it got even better.
D9592FC3-0E9E-40A9-87D6-17F3F8740548.jpeg


We ordered just as FoF was passing by.
BD2B3A62-B282-421A-98AC-E7F325AEE269.jpeg


87DF8838-9A84-481F-A1E6-6E62C06733B4.jpeg

Not many guests can view the parade from the comfort of a private table!

Em and I shared the Italian Trio ~ Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Parmigiana and Baked Rigatoni. It was plenty of food for two!
4D0EB353-7FB9-44B8-B075-C56CD48E0042.jpeg

The rigatoni was outstanding and definitely the best of the three. Interesting that the rigatoni by itself is not on the menu, whereas both the chicken parm and fettuccine are. The chicken was very good but the fettuccine had no flavor at all. 🤔

Our server kept our drinks full and paced the meal correctly, so no complaints there.

Overall, Tony’s redeemed itself for us.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
“Tu’s” day, con’t

As I mentioned in the LIVE part, we were very happy to discover the alternate walkway behind Main Street open. Festival of Fantasy was being performed twice today, once at noon and again at 3 pm. Both sides of Main Street were already lined with guests (3-4 deep) waiting for the first parade.

And Em and I practically had the bypass to ourselves. 😊

Tony’s Town Square was jam-packed with families. There was a long line to check in as well. We hoped that, being a party of two, odds were in our favor about being seated on the porch. Tony’s was Em’s choice ~ it used to be part of our regular rotation but after a menu change and a couple not-so-good meals it fell off the list.

A few years have gone by and she thought Tony’s deserved a revisit.

Being seated on the porch certainly started our lunch off right!
View attachment 279128

And when focaccia (albeit not lavender) was brought to our table, it got even better.
View attachment 279105

We ordered just as FoF was passing by.
View attachment 279106

View attachment 279107
Not many guests can view the parade from the comfort of a private table!

Em and I shared the Italian Trio ~ Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Parmigiana and Baked Rigatoni. It was plenty of food for two!
View attachment 279108
The rigatoni was outstanding and definitely the best of the three. Interesting that the rigatoni by itself is not on the menu, whereas both the chicken parm and fettuccine are. The chicken was very good but the fettuccine had no flavor at all. 🤔

Our server kept our drinks full and paced the meal correctly, so no complaints there.

Overall, Tony’s redeemed itself for us.
I have only eaten there once & I was happy with the food but I think what really did it was our table!!

Side note—I booked FP’s today. BF calls me this morning & I tell him I’m busy-I’ll call him back bc I’m getting FP’s(FOP was first on my list). I call him after I’m done & he asks me which restaurants I booked. Really?? Restaurants were booked in December...(& he picked half of them🙄🙄🙄).
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Obligatory "I"M REALLY LATE" But loved what i've read so far!!! Congrats on the new grandbaby!!! and the story about Myrtle is killing me. :hilarious:
Have missed you and glad to see you back, @ScarletBegonias. 😀

Ok, who are you and what have you done with Shirley?? No Jungle Cruise OR MPB? I feel like we should have some sort of security questions to prove identities!
Edit: Ok, I see that you have now amended your statement about Jungle Cruise. I'm still not convinced, and your lack of the Tuvalu pose on Space is not helping. If I see any dryer lint photos, I'm calling the FBI to report your abduction.
Still here, LOL.

Your report is just "Tu" entertaining already!! All caught up :)
😊

I have only eaten there once & I was happy with the food but I think what really did it was our table!!

Side note—I booked FP’s today. BF calls me this morning & I tell him I’m busy-I’ll call him back bc I’m getting FP’s(FOP was first on my list). I call him after I’m done & he asks me which restaurants I booked. Really?? Restaurants were booked in December...(& he picked half of them🙄🙄🙄).
Yes the table “made the meal” so to speak.
Your BF’s comment was funny....though I can relate as certain family members (*cough* Em *cough*) also have no recollection of the restaurants they chose for the trip.
 

monykalyn

Well-Known Member
@Zipitidoda, @krisri18, @Doc Disney, @monykalyn ~
Booked another mother/daughter trip yesterday....sounds like summer’s on its way! 😉
Nice!
Hubs is only going with us for drive down in May (oldest is doing her 2nd college program this summer). He's flying back Saturday am, so DD and I have 2 days before check in to find something to do...definitely hitting Epcot for a day and maybe a water park for other.
I'd like to sneak away with my middle kid for a quick trip this summer but that will have to wait and see.
While I love having the whole family I really like one on one trips with the kids too
 

Big Hair

Well-Known Member
I needed to make a pit-stop before our next attraction. Em did not so she took pictures.

View attachment 279012

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Crowds were light in Fantasyland, but it was still early.
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Forgive me for not remembering who posted the picture of the frying pans in the men’s restrooms ~ but I decided to return the favor for him.

Here are the sinks in the ladies room ~ pan-free.
View attachment 279015

Our next attraction, however was not Pan-free.
View attachment 279016
Pardon my pixie dust was the photographer of the frying pans in the tangled men's room. We were on a mission. My son's and my 1st collaborative photo shoot. I might have insisted he take the picture rambling on how much Tuvalu would appreciate it. The mission was urged on by red nose mickey who was with us after we met at top of the World. There was also supposed to be a picture of a light fixture as a salute to doc disney.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Isn't there a Tuvalu and Woody trip coming up?
Poor Woody though, always being left at home lol
Don't cry for Woody. He'll have gone twice before the next mother/daughter vacay. ;)

Pardon my pixie dust was the photographer of the frying pans in the tangled men's room. We were on a mission. My son's and my 1st collaborative photo shoot. I might have insisted he take the picture rambling on how much Tuvalu would appreciate it. The mission was urged on by red nose mickey who was with us after we met at top of the World. There was also supposed to be a picture of a light fixture as a salute to doc disney.
Thanks, @Pardonmypixiedust! And thanks @Big Hair for bring it to my attention!
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Chris told me about the frying pans in the men’s tangled restrooms last November and couldn’t believe it when I said we had nothing in the ladies - he wasn’t brave enough to get a picture though!

I made Brad get a picture of the frying pans otherwise I told him I would go in and see for myself. He said on guy gave him an odd look and he just told the guy his wife was making him take a picture. He said the guys shrugged and nodded. I guess the guy has a crazy wife too!
 

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