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
After finishing my Violet Lemonade we made swift headway to the Land. The FP line was crazy long and I feared Mickey’s head might turn blue when we reached the tapstile.

Instead I heard, “Happy Anniversary!”

I turned to see a CM smiling at me.

It was not my anniversary. Not even close to being my anniversary.

“Mom, every time you tap your band here “Happy Anniversary” pops up on the screen,” Em said.

I’d forgotten....Em was right....I am always wished a Happy Anniversary whenever I fastpass LWTL. Not Woody. Only me. Which begs the question: who am I sharing anniversaries with??!!

Some Farm Ride pictures, courtesy of Em.
E0C5DD1E-425C-402B-BDAE-6E9E6F2C20B9.jpeg


218DE8AE-F713-4429-8F8B-42CBC6D2BDCF.jpeg


I wanna sit here!
BCA1E85B-9C00-4690-AC2B-D58484D13139.jpeg
 

KMP

Member
On a good day, service is only marginally average. However the server in charge of beverages is always top notch and today would be no exception. Our water glasses were kept filled to the brim.

I had a similar experience at Via Napoli on Saturday. Our beverage server came by often. He was pleasant and kept our glasses full. Our main server, on the other hand, was very curt and kept making comments about how long everything was going to take. (He was right, so I guess we can say we were warned!) We saw him twice- once to take our order and once to bring the check.
 

93boomer

Premium Member
Before our FP I had to stop for a Violet Lemonade. Across from where we were sitting was a PhotoPass spot with a lonely photographer so we quickly jumped up and went over.

This is the colorful beauty between Future World and World Showcase that I referenced earlier.
View attachment 280045

If there had only been a monorail behind us the pic would be complete!

View attachment 280046
So far this is my favorite picture of you two!!
 

ELeigh

Well-Known Member
He disappeared....I mean, seriously disappeared! I knew if I gave him my Tables in Wonderland card when he returned we’d have to wait EVEN LONGER for him to apply the discount. And he certainly was not worthy of the automatic 18% gratuity included when using TiW. I had enough cash to cover the pizza and a small tip. When he finally dropped the wallet on our table, I shoved the bills inside and Em and I walked out the side door. We didn’t even wait for his return to pick up the wallet.
I cancelled my Via Napoli ADR for a few weeks from now after reading your love TR, I am very glad I did after reading this.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
I had a similar experience at Via Napoli on Saturday. Our beverage server came by often. He was pleasant and kept our glasses full. Our main server, on the other hand, was very curt and kept making comments about how long everything was going to take. (He was right, so I guess we can say we were warned!) We saw him twice- once to take our order and once to bring the check.
Ugh! Something NEEDS to be done!

I cancelled my Via Napoli ADR for a few weeks from now after reading your love TR, I am very glad I did after reading this.
Wise decision. We cancelled an upcoming ADR for June due to our recent experience.

So far this is my favorite picture of you two!!
Awwww thanks. 😊
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Before our FP I had to stop for a Violet Lemonade. Across from where we were sitting was a PhotoPass spot with a lonely photographer so we quickly jumped up and went over.

This is the colorful beauty between Future World and World Showcase that I referenced earlier.
View attachment 280045

If there had only been a monorail behind us the pic would be complete!

View attachment 280046
This pic is simply stunning!! It's perfect!!
 

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
(This pic is for @Tony the Tigger ~ he’ll know why.)

I already had a similar one ready to go...🤨

Wondering if it's an Italian thing.

🤨

And no lie, we could hear him pleading to go to Morocco as we walked through France and across the bridge to the U.K. ~ where I saw these topiaries and was reminded of:
@Tony the Tigger
View attachment 280042

And Brian
View attachment 280041

:joyfull: :joyfull: :joyfull:

💕

I never realized how rabbit-shaped Brian is - or how Brian-shaped rabbit is? 🤣
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Before our FP I had to stop for a Violet Lemonade. Across from where we were sitting was a PhotoPass spot with a lonely photographer so we quickly jumped up and went over.

This is the colorful beauty between Future World and World Showcase that I referenced earlier.
View attachment 280045

If there had only been a monorail behind us the pic would be complete!

View attachment 280046

Lovely photos of you and Em!
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Em and I needed to say goodbye to Epcot. We had a VIP appointment to keep!

A quick monorail ride dropped us at the TTC and we walked over to the Poly. The afternoon continued to be quite warm so we cut through some longhouses in order to be blasted with a/c. When we reached the Great Ceremonial House, we climbed the stairs and waited here ~

95586350-AD56-4DD9-961D-33F1C3B57627.jpeg


@lostpro9het and his wife were stuck in a wayward Uber but soon made it to the now-legendary Tambu Lounge. It seemed the perfect location for me to meet my nemesis for the very first time. 😉:joyfull:

We found a table and ordered drinks to toast our Magic meet.
4A94D2B5-B052-49D7-92EE-9B9D1E5CF399.jpeg

(@lostpro9het loves it when folks incorporate internet pictures in their trip reports. I had to oblige.)

Em, of course, needed an Island Sunset. Usually I go for a Pina Colada when at Tambu but I felt like shaking things up and went with the Island Sunset. Mr. Craft Beer Man had the Lapu Lapu and his lovely wife a Watermelon Margarita.

As fellow Georgians, we discussed a lot of our commonalities as well as jobs and of course DISNEY. As other forum members can attest (looking at you @Zipitidoda, @blgauger, @myhappyplace) the Prophets are a delightful couple and Em and I really enjoyed our time with them.

And the bartender who took our picture (actually 8 of them....he kept his finger on the button too long) was a hoot!
FA48D231-3FC2-4646-9805-F2E008A7422D.jpeg
 

Zipadeelady

Well-Known Member
Em and I needed to say goodbye to Epcot. We had a VIP appointment to keep!

A quick monorail ride dropped us at the TTC and we walked over to the Poly. The afternoon continued to be quite warm so we cut through some longhouses in order to be blasted with a/c. When we reached the Great Ceremonial House, we climbed the stairs and waited here ~

View attachment 280084

@lostpro9het and his wife were stuck in a wayward Uber but soon made it to the now-legendary Tambu Lounge. It seemed the perfect location for me to meet my nemesis for the very first time. 😉:joyfull:

We found a table and ordered drinks to toast our Magic meet.
View attachment 280083
(@lostpro9het loves it when folks incorporate internet pictures in their trip reports. I had to oblige.)

Em, of course, needed an Island Sunset. Usually I go for a Pina Colada when at Tambu but I felt like shaking things up and went with the Island Sunset. Mr. Craft Beer Man had the Lapu Lapu and his lovely wife a Watermelon Margarita.

As fellow Georgians, we discussed a lot of our commonalities as well as jobs and of course DISNEY. As other forum members can attest (looking at you @Zipitidoda, @blgauger, @myhappyplace) the Prophets are a delightful couple and Em and I really enjoyed our time with them.

And the bartender who took our picture (actually 8 of them....he kept his finger on the button too long) was a hoot!
View attachment 280082
You definitely had great company. The photo of you and Em at Epcot is wonderful!
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Em and I pondered how to spend the rest of our time before our next Magic meet up. I wanted to visit Basin in the GF, since that is the only location that carries the Vanilla Grapefruit body cream that my DIL adores. Purchase complete, we boarded a bus for Disney Springs and chose Earl of Sandwich for dinner. Earl’s used to be slammed with guests during mealtimes, but since the expansion of new options at DS getting food and finding a table is a lot less hassle.

The sandwiches have gone up in price (like everything else *sigh*)but are still a good value and DELICIOUS. :hungry: We also discovered something new ~ Earl’s chocolate chunk cookies. Soft, chocolatety, gooey, yumminess.

1F46FA8C-D7EE-443F-854B-521E53F2F26F.jpeg


I only bought one and we shared it. Mistake. Not only was it THAT GOOD, but according to the label on the package the cookie was only one calorie.

CECE4F52-73C0-424B-BCB1-543708CC174D.jpeg

You can bet that next trip we’ll be stocking up on Earl’s cookies! :joyfull:
 

LadyBelle

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
He disappeared....I mean, seriously disappeared! I knew if I gave him my Tables in Wonderland card when he returned we’d have to wait EVEN LONGER for him to apply the discount. And he certainly was not worthy of the automatic 18% gratuity included when using TiW. I had enough cash to cover the pizza and a small tip. When he finally dropped the wallet on our table, I shoved the bills inside and Em and I walked out the side door. We didn’t even wait for his return to pick up the wallet.

Did you contact Disney about this? I would think that even if this isn’t owned by Disney, it’s still on Disney Property and they could put them back to customer service training.
 

krisri18

Well-Known Member
After finishing my Violet Lemonade we made swift headway to the Land. The FP line was crazy long and I feared Mickey’s head might turn blue when we reached the tapstile.

Instead I heard, “Happy Anniversary!”

I turned to see a CM smiling at me.

It was not my anniversary. Not even close to being my anniversary.

“Mom, every time you tap your band here “Happy Anniversary” pops up on the screen,” Em said.

I’d forgotten....Em was right....I am always wished a Happy Anniversary whenever I fastpass LWTL. Not Woody. Only me. Which begs the question: who am I sharing anniversaries with??!!

Some Farm Ride pictures, courtesy of Em.
View attachment 280055

View attachment 280057

I wanna sit here!
View attachment 280056
Maybe it's the anniversary of the first time you rode LWTL?
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
Glad to hear Earl of Sandwich is still tasty. It's on our list in June. We've never been there, do you have any recommendations?

I can’t do it. There’s one at the rest stop on the turnpike on the way home. 🧐

At the rate you're going I think a visit to CiCi's pizza might be better than VN now...

FTFY
#nemesis @wdisney9000

If you’re ever broke in Orlando because (according to some people you’d think) all the maids rifle through all the hotel rooms...

Most hotel lobbies where they have all those tourist pamphlets have a 2 for 1 CiCi’s buffet coupon. That’s $5.99 for two buffets. (Must each buy a drink.) It’s not good, but you will be full and able to pay for parking two nights at a Moderate resort with the savings 🤗
 

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
“Please can we ride Pooh? The sign says 30 minutes but typically the sign is wrong,” I begged.

Sweet Em agreed.
View attachment 279018

View attachment 279019

The sign was wrong, just as I said.
The wait was almost 45 minutes. :banghead:

Em did not complain.

We saw these adorable baby loveys in the Pooh store.
View attachment 279020
Tuvaleen’s arrival was still a couple weeks away (or so we thought!) so I was not tempted.

Babies have a way of doing that, don't they <3
 

Big Hair

Well-Known Member
Em and I needed to say goodbye to Epcot. We had a VIP appointment to keep!

A quick monorail ride dropped us at the TTC and we walked over to the Poly. The afternoon continued to be quite warm so we cut through some longhouses in order to be blasted with a/c. When we reached the Great Ceremonial House, we climbed the stairs and waited here ~

View attachment 280084

@lostpro9het and his wife were stuck in a wayward Uber but soon made it to the now-legendary Tambu Lounge. It seemed the perfect location for me to meet my nemesis for the very first time. 😉:joyfull:

We found a table and ordered drinks to toast our Magic meet.
View attachment 280083
(@lostpro9het loves it when folks incorporate internet pictures in their trip reports. I had to oblige.)

Em, of course, needed an Island Sunset. Usually I go for a Pina Colada when at Tambu but I felt like shaking things up and went with the Island Sunset. Mr. Craft Beer Man had the Lapu Lapu and his lovely wife a Watermelon Margarita.

As fellow Georgians, we discussed a lot of our commonalities as well as jobs and of course DISNEY. As other forum members can attest (looking at you @Zipitidoda, @blgauger, @myhappyplace) the Prophets are a delightful couple and Em and I really enjoyed our time with them.

And the bartender who took our picture (actually 8 of them....he kept his finger on the button too long) was a hoot!
View attachment 280082
My go to favorite is the Back Scratcher!! It's a win win, great drink and you get a handy back scratcher.
 

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