Trip Report The Never-Ending Summer Of Disney *COMPLETED*

Seriously?!!

Can you believe it??

This is jaw-dropping news!!

If only.

Two things in life give me the blues ~ the end of summer and the end of a Disney vacation. A never-ending summer of Disney would be a dream come true! But I am certainly happy to “settle” for a WDW vacay in June....in July....and in August. And rather than write three separate trip reports (and annoy @amjt660 when my *COMPLETED* report really isn’t ) I decided to take @Rista1313 ’s suggestion and post an ongoing travelogue, à la @blgauger style.

So let’s get started!

Vacation #1
June 16-24, 2018
Tuvalu, Woody and Em get pampered at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Was there rain? Any snarky Cast Members? Ridiculous guest behavior? A Magic meet-up? How many times did we watch Happily Ever After?

You’ll have to follow along to find out.

 

[LeighM]

I can’t unsee the visual you put in my mind!

I haven't been able to unsee it either. Hopefully a CM or a braver man than my husband let him know his situation. I am very vocal about most things but I don't know the best way to approach that situation....

 

[93boomer]

My first sip of my Island Sunset was a little off-putting. All I could taste was alcohol. I don’t want to taste alcohol in a fruity, frozen concoction.

After several stirs with my straw (goodness what will we do when straws are gone?!?) the mixture was more palatable and I had no trouble sucking it down....a little too quickly. Besides the temporary cold headache (press your tongue on the roof of your mouth, Tuvalu!) I was feeling a bit giddy. And I had another craving.

“I want Poly chips!” I announced to no one in particular.
(Poly chips are a combo of homemade potato chips and fried wontons.)

“Let’s go to Cooks and get some real food to go with those Poly Chips,” Woody wisely suggested.

We placed our order and found a table outside on the terrace.
View attachment 312065
(See the lady at the table behind me? She has a role in the first PDN (public display of nakedness) we witnessed.)

My Poly chips. I was gleeful because they were all fried wontons, which are my favorite part of Poly chips!
View attachment 312067
Oh yeah, they came with a pulled pork sandwich with Asian slaw.

Woody opted for pork fried rice.
View attachment 312066
Which obviously doesn’t photograph well!

Both pork-centric meals were very tasty. No complaints!

Before our food arrived I changed chairs to face the pool, which put me in the direct line of sight of the table that was behind me in the above picture. I watched as a boy of about 8 or 9 dropped his shorts and presented his butt to his mother, who then injected his hindquarters with what I assume was insulin. The boy then pulled up said shorts and scampered away, while mom continued eating.

They were only mere steps away from a bathroom where the injection could have been done IN PRIVATE.

 

[Rista1313]

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW Happily Ever After on the beach with your love! How special and romantic! Sounds like a very nice trip for you two to continue to enjoy each other!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, August 26

I awakened very early (as usual) in a strong “go with the flow” mood. This was most unusual for two reasons: first, I am not a “go with the flow” person. I am a planner. Second, the fact that I am a planner meant we already had plans for today. Granted those plans were for a resort day, but they were plans nonetheless....and I am not one to spontaneously chuck plans.

In the quiet stillness my mind was racing. One of the benefits of a resort day means not being in a hurry....sleeping in, lounging, reading, a big late breakfast....all things Woody was looking forward to on this vacation.

And the complete opposite of what was going on in my thoughts.

You see, something else Woody mentioned prior to our trip was his anticipation of seeing Toy Story Land, especially after hearing my glowing praise. We had Slinky Dog FPs for later in the week, but the summer rains could jeopardize our chance of using them. There was no chance of rain this morning....and DHS had Extra Magic Hour from 8-9 am.

On a whim I woke Woody. We were out the door and on a bus in less than 30 minutes. Not only was he sacrificing his relaxing morning, but he hadn’t had his coffee yet.

As you probably know, the bus depot at the Studios has been moved a long way from the front entrance. I did not understand how far until we made that walk. Thankfully the new location is temporary. We breezed through security, tapped our bands and entered onto a deserted Hollywood Blvd. We didn’t stop for pictures as we were in a hurry to get to Toy Story Land before it opened at 8, which was in fifteen minutes. (Correction....I was in a hurry. Woody is never in a hurry when we tour the parks.)

Imagine my surprise as we reached One Man’s Dream and there was a line.....not to enter TSL, but to ride Slinky Dog Dash! The sign held by the CM at the end indicated a 90 minute wait from that point. Extra Magic Hour hadn’t even started!

“Nope!” I muttered to Woody as we continued past the line. “We’ll wait to use our fastpasses.”

Instead we headed for something Em and I didn’t get to do last month.

Only a Disney dweeb would get excited about changes to a queue.

Because there were so few people, we did not get to walk by Mr. Potato Head. I was a bit disappointed since I have not seen that cantankerous potato in ages!

Although the games haven’t changed, I was off my game. Perhaps it was from preoccupation with the new queue or the fact I was slightly stewing that the line for SDD was already ridiculously long.

I still managed to beat Woody.

 

[Tuvalu]

Last month Em and I had hopped into the Toy Story Mania exit queue in our search for the Instagram-trendy Popsicle Wall. Our intense focus to find it caused us to miss many treasures found along the way. Today I was determined to pay more attention to the details.

Woody was especially taken by the balsa plane. He made countless numbers of them as a boy.

@DisneyShe posted a similar picture of this giant plastic straw. She was right to question its irony, considering Disney is now eliminating plastic straws from its properties.

Of course I made Woody pose with me at the Popsicle Wall.....

....and the Checkerboard Wall.

(Remember the poor guy STILL hasn’t had his coffee!)

 

[Tiggerish]

Remember the poor guy STILL hasn’t had his coffee!

Does anyone else hear 10cc singing "The Things We Do For Love"?

 

[DisneyGigi]

Last month Em and I had hopped into the Toy Story Mania exit queue in our search for the Instagram-trendy Popsicle Wall. Our intense focus to find it caused us to miss many treasures found along the way. Today I was determined to pay more attention to the details.

View attachment 314746

Woody was especially taken by the balsa plane. He made countless numbers of them as a boy.
View attachment 314749

@DisneyShe posted a similar picture of this giant plastic straw. She was right to question its irony, considering Disney is now eliminating plastic straws from its properties.
View attachment 314750

Of course I made Woody pose with me at the Popsicle Wall.....
View attachment 314748

....and the Checkerboard Wall.
View attachment 314747

(Remember the poor guy STILL hasn’t had his coffee!)

I am glad I am not the only one that got a chuckle out the giant straw. Love the detail but couldn’t help but think it was ironic.

Get that fella some coffee! He is a trooper! B isn’t going anywhere without his coffee.

 

[Tuvalu]

What’s next? (Hint: It’s not coffee time.)

Did we enter the queue? We were about to....and then I noticed the Photopass photographer had no line.

Now we can enter the queue!

Thankfully it was only a ten minute wait cause even during the “cool” morning hours it was hot, sweaty and stuffy....so much so that Woody would have refused coffee if offered. Our attempt at getting water from the in-line fountains was unsuccessful. The outside queues and lack of shade (and a/c!) is a huge negative to an otherwise fantastic land....and hopefully will be corrected. SOON.

I can’t wait for the ride to start!!

What was Woody’s reaction?
Him: “Did you laugh that much the first time you rode?”
Me: “Yuppers!”
Him: “Then this is a great ride.”

 

[Tuvalu]

️ It’s coffee time!! ️

After a quick cool-down in the only other TSL location with a/c (besides TSM) Woody and I were ready for breakfast.

There were only a few people in line so we didn’t bother with mobile ordering. Besides, it gave Woody a chance to check out the details of his namesake’s Lunch Box (although Woody was not named after the infamous toy sheriff .)

But why oh why is the paint peeling already? I can guess. Inconsiderate guests can’t keep their hands to themselves.

The seating area is adorable.....and much too small. Every table was taken and very few guests had food. It was likely some were saving a table for an ordering family member, but there were not many people carrying trays to occupied tables. Most folks with trays were looking for an open seat, as Woody and I were. The table hogs were just........sitting.

After three frustrating loops through the seating area, Woody spied two people getting up from a nearby bench. We were able to claim the spot before any non-diners did.

Coffee-fueled at last!

The breakfast choices had me in a quandary. I am always up for anything that includes turkey, so the smoked turkey breakfast sandwich would be right up my alley. But I was intrigued by the S’mores sandwich. I had read mixed reviews of it yet decided that anything with chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker crumbs needed to be sampled.

I also knew that if I didn’t care for the S’mores sandwich I would need something else to eat. The kids meal came with half a sandwich plus a mandarin orange and tater tots (“potato barrels” ). Not being a tots fan, I figured I could give them to Woody in exchange for a few bites of his turkey sandwich.

My breakfast is on the left. For $5.99 it also included a small bottle of water. Not a bad deal!
Woody’s sandwich on the right was $7.49. No tots. Additional charge for coffee.

The S’mores sandwich was VERY SWEET. It tasted mostly of melted chocolate with very little marshmallow or graham flavor. After a couple bites I was done (and y’all know how much I like sweet stuff for breakfast!) Woody wasn’t interested in trying it, but he happily ate my tots. He offered me half of his turkey but I only wanted a bite, since I still had the mandarin to eat (which BTW was perfect!)

The turkey was very good and we’d both recommend it as a solid breakfast choice.

 

[Tuvalu]

Literally as soon as we made our last swallow we vacated our bench. Both of us felt sorry for the other “tray people” who were helplessly wandering around.

(Meanwhile the lady at a table beside us was spread out on all three chairs KNITTING! She was there when we arrived and still there when we left Toy Story Land.)

Woody and I watched Slinky for a bit. The standby line was even longer since Extra Magic Hour was over. We saw a few characters out but no green army men. We explored other prop areas until Woody felt like he’d seen it all and then said “Ta-ta for Now!”

Favorite billboard ever!!

In case you haven’t already seen enough pictures of the walled-off former Pixar Place.

You’re welcome.

Hollywood Blvd. was no longer deserted and we felt like salmon swimming upstream against all the incoming guests. We’d accomplished Toy Story Land and were ready to resume our original plan for the day.

But first we’d need to make that LONG walk to the buses.

Former bus and tram areas walled off.

And we’re walking.....

Still walking.....

Wait, what? We’re not there yet?!

Nope, not even close!

Second-to-the-last stop! Charter bus stops are closer to the front entrance than the Poly stop.

Fortunately we did not have to wait long for our bus.

 

[Rista1313]

spread out on all three chairs KNITTING!

I'm surprised, normally knitters are a very considerate bunch as a whole. I'm a major knitter, but I left my knitting home for my trip, I wanted to be present while in WDW.

 

[Tuvalu]

Once back at the Poly we quickly changed into swimwear and went to the Lava pool. Before the latest pool refurb a few years ago you could see the beach and Cinderella Castle while swimming in the water. The raised pool deck and installation of the fence prevents those views now.

Of course the trees on that island (top left) are what really obscure the view of the Castle now.

The beach area has more concrete and less sand than it used to.

Woody found us two vacant loungers. A shady one for him.....

....and a sunny one for me.

This was our view ~

The Barefoot Pool Bar was conveniently close.

We had a couple drinks while lounging and then spent a full hour immersed in this pretty blue water.

Ahhh paradise, right?

Not for much longer.....and for once, I am not talking about rain!

It was 12:45 pm. In fifteen minutes, four hours of non-stop pool games would begin. The deejay had set up his booth only a few feet from our loungers and was already playing music at eardrum-splitting volume. This is always our signal to move to the quiet pool.

I don’t resent pool games. If anything I resent that there were no pool games when my children were little. I would have loved having CMs entertain my kids so I could relax and not have to “score” endless handstands. Now that I am at the stage of life when I can relax, I prefer to do so away from noisy chaos.

Woody and I returned to our loungers to dry off.

Coming up ~ PDN #2 and #3

 

[93boomer]

Literally as soon as we made our last swallow we vacated our bench. Both of us felt sorry for the other “tray people” who were helplessly wandering around.

(Meanwhile the lady at a table beside us was spread out on all three chairs KNITTING! She was there when we arrived and still there when we left Toy Story Land.)

Woody and I watched Slinky for a bit. The standby line was even longer since Extra Magic Hour was over. We saw a few characters out but no green army men. We explored other prop areas until Woody felt like he’d seen it all and then said “Ta-ta for Now!”

View attachment 314801
Favorite billboard ever!!

In case you haven’t already seen enough pictures of the walled-off former Pixar Place.
View attachment 314802
You’re welcome.

Hollywood Blvd. was no longer deserted and we felt like salmon swimming upstream against all the incoming guests. We’d accomplished Toy Story Land and were ready to resume our original plan for the day.

But first we’d need to make that LONG walk to the buses.

View attachment 314803

Former bus and tram areas walled off.

View attachment 314804

And we’re walking.....
View attachment 314805

Still walking.....

View attachment 314806

Wait, what? We’re not there yet?!
View attachment 314807

Nope, not even close!
View attachment 314808

Second-to-the-last stop! Charter bus stops are closer to the front entrance than the Poly stop.
View attachment 314809

View attachment 314810

Fortunately we did not have to wait long for our bus.

I am not looking forward to that long walk!

 

[Tuvalu]

Does anyone else hear 10cc singing "The Things We Do For Love"?

Your comment made me LOL.
And the dang song has been stuck in my brain all day!

I'm surprised, normally knitters are a very considerate bunch as a whole. I'm a major knitter, but I left my knitting home for my trip, I wanted to be present while in WDW.

The whole situation was very weird. Where was her family? It’s possible English was not her native language.

I am not looking forward to that long walk!

In the heat, it’s a killer.

 

[DisneyGigi]

The walk is pretty bad now too, from the tram. Not so bad going in, when it isn’t so hot- but it was horrid going out. I was like why even ride the tram? A never ending snake of green chain link fence with pictures of things to come.

 

[Tiggerish]

Your comment made me LOL.
And the dang song has been stuck in my brain all day!

You're welcome

And now there's another song stuck in your brain!

 

[Nala06]

I would have loved having CMs entertain my kids so I could relax and not have to “score” endless handstands.

As a former gymnast, I understand this too well!

 

[krause]

Sweet option vs. Turkey option must be one of the greatest dilemmas of your life

 

[Tuvalu]

Sweet option vs. Turkey option must be one of the greatest dilemmas of your life

You know me too well.