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!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I am so ready for the next one.

 

[93boomer]

Have a wonderful trip @Tuvalu !

 

[lindawdw]

My husband and I got to have dinner with Tuvalu and Woody at La Hacienda de San Angel last night and it was such a fun evening together!

 

[Tuvalu]

I am too distraught not to post.

Woody and I were having a practically perfect ride unda the sea.

Then our clamshell stopped here for a couple minutes. It was fun to listen to the conversation between Flotsam and Jetsam.

Perhaps it was the delay in our experience that caused the unthinkable to happen.

When we got to the finale, THERE WAS NO WOODY WAVE!!!

I am just now regaining my composure.

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

Finished just in time for the next trip

Glad you and Em had such a good time and were finally able to enjoy Fantasmic!

I hate that we are thisclose to missing each other again!

@Tuvalu Thank you so much for taking us on vacation with you again!!!!

Thanks again for following, @Wrangler-Rick.

Totally agree about Fantasmic. I saw it in January for the first time in years and I think I’m all set for another few years.

Us too.

Ha, I wonder if he forgot his name badge that day. I read or heard from a CM that if they forget their name badge, there's a bin with name badges they can grab, because they HAVE to have a name badge. So you end up being someone else for a day. And that would be the perfect joke on the JC!

That’s surely possible! His incorrect name tag made for a great joke.

 

[mpaulam]

Thanks for sharing another fun trip!
I can’t wait to see Fantasmic! again.

 

[donaldtoo]

Monday, con’t

After a lengthy wait for a bus, Em and I made it to Riverside.

Our first floor room was in Acadian House and faced the river (though it was categorized as a “woods view.”)

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Fun fact - we learned the next day that @riverside was in the room directly above ours! Her room connected to L&J’s room.

It’s been 7 years since our last stay at POR. Ironically we were also in Acadian House - as was @riverside - when we met for the very first time!

Room pics for @Nunu.

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Curtain closeup.

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The shower curtain is a bit loud IMO.

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Movin’ on up to a moderate means classier toiletries!

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No taped-on labels!

Once we unloaded everything into the room we were in for the night.

Even the curtain between the main room and the dressing area is borderline over, if not over…it was the first thing I noticed in your first pic, and it’s way off to the upper right…!!!!!

We love POR too, btw.
Haven’t stayed there in years (twice before), but we saw Yehaa Bob there last October…we should fix that…!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

I will absolutely be purchasing ILL whenever possible/necessary; my patience level is nearing zero as I get older

Funny, I’m the opposite. I’ve found that my patience has actually gotten better as I’ve gotten older.
Hmmm…maybe I’m so old it just doesn’t matter anymore…???!!!!!

 

[Swissmiss]

I hate that we are thisclose to missing each other again!

Me too. We just arrived at my sister’s today and will be making our way down to WDW on Sunday.

 

[donaldtoo]

Thursday, con’t

We spent a lot of time crisscrossing the park. Though we had passed Everest earlier on our way to Dinoland, Em didn’t want to ride it.

After our time on the Tiger trail she decided she did, and utilized single rider.

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From Asia to Discovery Island. (Where Em was terrorized by the macaws flying overhead, @AKemily.)

SHOPPING!

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How cool is this candy??!!

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From Discovery Island to Pandora.

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There’s been a disappointing change in the beef bowls at Satu’li Canteen. Strip loin has been replaced by braised beef. When you’re expecting steak and get pot roast instead….

(Oh I know exactly why - cost saving for Disney. And higher price for guests!)

Glad I won’t be around for the $35.79 Gristle Bowl with Sawdust and Yard Trimmings…!!!!!

Or, maybe I will be…?!?!?!

 

[donaldtoo]

Thursday, con’t

Em and I met T’s family outside the theater. We discussed where to eat and landed on ABC Commissary due to proximity. I was just about to submit a mobile order when Em cautioned me to wait. She noticed protestations from the younger ranks - the combatants being 13, 11 & 9.

There was a battle cry for burgers. ABC Commissary doesn’t offer the typical kid fare of burgers, hot dogs or pizza. I suggested Sunset Ranch Market.

In doing so, Em and I made the ultimate sacrifice for family - our burgers were so awful that Em declared the food, “one of my top 5 worst WDW meals ever.”

But the troops were happy.

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Those burgers sound like what ABC Commissary used to have, not all that long ago…!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Saturday, con’t

Em changed and went to the pool as soon as we were back at the resort.

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I had a gift card that I wanted to use to pay a portion of our room charges so I took a stroll to the lobby. I always seem to forget how beautiful POR is until I’m staying there. This place holds a lot of family memories, as it was our “go-to” when our kids were young. In fact, it’s the first Disney hotel that Em stayed in - she was 18 months old!

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The food court hasn’t changed much in 30 years, and you’ll hear no complaints from me!

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Ol’ Man Island is also the same. The Tuva Twins’ daddy went down this slide multiple times in a row at the whopping age of 4, with Woody waiting at the bottom to catch him.

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Yep, since we stayed there on our first 2 family WDW trips in ‘01 and ‘04, we visited the resort once in 2013, and as posted previously saw Yehaa Bob at the River Roost this past October…now I’m gettin’ misty for another stay there…!!!!!
And yes, it’s still, pretty much, the same as it was then…!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Saturday, con’t

While searching for dinner options I found a last minute Fantasmic dining package at Sci-Fi. Em told me to book it. Would we really get to see the show this time?

It’s been ages since we’ve eaten here together. I hoped that having the dining package would give us the front of a car. Nope. We were seated in back of a car behind two rows of teen boys.

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DP guests order off the regular menu. We were given both the food and dessert menus at the same time. The package included either an appetizer or a dessert, main and soft drink beverage per person. Em and I decided to be savvy - she ordered the appetizer, I ordered the dessert and we shared.

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Em ordered fried pickles as her appetizer. They had a definite kick to them even minus the dipping sauce.

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Both of us had the Classic American Burger. It was light years ahead in quality and taste compared to our burgers at Rosie’s. Very good!

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I chose the Caramel Brownie Cheesecake for our dessert. Though its presentation was fun, it was difficult to eat as the hard cookie made the cheesecake impenetrable. We liked it though it wasn’t out of this world.

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Service was painfully slow. We saw the film loop almost three times! Once again we had nowhere to be, but had the film been longer in length we wouldn’t have minded sitting there. Another negative - there are no discounts (AP or DVC) for dining packages.

After doing the math (@amjt660) we figured the “cost” of our preferred seating for F! was between $11-12 per person. Worth it - as long as we got to see the show!

We had some time to kill before heading to the theater. We chose the 45 minute queue for a favorite.

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Although we still really miss the Great Movie Ride.

Yea, we haven’t ridden MMRR in person yet, but it just seems like a modern Mickey cartoon mess to me, with no actual point. A bunch of projections, and I’m sure it’s fun for many, but couldn’t they have just updated TGMR in some way…?!

 

[Tuvalu]

Have a wonderful trip @Tuvalu !

Thanks - it’s been a lot of fun so far!

My husband and I got to have dinner with Tuvalu and Woody at La Hacienda de San Angel last night and it was such a fun evening together!

Can’t wait to see you both again!

Max

The Max seal of approval? I’m honored.

Thanks for sharing another fun trip!
I can’t wait to see Fantasmic! again.

It was my pleasure, Paula. Hope F! is everything you want it to be.

 

[Tuvalu]

Even the curtain between the main room and the dressing area is borderline over, if not over…it was the first thing I noticed in your first pic, and it’s way off to the upper right…!!!!!

We always kept that curtain open and I didn’t
notice how “much” that curtain was until I posted that pic here! (Great minds! )

We just arrived at my sister’s today and will be making our way down to WDW on Sunday.

I’ll leave the light on for ya.

Yea, we haven’t ridden MMRR in person yet, but it just seems like a modern Mickey cartoon mess to me, with no actual point. A bunch of projections, and I’m sure it’s fun for many, but couldn’t they have just updated TGMR in some way…?!

While there is no actual point to MMRR, there are several nods to the GMR that I am certain an astute observer like yourself will appreciate. Woody and I were bemoaning the loss of GMR (as we waited in line for MMRR last night) and made your exact comment - couldn’t Disney have updated it with new scenes every few years (not all at once, but a new scene every 5 years or so) that would have kept it relevant for today’s guests?

I think your granddaughters will love MMRR though.

 

[donaldtoo]

We always kept that curtain open and I didn’t
notice how “much” that curtain was until I posted that pic here! (Great minds! )


I’ll leave the light on for ya.


While there is no actual point to MMRR, there are several nods to the GMR that I am certain an astute observer like yourself will appreciate. Woody and I were bemoaning the loss of GMR (as we waited in line for MMRR last night) and made your exact comment - couldn’t Disney have updated it with new scenes every few years (not all at once, but a new scene every 5 years or so) that would have kept it relevant for today’s guests?

I think your granddaughters will love MMRR though.

Yea, something more along the lines of the window curtains would be more appropriate, to me anyway.
They musta’ got a deal on those somewhere…!!!!!

And yes, I too think Emmy and Audrey are gonna’ love MMRR…!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

I just met my biggest fan.

What a privilege and a joy!! 🩷

 

[RememberWhen]

Jealous of you both!

 

[rshell68]

I just met my biggest fan.

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What a privilege and a joy!! 🩷