Trip Report The Holiday Humdinger *COMPLETED*

I can't believe the Summer of @Tuvalu is over! Is there going to be a holiday humdinger trip report?!!

I couldn’t disappoint a very expectant mama-to-be, now could I? Especially one who was kind enough to provide the title for this trip report!

So here you go, @krisri18......and anyone else who’d like to follow along on yet another Tuvalu WDW adventure, HOLIDAY STYLE.

I plan on posting live updates and will write an expanded report (“Part Tu” @Tony the Tigger ) once I return home. After all, what else will I have to do in December?

Who: Tuvalu and Woody

When: November 27 - December 3, 2018
Where: I shouldn’t even have to tell you. My go-to.

So be on the lookout for us, @DisneyShe, @slipperalwaysfits @mcstensrud. We’ve packed our sweaters and jeans for the chilly weekdays (highs only near 60, lows in the 40s ~ WTH??) and our shorts and tees for the unseasonably warm weekend (highs in the 80s). Yeah, that 30 degree temperature swing isn’t going to help the colds Woody and I are starting with.....

But we’re going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

LOL! I have a cat who loves them also and we play fetch with him too!

I wonder if it a male cat thing....our first male cat would play fetch with soft ping-pong size balls. Poly, our sole female, has no interest whatsoever.

My family went for soft openings, as my mom was a travel agent at the time and we were offered free passes to check out the park. I have to say, all of these observations are spot on. There was zero shade in that place. I was 12 at the time, and was basically bored to tears by most of it. I remember that terrible boat ride to nowhere during which they played Radio Disney. Yeah. AK was sorely lacking back then.

"Bored to tears" describes my then 9 and 12 year olds perfectly. In fact my younger son refused to go to AK for nearly 10 years after that first visit.

 

[krisri18]

I wsa "luckily" traumatized enough by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience that we just skipped it. And I still do. There's a slight part of me that is curious, but any time I read about it, I just think "Nope!"

Oh geez! I had completely blocked Honey I Shrunk the Audience from my memory! That one was nightmare inducing when I was a kid!

 

[krisri18]

Even though AK was our 4th park day, we were unable to get FPs for Flight of Passage. But it was fine since we now had a reason FP to try Na’vi River Journey for a second time.

To say we were underwhelmed by NRJ on our first ride is an understatement. We had not seen Avatar and had no idea what was going on in the attraction. There were some projections, a weird chanting that grew louder and a creepy auto-animatronic.....and just like that, the ride was over.

We thought perhaps we’d been too critical. Em decided it might be fun to take pictures (she did not take any the first time.) We approached the tapstile with open minds.

NRJ through the lens of Em ~

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Was my mind blown?

I wanted to like it. I really did.

But I still didn’t get it.
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Woody’s take?

“Because it’s a boat ride, I was tempted to call it Pirates of Pandora.....but after riding a second time.....nope....it’s Living with Pandora.”

Best photo reaction to NRJ that I've ever seen! And kudos to Woody for coming up with an even better name for the ride!

 

[MississippiBelle]

The most unexpected part of our journey was witnessing the artificial sunset.
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(I believe I exclaimed, “What the heck is that?!”)

Whatever you do, don't ask the safari driver what "those weird lights over there" are supposed to be. Having to explain that it's a sunset several times while looking purposefully in the rearview mirror probably wasn't in the poor girl's script
My brother and I were also traumatized by the Bug's Life ride. Haven't ridden it since, nor do I want to.

 

[Tiggerish]

On a scale of 0 to Stitch, how bad is Bug's Life really? I've never been.

Honestly, it depends on your tolerance of bugs. I hate bugs. Stitch ride is now just stupid. Its predecessor, Alien Encounter, was truly terrifying (one and done for me, and I literally beat my husband on the paths of Tomorrowland after the ride because he made me go on it) Stitch is just annoying. I think it also has to do with how susceptible you are to “the power of suggestion”. That’s what got me in AE, and I suppose that and my extreme distaste for bugs means ITTBaB is not for me.

I would go on Stitch again before Bugs Life. Stitch is just a horrible ride? attraction? Not sure quite what to call it. Bug’s Life is terrifying! I freaked out as a 9 year old, thought I’d be over it when I was 20 but nope had to leave halfway through before I had a full blown panic attack

Same.

I wonder if it a male cat thing....our first male cat would play fetch with soft ping-pong size balls. Poly, our sole female, has no interest whatsoever.

Those foam golf balls? My one and only girl cat Duchess loved to play with them. She didn’t fetch, but invented what we came to call “stair ball”. She trained her people to toss the balls up the staircase, and she’d go crazy chasing them up and down the stairs, or catching them, or batting them back to us. Her sons love to play it, as does their “cousin”, the stray who came indoors some years ago, resembles Duchess and has her personality so he must be related (she was also a stray we took in). Her son Scooter, who passed away last year at 17, would play fetch with them. Wore out our arms many nights.

 

[krause]

Whatever you do, don't ask the safari driver what "those weird lights over there" are supposed to be. Having to explain that it's a sunset several times while looking purposefully in the rearview mirror probably wasn't in the poor girl's script
My brother and I were also traumatized by the Bug's Life ride. Haven't ridden it since, nor do I want to.

When we did the Caring for Giants elephants thing behind the scenes, our driver said that it’s a massive LED screen and said “I’m pretty sure the cast members play Mario Kart on there after hours”

 

[Swissmiss]

I wonder if it a male cat thing....our first male cat would play fetch with soft ping-pong size balls. Poly, our sole female, has no interest whatsoever.

My cat Indy is female and she LOVES playing fetch. And she always drops the ball in my lap when it’s my DD who is willing to throw her the ball.

 

[Songbird76]

Maybe all the most famous Trip Reporters should have cards made, and then the rest of us can collect them!

My husband plays a game on his phone called Ingress and people actually do this. They have days where thousands of people come from all over to play the game in one city or another and they all make up "bio cards" and exchange them.

 

[Songbird76]

Everything you mentioned plus a lack of things to do (an hour wait for a boat that went nowhere!); two of my kids traumatized by It’s Tough to Be a Bug (and still won’t do it even as adults); animals that were in hiding because it was brutally HOT, so there was nothing to look at; a long, boring, HOT walk to ride the train to Conservation Station and there was nothing to do once we got there; a 75 minute wait to eat at Rainforest Cafe, which was the only restaurant with air conditioning....then bad food and service.

I could go on, but I think you get the gist.....

YES!! I feel the same way. I WANT to like it, I really do, but our first experience was just so bad that I don't want to waste time going back. And we're going this Summer with my brother's family and he thinks AK is going to be his daughter's favorite and they'll want to spend more time there than anywhere else. I'm thinking we're just going to have to split up a bit because I am not sure I even want to spend a whole day there. (And my son was traumatized by It's Tough to Be a Bug as well. If only I'd known on our last trip that he's autistic!)

 

[Songbird76]

I discovered the bug life thing thru internet and thought NOPE NOPE NOPE!

Good call. I wish I had realized what it was before we went. And I wish I had known my son was autistic...I never would have taken him with his overly-sensitive senses. That whole day must have been terrible for him and I feel so bad about it now.

 

[Songbird76]

My 9 year old son stood up in the middle of the theater and screamed, “Get me out of here!!”

I’ll let Em share her own experience (if she wants to.)

My son pretty much did the same thing. He was 8, he just started screaming and said "I want to leave!!! Let's go!" and we were fortunate that we were sitting right on the end next to the exit, so DH grabbed him and ran out of the theater. When DD found them 10 minutes later, he was still in tears. That and Tower of Terror. We're not even allowed to say the words near him because it sends him right back into panic mode and he starts crying again....that was 2.5 years ago.

 

[littleroo]

So....I love ITTBAB!!! I think it is so creative and hysterical! Having said that...my 6 year old is petrified of it. I feel bad because I really thought he would enjoy it. I guess it is achieving the extreme opposite of its message

 

[Tuvalu]

Best photo reaction to NRJ that I've ever seen! And kudos to Woody for coming up with an even better name for the ride!

This pic of Em after our first NRJ ride in June 2017 is a good one:

And I’m wondering if we should start the trademark process for Living with Pandora.

Whatever you do, don't ask the safari driver what "those weird lights over there" are supposed to be. Having to explain that it's a sunset several times while looking purposefully in the rearview mirror probably wasn't in the poor girl's script

When we did the Caring for Giants elephants thing behind the scenes, our driver said that it’s a massive LED screen and said “I’m pretty sure the cast members play Mario Kart on there after hours”

Both of these comments made me LOL!

Those foam golf balls? My one and only girl cat Duchess loved to play with them. She didn’t fetch, but invented what we came to call “stair ball”. She trained her people to toss the balls up the staircase, and she’d go crazy chasing them up and down the stairs, or catching them, or batting them back to us. Her sons love to play it, as does their “cousin”, the stray who came indoors some years ago, resembles Duchess and has her personality so he must be related (she was also a stray we took in). Her son Scooter, who passed away last year at 17, would play fetch with them. Wore out our arms many nights.

My cat Indy is female and she LOVES playing fetch. And she always drops the ball in my lap when it’s my DD who is willing to throw her the ball.

There goes my theory.....

YES!! I feel the same way. I WANT to like it, I really do, but our first experience was just so bad that I don't want to waste time going back. And we're going this Summer with my brother's family and he thinks AK is going to be his daughter's favorite and they'll want to spend more time there than anywhere else. I'm thinking we're just going to have to split up a bit because I am not sure I even want to spend a whole day there. (And my son was traumatized by It's Tough to Be a Bug as well. If only I'd known on our last trip that he's autistic!)

Splitting up is definitely the way to go. AK in the summer is just brutal.

So....I love ITTBAB!!! I think it is so creative and hysterical! Having said that...my 6 year old is petrified of it. I feel bad because I really thought he would enjoy it. I guess it is achieving the extreme opposite of its message

There must be more who enjoy it than don’t, otherwise ITTBAB would have been modified (or shuttered) by now!

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con’t

AK closed at 8 pm and we ended up exiting with the masses. We had a very long wait for a bus which surprised me since the last time we’d left AK at park closing there were buses at every stop waiting for guests, with additional buses waiting to pull in after buses filled.

Upon boarding our bus we were met with strobe lighting ~ constant flickering off and on of the interior lights. It was awful and would certainly have triggered a migraine or seizure for anyone prone. We sat near the front and the bus filled to capacity. Before departing the driver was able to turn off the strobe.

But the “fun” didn’t stop. Standing in the aisle was mom, dad and 4-year-old Elliott who has likely never been told No. Ever. Elliott was not restrained by either of his parents and kept bumping into us, stepping on our feet and at one point sat down on Woody’s feet and proceeded to hit him in the leg ~ all the while whining at a volume passengers in the back of the bus could hear.

We said nothing, but at one point I glanced at mom who then loudly remarked, “Well if he had a seat he wouldn’t be bothering you.”

Honey, something tells me Elliott would still be bothering people even if he had a seat.

Thankfully WL was the first stop. As I stood up to leave, mom again insinuated that Elliott’s behavior was our fault: “I was taught that a man should always give up his seat.”

I looked her firmly in the eyes and said, “Well if he wasn’t a grandfather suffering with chronic back pain he WOULD have.”

There might have been steam coming from my ears when I rejoined Woody and Em.

We found a small surprise in our room.

(Perhaps because Mark heard the incessant drill noise when he let us into our old room?)

It was warm enough to stand on the balcony tonight....

....and enjoy Holiday Wishes.

 

[riverside]

But the “fun” didn’t stop. Standing in the aisle was mom, dad and 4-year-old Elliott who has likely never been told No. Ever. Elliott was not restrained by either of his parents and kept bumping into us, stepping on our feet and at one point sat down on Woody’s feet and proceeded to hit him in the leg ~ all the while whining at a volume passengers in the back of the bus could hear.

We said nothing, but at one point I glanced at mom who then loudly remarked, “Well if he had a seat he wouldn’t be bothering you.”

Honey, something tells me Elliott would still be bothering people even if he had a seat.

Thankfully WL was the first stop. As I stood up to leave mom again insinuated that Elliott’s behavior was our fault: “I was taught that a man should always give up his seat.”

I looked her firmly in the eyes and said, “Well if he wasn’t a grandfather suffering with chronic back pain he WOULD have.”

There might have been steam coming from my ears when I rejoined Woody and Em.

WOW--some people never cease to amaze me. How rude. Imagine what that kid is going to grow up to be like.....

 

[Zipadeelady]

I've never seemed to really like other people's children, and this is why. I don't understand a lot of parents version of parenting.

I feel like that was horrible to say, I'm not horrible

 

[ThemedScream]

Sounds like Elliott's family should have rented their own vehicle as opposed to expecting the entire world to bend to their will. Then he'd have his own seat for the whole trip!

The treat bucket was a nice touch, and probably especially nice to come back to after a long day and a trying bus ride.

 

[krisri18]

Good call. I wish I had realized what it was before we went. And I wish I had known my son was autistic...I never would have taken him with his overly-sensitive senses. That whole day must have been terrible for him and I feel so bad about it now.

This. I totally get this. My oldest is on the Asperger's end of the spectrum and the one time we did ITTBAB, he couldn't handle it. To the point where the woman sitting next to me asked if my son was having a seizure. We haven't been back since!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Excellent comment back to Elliot's mom. Nice little treat bucket waiting for you in your room. But looking at it made me want Cheetos now...thanks.

 

[Doc Disney]

Thankfully WL was the first stop. As I stood up to leave, mom again insinuated that Elliott’s behavior was our fault: “I was taught that a man should always give up his seat.”

I looked her firmly in the eyes and said, “Well if he wasn’t a grandfather suffering with chronic back pain he WOULD have.”

What the......
I would never question anyone who did not give up a seat! You never know what people are going through! That one time I got a concussion at Disney I distinctly remember being on a full bus but so dizzy that I was incapable of offering my seat to anyone even though I'm sure I look as healthy as can be. But also there is no rule that says you have to give up your seat. Sometimes a long day in the park makes you not want to. I'm glad you said something - good for you.