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!

 

[lindawdw]

YAY, can't wait for the full TR to start

 

[MinnieM123]

@Tuvalu

 

[Tuvalu]

@Tuvalu

View attachment 812095

Unexpected life stuff got in the way. Plan to start tomorrow!

 

[Tuvalu]

Unabridged August

Who: Tuvalu and Woody
What: Summer’s Last Hurrah
When: August 18-24, 2024
Where: Else?
Where (really): Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Why: Cuz we love it!

Also I promised to share my on-site experience with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. And there’s six weeks until my next trip, so I have time to go into trip details!

 

[Laurenciaa]

Unabridged August

Who: Tuvalu and Woody
What: Summer’s Last Hurrah
When: August 18-24, 2024
Where: Else?
Where (really): Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Why: Cuz we love it!

View attachment 812216

Also I promised to share my on-site experience with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. And there’s six weeks until my next trip, so I have time to go into trip details!

Looking forward to this TR! You two look lovely as always!

 

[93boomer]

Yayyy !!!!!! So excited to hear about it!!
I’ll need your expertise for our upcoming trip.

 

[LSV]

here!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, August 18

I reserved this vacation with a Bounceback Offer last summer while lounging at Boulder Ridge pool - a day before the arrival of Hurricane Idalia! Woody had commented that he likes our resort-focused August trips, as “it’s a nice send off to summer.” Thus I was inspired to book whilst in the middle of one!

The offer excluded the last week in August - our typical week - so I booked as late as the offer allowed. I hoped the week might provide us some “hurricane insurance” since we’d experienced Idalia, Dorian (and another named storm I can’t remember) during our trips at the end of the month.

Spoiler alert - it worked. No hurricane.

However we still had a ton of rain. ️

But bad weather was not on our minds as we departed at dawn and enjoyed sunshine all the way to breakfast.

No time record today, @wdisney9000. Woody doesn’t like to rush. We fueled, used the restrooms, bought snacks for the Tuvas and had a car picnic with the trays Woody made during the pandemic, when fast food dining rooms were closed. (For those unaware, there’s nowhere to eat at a Buc’ees.)

I’m happy to report the sunshine followed us all the way here.

(This is my second-favorite gate in the world!)

A few minutes earlier I’d received our room text. No waiting!

We brought our belongings up to the room. King bed, of course.

We saved unpacking until after a stop at the Old Faithful Club. I noticed the different entry doors right away.

Last year the doors looked like this.

It’s a requirement to touch the bear.

Not really, but the concierge staff does whenever entering or exiting the lounge area. It’s fun to watch them.

We picked up a couple of Cokes and chips and relaxed for a bit.

 

[Tinkwings]

Ooooh love the new doors...... AND never noticed them, the staff, touching Humphrey.....all our trips have a pic with US touching or hugging him. Looking forward to more report, thanks!

 

[Tuvalu]

Once back in our room, a dear friend of mine called to tell me about the arrival of her ninth(!) grandchild. The unpacking was delayed as we chick chatted. Woody occupied himself with watching NASCAR (on low volume, naturally. )

By the time we finally unpacked it was Happy Hour at the club lounge. Some of tonight’s appetizers ~

We filled our plates and got a glass of wine. Moscato for me, Pinot Noir for Woody.

Can’t beat the atmosphere here!

The mac and cheese (pictured on plates) was excellent. The black bean and corn succotash was very similar to the yummy corn salsa Em makes - we went back for seconds! Also had seconds of chicken salad and roasted chicken and veggies.

Bottom line - this became our dinner.

 

[wdisney9000]

Once back in our room, a dear friend of mine called to tell me about the arrival of her ninth(!) grandchild. The unpacking was delayed as we chick chatted. Woody occupied himself with watching NASCAR (on low volume, naturally. )

By the time we finally unpacked it was Happy Hour at the club lounge. Some of tonight’s appetizers ~

View attachment 812276

View attachment 812275

View attachment 812274

We filled our plates and got a glass of wine. Moscato for me, Pinot Noir for Woody.

View attachment 812273
Can’t beat the atmosphere here!

The mac and cheese (pictured on plates) was excellent. The black bean and corn succotash was very similar to the yummy corn salsa Em makes - we went back for seconds! Also had seconds of chicken salad and roasted chicken and veggies.

Bottom line - this became our dinner.

Me, peeking into this TR...and immediately getting jealous.

 

[Tinkwings]

YUM! Too funny I was just thinking the other day, after you mentioned elsewhere you would be going to WL, to ask if you would take some photos of the lounge foods/desserts.....you must have read my mind @Tuvalu

So hope you got some images of the desserts too.....if not will try to remind you for next trip!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

YUM! Too funny I was just thinking the other day, after you mentioned elsewhere you would be going to WL, to ask if you would take some photos of the lounge foods/desserts.....you must have read my mind @Tuvalu

So hope you got some images of the desserts too.....if not will try to remind you for next trip!!!

 

[Tinkwings]

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Alright the uncensored version!

 

[pkkurz]

I knew I liked Woody…Go Chase Elliott!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, con’t

When I arrive at WDW, I am in go mode. Gotta get to a park. There’s so much to see and do! Can’t let the AP go
to waste (nor the ridiculous park reservation I had to make. )

I’ve often thought about people who don’t have tickets for arrival day. How much calmer and relaxed the start of their vacation must be, without the temptation of a theme park beckoning them.

Travel day wears Woody out. He would prefer hanging out at the resort and save the parks for the following day. Yet every trip he has yielded to my desire to go.

Tonight I decided to compromise.

“Let’s take a boat ride,” I suggested. “Whichever boat is at the dock when we get there - MK or Ft. Wilderness - is the one we’ll board.”

Like me, Woody enjoys an evening cruise around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. He readily agreed.

Guess which launch was at the dock.

The pull of the park was real. But I was determined to stay strong.

“Aren’t we getting off?” Woody asked when others began to disembark.

“No,” I replied. “This is just a taste of the Magic Kingdom.”

Two of the deckhands noticed us and one asked, “Are you staying on?”

I nodded.

The other deadpanned, “That’ll be five dollars for the round trip.”

Both of them laughed.

There were only six people waiting to board the launch so I did not feel guilty for remaining in our seat. As we cruised back to WL, we decided to switch launches and ride the Ft. Wilderness > Contemporary > WL circuit.

But the boat to the Fort was doing “last call” as we docked and we did not feel like standing on a toasty dock for the next 20 minutes. “We’ll do it another time this week,” I told Woody. (Only we never did. )

Instead we strolled the resort grounds. I gazed longingly into the Boulder Ridge pool area and Woody said, “We could go for a night swim.”

Yeah that wasn’t happening. I like the idea of a night swim but not the reality.

We continued walking.

The lawn was set up for movie night. What film was featured remains a mystery. I searched all over for a sign and….bupkis.

The falls are stunning at any time of day.

It was almost 8 pm and @Tinkwings you know what that means…..

Dessert Time!!!

 

[wdisney9000]

“We’ll do it another time this week,” I told Woody. (Only we never did. )

I'm gonna make a Disney t-shirt with this quote on it.

If I had a dollar for every time C and I have said this on a trip, only to end up not doing whatever it was we said we would do later.

 

[Tuvalu]

I'm gonna make a Disney t-shirt with this quote on it.

If I had a dollar for every time C and I have said this on a trip, only to end up not doing whatever it was we said we would do later.

It just means we have to go back!!!

 

[wdisney9000]

It just means we have to go back!!!

Thats what the back of the t shirt will say! Lol!

I'll split the profits with you. 50/50??