Trip Report One Little Spark *COMPLETED*

One little spark of inspiration
Is at the heart of all creation
A dream can be
A dream come true
With just that spark
In me and you

One little spark ignited a relationship that is currently four decades long.

One little spark inspired a surprise (and very last-minute) birthday trip to WDW.

One little spark made a dream come true.

Who: Tuvalu and Woody
When: February 8-12, 2023
Where: Disney’s Pop Century Resort

 

[amjt660]

The result was a HUGE (8 cm x 3 cm), nasty bruise on my left hip - which is still noticeable a month later - that when poked still causes pain!

Sorry you bruised your hip and were in pain

Impressed you used the metric system to describe the size of the wound

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

Impressed you used the metric system to describe the size of the wound

The size of my bruise didn’t sound as impressive in inches.

 

[JenniferS]

The size of my bruise didn’t sound as impressive in inches.

Nothing does.

 

[Tuvalu]

Nothing does.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I was going to say I'm a tree hugger and how can one suffer in Animal Kingdom but this gif just says it all.

 

[AKemily]

(What? You think we’d be going to ANIMAL KINGDOM??!! )

A girl can dream, @Tuvalu

 

[Tuvalu]

I was going to say I'm a tree hugger and how can one suffer in Animal Kingdom but this gif just says it all.

A girl can dream, @Tuvalu

Giving it another go in 23 days.

 

[Tuvalu]

Day 4, con’t

A quick pic of Woody (and a bird, do you see it?) before heading to our first stop.

Em knows too well where we I was going.

Then onward to the Fantasyland bridge….

….to join the others waiting for early entry.

While this appears to be a sizable crowd, it really wasn’t in comparison to the day before. The rope had just dropped and we were across from Cosmic Ray’s. At the same time yesterday we still had to get over the bridge.

Was this a good sign for our day to come?

 

[Tuvalu]

No Arty Pooh.

No Cordy Pan.

This was our rope drop.

Yes, Tuvalu can shake up things once in awhile. It keeps us on our toes!

Besides, we did Pan and Pooh yesterday. IASW is a classic we’d regret missing on vacation. Maybe we would get our own boat?

We did not. But we did get seated in the first row!

We waved though the CM did not notice.

It was smooth sailing all the way. Not even a backup in the finale room.

 

[Tuvalu]

Woody requested what came next.

As for me? When in Rome….

We waited about three minutes for the 9 am rope drop for Liberty Square.

No wait at all to visit those playful spooks. We were in the first stretching room group of the day.

Again no ride photo. But I could tell as we approached that the camera was not working. Didn’t waste my energy on an attempt to nail it.

 

[Tuvalu]

Since we’d struck out yesterday with riding Big Thunder Mountain, we headed there next via the scenic path along the water.

Standby sign posted 15 minutes. We soon discovered it was only because we were forced to walk EVERY. INCH. OF. THE. QUEUE. We did not have to slow our pace until we reached the load zone.

As much as I wanted to request last row, I know Woody prefers us to take whichever gate we’re assigned. We ended up close to the back and had a great ride!

 

[Tuvalu]

It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion and BigThunder complete in less than an hour.

We decided to roll the dice on Jungle Cruise - home of the slow-moving standby line (and one of the fastest LLs to sell out each day.)

Lookin’ good!

Ever wonder what was the first joke told on the Jungle Cruise?

You’re welcome.

Watch out for mail poachers.

The original balloon launcher.

Seems a couple skippers might have been swinging from the chandelier fan.

We didn’t have to wait for anyone in the Lightning Lane. Less than 10 minutes after entering the queue, Skipper Madeleine welcomed us aboard. Our gamble had paid off!

She was a fantastic guide and all the guests on our boat were responsive to the humor. I was mid-pix when she deadpanned two monkey jokes I’d not heard before. I’ve forgotten the jokes, so you’ll have to settle for the pix.

BUT I REMEMBERED THIS….

“Shirley’s Temple”

“Shirley has the best roots.”

If only.

 

[Tuvalu]

Yo Ho, Yo Ho
To another short line we go!

(Don’t let the strollers fool you.)

Substitutionary ride photo.

I suspected our picture would not appear in MDE. I was right.

The Tuva Tykes had recently watched Swiss Family Robinson. They were too young to remember the treehouse in Adventureland (and honestly I think we bypassed it) so I took this picture for them.

Of course a really good grandma would have climbed all those steps and taken many more pictures.

I’ll settle for just being good.

(Although I did take them to Animal Kingdom - that should elevate me to really good, @Zipadeelady @AKemily?)

 

[Swissmiss]

I am sure there are MANY things you do that elevate you to the VERY BEST grandma

 

[Tuvalu]

Guess what we did next.

Hint: I was not shaking things up!

Here was where the something special for @Laurenciaa appeared.

If it's a cone or something whatever I am here for it

And it was not a cone!

Introducing the updated (version 2.0) CM signal for Do not load guests into this car.

Maybe it’s just me, but at first glance I think R (red?) Y (yellow?) Palm (stop?) is more confusing than an orange cone….for guests anyway.

Woody had definitely upped his selfie game by Day 4.

Any time my Peoplemover vehicle enters Space Mountain and lights are on, I get excited. I like looking at the tracks!

However I would not see the coaster tracks today. Space Mountain was dark. The emergency lights were illuminated only over the Peoplemover track.

A somewhat confusing letdown, especially since we never came to a stop. Why were the lights on?

But hey, after years of watching the construction, I’ve finally been through that TRON train tunnel!

Not much longer until I can say the same about TRON. Hopefully.

 

[Tuvalu]

I wanted another spin around Tomorrowland. There were no guests waiting on the platform yet I was reluctant to ask the CM if we could stay on for a re-ride.

So Woody and I disembarked, rode down the ramp and rode back up on the entrance side.

We lucked out in that this time we had the front car.

The emergency lights were now off.

Cast members were getting their TRON preview.

It’s funny how Disney uses fake foliage on wheels to “hide” entrances to special events. The same was done during cast/AP previews for Guardians.

 

[mpaulam]

2 rides AND 2 great selfies

Maybe it’s just me, but at first glance I think R (red?) Y (yellow?) Palm (stop?) is more confusing than an orange cone….for guests anyway.

I am absolutely certain that I would not even notice that sign and would try to board that car! While it might be more aesthetically pleasing, I'd rather see the cone

 

[Tuvalu]

Third spin. Different attraction.

Something’s not quite right.

The house lights were on!

First the Peoplemover, now the Carousel of Progress? What was going on?

The most unusual sight - and I wish I had been quick enough to get a picture - came into view as the theater rotated for the next scene. The “curtained” scene above on the right was dark but bright fluorescent lights shone through it from behind, revealing a storage area with boxes, paint cans and a ladder!

Once our theater ceased rotating the house lights were off and the show proceeded as usual.

Can someone PLEASE fix this tablecloth? My OCD can’t take it!!

 

[Laurenciaa]

Guess what we did next.

View attachment 703385

Hint: I was not shaking things up!

Here was where the something special for @Laurenciaa appeared.



And it was not a cone!

Introducing the updated (version 2.0) CM signal for Do not load guests into this car.

View attachment 703386

Maybe it’s just me, but at first glance I think R (red?) Y (yellow?) Palm (stop?) is more confusing than an orange cone….for guests anyway.

Woody had definitely upped his selfie game by Day 4.

View attachment 703387

Any time my Peoplemover vehicle enters Space Mountain and lights are on, I get excited. I like looking at the tracks!

View attachment 703388

However I would not see the coaster tracks today. Space Mountain was dark. The emergency lights were illuminated only over the Peoplemover track.

View attachment 703389

View attachment 703390

View attachment 703391

A somewhat confusing letdown, especially since we never came to a stop. Why were the lights on?

But hey, after years of watching the construction, I’ve finally been through that TRON train tunnel!

View attachment 703392

Not much longer until I can say the same about TRON. Hopefully.

The fact that even a Disney pro Magician finds this poster complicated says enough.. Disney, just bring the cone back pleaseee!

 

[Tuvalu]

For lunch we opted to….

In order these are our QS go-tos:
Pecos Bill
Columbia Harbor House
Pinocchio’s Village House

(Be our Guest lunch held top honors for seven years then…. )

We typically avoid the popular Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Popular = crowded. In the last decade our food and experiences there haven’t been the best.

In the spirit of second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th) chances, we decided to pay Sonny Eclipse a visit.

Only he wasn’t there!!!!!

But we had a mobile order in and it was too late to cancel so we stayed.

The illuminated Topping Bar sign looked promising….

….until we discovered the toppings were only pre-packaged condiments. Freshly chopped lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, shredded cheese and salsa had NOT returned, as we had hoped.

We found a quiet table against the rear wall to eat. Both of us had ordered cheeseburgers which were pictured with lettuce and tomatoes. Ours arrived plain. I returned to the counter and was told that “our new vendor serves burgers plain” but they are happy to provide lettuce and tomato on the side for those who ask. (Hence the separate container in the pic below.)

Perhaps the app should then mention the change?

The burgers, once properly dressed, were better than expected. (There’s no way to convey they were hot and moist with fresh buns without sounding risqué, but they were!) Fries were warm and crisp.

Not sure Cosmic Ray’s will be on our regular rotation but it was a solid choice today.