Trip Report The GRAND Birthday! *COMPLETED*

“Hey, Ma ~ you’re about to celebrate a BIG birthday. What are you going to do next?”
“I’m going to Disney World!”

If it were only as simple as it sounds in the commercial. But we all know that real life rarely aligns with what is portrayed on TV....or for that matter (dare I say?) social media. My mother was hitting a milestone on 2/1/2019 and I wanted to take her to her favorite vacation destination to celebrate. (The fact that it also happens to be mine was a bonus!) However when I presented the idea to her back in the fall, she was reluctant to accept my offer.

Ten years ago our extended family went to WDW to celebrate her last big birthday. During that trip, paramedics were called because my infant nephew was experiencing breathing difficulties; my sister-in-law got either food poisoning or a bad case of stomach flu which necessitated a doctor coming to her resort room (and an extended stay); and my dear Woody came down with similar symptoms which resulted in an ambulance ride to the ER on the night we arrived home.

Needless to say that was the end of our extended family vacations.

I had to clarify with Mom that I wasn’t planning a big gathering. Still, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. My father was recovering from some recent health challenges and she was uncertain she’d feel comfortable leaving him. She asked for some time to think it over.

Meanwhile I jumped on some cheap airfare and booked the hotel, figuring it was worth the risk. Just before Thanksgiving, with my dad’s blessing, Mom decided she would like to go.

“Where will we stay?” she asked.
“It’s a big event. Where do you think we should stay?” I answered.
Mom paused and without waiting for her reply I continued: “It’s going to be a grand celebration, so we must stay at the Grand Floridian!”
Mom choked up and said, “I never thought I’d ever be able to stay there.”

Well now she has! And we had a wonderful time at the resort and in the parks. There was even a surprise or two.

As for this:

That's the interesting thing -- something new, fun, or outright bizarre happens on all your trips, and that's what keeps us coming back for more. It's kinda like a written version (with photos), of a Tuvalu WDW reality show. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Stay tuned for the bizarre!

I wish this trip could have been mother/daughter/granddaughter. Sadly, Em was unable to join us.

Who: Tuvalu and Mom
When: January 29 - February 2, 2019
Where: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa (the “and Spa” gets me every time!)

 

[Bullseye1967]

I can’t remember the last time I spent 8 straight hours in the Magic Kingdom and certainly did not expect to do so today. But my Energizer Bunny mama kept going....and going.....and going! (Of course the fact it was a cloudy and cool 55 degrees, rather than a hot and humid 90 degrees, helped!)

Age is just a number. When we lived in FL my 85 year old father (he is 88 now and hasn't slowed down) would come down to visit us. You would think he was trying to kill us. After the first few times, we would let he and wife start early and we would catch up with them for lunch. Even as the parks closed each night he would wonder what we could do next. How about sleep maybe? Loving the the TR as usual!

 

[Tuvalu]

Finally caught up!! A belated happy birthday to you and mom! When I first saw your TR title, it reminded me of the Winnie The Pooh Movie - Pooh's Grand Adventure. Loving it so far! Maybe one day, I'll get one of those infamous cards!

Thanks!
I must have been channeling my inner Pooh when I got the idea for the title.
Hope our paths do cross someday....except I tend to avoid September....

Age is just a number. When we lived in FL my 85 year old father (he is 88 now and hasn't slowed down) would come down to visit us. You would think he was trying to kill us. After the first few times, we would let he and wife start early and we would catch up with them for lunch. Even as the parks closed each night he would wonder what we could do next. How about sleep maybe? Loving the the TR as usual!

Love this! Glad to know my mother is not the only supersonic senior at WDW. Thanks for following.

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con’t

There were a lot of people waiting to board the monorail at the GF station but not only did we get on, we also got seats.

A quick zip over the lagoon and we arrived.

Hmmm, neither of them look particularly happy to be at the Most Magical Place on Earth!

It was still early so Town Square wasn’t crowded yet.

Pic from JB’s camera:

Note my yellow MagicBand. Near the top of my wrist is the orange AP slider. JB took a quick glance at my band and incredulously inquired, “Why does your band say assholder?”

Time to put on your reading glasses, JB!

Since we still had time before the park officially opened, we posed for a couple PP pics.

Hmmm, can’t see my right hand. Maybe I am an assholder after all!

 

[Tuvalu]

We waited for rope drop near the bridge that connects the Adventureland entrance area to the Liberty Square entrance area. After the countdown we joined the sea of humanity on a mission to get to Frontierland first.

Seems like everyone with us had the same idea!

It took us five minutes just to reach the entrance.

All in all, it took us 20 minutes to walk through the entire queue (without much stopping) because only one side of the station was operating. This is common first thing in the morning and is incredibly frustrating.

Onboard!

“Reach for the sky!”

 

[Tuvalu]

Next up was a little Pirates action.

My time stamp for this picture is 9:36 am. Not sure why the clock tower says 4:40!

We walked the queue without having to stop until we reached the load area. We were assigned the front row, which made me nervous because....waterfall! But I am happy to report we escaped a drenching.

What did JB think of the new scene?

Not much, because he couldn’t remember the old scene!

The Pirates ride photo is rife with issues. It’s taken at an awkward moment....riders in the back of the boat can hardly be seen....and more often than not the picture doesn’t show up in guests’ MDE accounts.

Today the camera wasn’t working at all. While it was nice not to be blinded by that silly flash, I decided I still needed photographic evidence we visited the attraction. (It wouldn’t be the first time I’d have to pull out a picture to prove to JB that yes, he DID ride a certain attraction!)

I went artsy. Old school B&W.

However it seems this picture could have been taken anywhere! There is no discernible Pirates theme. Guess I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that JB remembers that he rode PotC!

 

[Tuvalu]

On our way to our first FP we passed a gal wearing a tee shirt that I’m sure many of you would agree with.

Coffee ~ A Hug in a Mug

Mom had her hug coffee this morning and was all smiles now.

“Do you think those bananas are real?” she asked me.
“What bananas?”
“Those bananas!” She was pointing.
It took me a moment to figure out what Mom was talking about.

“Nope, pretty sure they’re fake,” I answered.
But Mom was insistent.
“Yes, they’re real! I bet they replace them every day!”
Alrighty then.

Guys, you’re supposed to be waving to the people left behind on the dock! Turn around!

We had a decent skipper but JB winced at all the puns. He is somewhat of a germophobe and got the heebie-jeebies when our skipper did this bit as we were splashed by the backside of water:

“Schweitzer Falls contains bacteria with a 24-48 hour incubation period....don’t say Disney never gave you anything for free!”

 

[amjt660]

Hmmm, can’t see my right hand. Maybe I am an assholder after all!

C'mon Tu - leave some "behind" for us to comment on

Next up was a little Pirates action.

Assholder Phase Tu?

My time stamp for this picture is 9:36 am. Not sure why the clock tower says 4:40!

Because that is the exact time the lightening struck this particular tower and Marty went back to the Future!!!

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

Covered in “free” Disney germs, we took the shortcut from Adventureland to Liberty Square. A little ghoulish delight was next on the agenda.

I don’t often visit the Haunted Mansion standby so I was really excited to see the Captain blowing bubbles. Unfortunately by the time I was close enough to take a picture this was all I got:

Before leaving on this trip I’d read about a switch to LED illumination for the “changing” portraits in the hallway (where the lightning flashes.) As luck would have it, playful spooks took over our doombuggies while we were in that area and I was able get pictures.

I’m not sure I like the use of LEDs here....it makes the portraits less spooky. Our doombuggies were stopped for quite awhile in this spot.

How long?

“We’ve been stuck in this hall for 22 minutes!” JB loudly announced from the doombuggy he shared with Mom.

(Told you the Farm Ride incident would come back to haunt me!)

And speaking of haunts.....

A head’s up to stick out our hitchhiking thumbs would have been nice!

Ghoul-free pic

 

[Tuvalu]

Flashback to 2009 ~ JB and his folks surprised Mom at POFQ mid-afternoon. Then our extended family headed for the MK, specifically Fantasyland, because my two young nephews were with us.

“What are we doing first?” JB asked me.
“It’s a Small World,” I answered.
Loud groan: “But you promised me I’d never ever have to ride that ride again!!”
Me: “Suck it up. We’re doing for the boys.”
When it was over JB declared, “That’s it! Never again!”

He’s lucky the standby wait was 40 minutes when we passed by today, otherwise I would have broken my promise yet again.

I decided we should try Little Mermaid since that would be a new attraction for JB. But first a peek inside Gaston’s Tavern.

JB laid claim to the infamous chair!

He was especially taken with the chandelier.

We were in our clamshells in no time. I believe JB was impressed with this attraction, as he was one of those annoying people who take flash pictures of Ursula.

One of my non-flash pics (not Ursula).

But the big question remained.....would JB wave goodbye to Ariel and Eric?

Nope...not a waver!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Hmmm, can’t see my right hand. Maybe I am an assholder after all!

 

[LadyBelle]

Hope our paths do cross someday....except I tend to avoid September....

What about November, say maybe 2-10?

 

[Tuvalu]

Now y’all know where we were going for lunch since I mentioned it in a previous post. (If you missed it, sorry....but if you’ve read any of my trip reports, you should know where!)

Mom and I were under one reservation and JB had his own, so he and I were each handed a yellow rose (indicating we had pre-ordered our food) when we checked in. As we waited our turn to pay at the register, JB was gingerly holding his rose, trying to touch as little of it as possible.

“I can feel the bacteria entering my fingertips!” he whined.

As soon as he handed over the rose and paid, JB headed straight to the restroom to wash his hands. I chose to live dangerously and remained with Mom until he rejoined us.

We gave him a tour of the Ballroom and West Wing before settling down in the Rose Gallery.

This was Mom’s view.

“Why are they turning so slowly?” Mom asked me.
“I don’t think they’re moving at all,” I replied.
“Yes, they are! Just really, really slowly.”
Alrighty then.

JB was curious how we would receive our food. When I explained that our MagicBands served as the tracking device, he was ready to put on his tin foil hat.

Mom wanted to share a meal with me and she wanted the French Dip. I had to longingly watch JB eat his turkey sandwich.

One thing I refused to compromise:

Mom and JB did not order dessert....which doesn’t mean they didn’t have dessert.

Mom had stashed a couple angel dips in her bag before we’d left our room. As they were enjoying them, the CM who had delivered our food brought Mom a surprise.

Lunch was a nice, relaxing meal and JB said he’d definitely return on his next trip....in ten years....as long as he doesn’t have to touch a communal plastic rose again.

A final pic before exiting.

 

[krisri18]

JB laid claim to the infamous chair!
View attachment 355851

Does he have biceps to spare?

 

[Tuvalu]

Does he have biceps to spare?

He’s a former Army Ranger. You tell me.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Who signed that card - Belle and the bras?

 

[Tuvalu]

What about November, say maybe 2-10?

No plans to be in the world at that time, unfortunately.

Who signed that card - Belle and the bras?

Sounds like a great name for a female pop group!

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con’t

Now that it was early afternoon, crowds in the park had increased exponentially. Maneuvering through Fantasyland was a bit challenging which prompted JB to declare, “I can’t believe how many strollers there are!”

He pointed to the stroller parking area adjacent to the carousel. “What is that? A STROLLER FARM?!”

As we continued along the path from Fantasyland to Liberty Square (passing other stroller parking areas) JB would call out, “Look, there’s another STROLLER FARM. And another! And one more over there!”

The elite STROLLER FARM rendered him speechless.

Mom had been wanting to see the Hall of Presidents and the next show was just a few minutes away.

JB went inside with her. I opted to stay in the vicinity and watch a Muppets Great Moments in History. (It was the story of Paul Revere’s ride.) I’ve never stuck around after a performance but I did today.....and caught a CM doing “tear down.”

JB and Mom returned from HoP with raves over the updated film. They also reported that the security guards did not have to contend with any hecklers. (I had warned them that security guards would be present in the theater.)

With still some time before our next FP, we chose to visit Symphony Hall.

(Stop teasing! Everyone knows the only place you’ll see Wheezy perform is at the end of Slinky Dog Dash....in a different park!)

Opera glasses?

 

[Tuvalu]

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it’s off to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train we go....

The moment had arrived....Mom was going to ride her beloved coaster. And JB would have a new experience. One that didn’t start off well.

“This car was built for DWARFS!” JB complained as he squished his hefty torso into his seat.

“Shut up, it’s fun!” I laughed.

And I was right. This is the look of a man having fun.

But perhaps I spoke too soon.....

What brings terror to an Army Ranger? A kiddie coaster.

And as for someone else who claims to love the ride.....

I will say Mom did better this time than during our previous trip.

@becca_ , GJ is going to have to work awfully hard this time to best my mother’s expressions!

 

[Tuvalu]

After our terrifying mine ride, Mom asked if we could take a break so she could check her phone. Numerous “Happy Birthday” texts and voicemails had been accumulating throughout the day.

“Let’s go to the Tangled rest area,” I suggested.

“The what?” asked JB.

“The Tangled toilets,” I replied.

JB looked perplexed. “Do I have to untangle it to go?”

We used the facilities and then found a nearby place to sit. Mom checked her messages and JB made a phone call. I took the opportunity to excuse myself for a few minutes.

I had to meet a friend. Again.

He was traveling solo this time. And he was right around the corner.

@Tony the Tigger and I were able to have a longer chat today. My touring buddies didn’t even miss me.

 

[LadyBelle]

No plans to be in the world at that time, unfortunately.

One day....