Trip Report Shortest Retirement in History?

Justin Bieber lasted 2 weeks.

Tom Brady lasted 40 days.

I, Tuvalu, outlasted them both. Not by much, mind you. Yet if not for the encouragement of some forum friends - along with some unusual circumstances - you wouldn’t be reading this.

Unusual circumstances, you say?

Around Thanksgiving my beloved Woody learned his presence was required at a work conference. In Orlando. At Universal.
Just down the road from Walt Disney World.

Woody said I could accompany him if he drove (rather than flew) to Florida. And that we could leave a couple days early and have some Disney time together.

Well you don’t have to ask me twice!

I’d be on my own during the conference. Since the majority of Universal’s attractions don’t appeal to me, it didn’t make sense for me to buy Uni tickets when I could visit WDW for free with my AP. Being solo, I thought it might be fun to do a live trip report so y’all could be my virtual companions!

Turns out I won’t be alone while Woody is occupied after all. Some friends that you have seen in my previous TRs (and one you haven’t) have offered to play with me. I can’t wait!

 

[LeighM]

Definitely a huge difference, so, for your next TR, I expect to see perfect dark ride pics from you…!!!!!

I have a Pixel but I wonder if their recent update did something similar to their camera. I found it on night mode despite never changing the settings and a lot of my pictures came out over pixelated. I was trying to enjoy this trip and be more in the moment so I wasn't taking all that many pictures. So I would've preferred the ones that I did take to turn out okay

 

[Tuvalu]

A chicken and mushroom one sounds DIVINE to me. I will take all your mushrooms! (and your Broccolini, which I know wasn't on this menu, but you've mentioned before that you don't care for it.)

Wow, it all looks delicious! We haven't given it a try yet, but I might go for the soup itself!!!

I have been skeptical about that place, but you’ve made me want to give it a try! That all looks delicious.

Nice! Added to bucket list.

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

We wandered around for a little while after leaving La Crêperie and made it as far as America before noticing the length of the CPDP line. We decided we’d better get in it!

We walked back as nearly as far as we’d come. This was the end of the line - in Morocco!

“Well, at least we know we’ll have a seat,” I said to Em. “But it could be way in the back.”

The line in front of us was stationary for awhile as more guests joined the line behind us. Once movement began, it took us ten minutes to reach this point. Guests ahead of us were filling in the seats.

But the America Gardens Theater is a bigger people-eater than we realized. As we entered, a CM advised us to grab seats on the aisle. We complied and were happy with our closer-than-expected seating.

Thirty minutes later the Processional began. And while it wasn’t completely dark, the sun was setting.

All the choirs were onstage and in their positions by 5:10 pm.

Then Josh Gad (born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale) was introduced to clapping and cheers.

“Thank you,” he began. “I am just the warm up for Neil Patrick Harris.”

(Told ya NPH is the most popular narrator!)

But Olaf held his own. Humorous, sensitive, humble, compelling and celebratory. The choirs were uplifting and the musicians composed a beautiful orchestration of the greatest story ever told.

With a huge smile on his face, Josh Gad concluded with “These are the most amazing animatronics I’ve ever seen in my life!”

He was right. It was an amazing Candlelight Processional - but with extremely talented humans.

And my FOMO paid off - Em said it was worth every penny.