Trip Report The Story Comes ALIVE! *COMPLETED*

Hello again, my friends.

For nearly a decade it has been such a joy for me to write about 50 (yes, 50!) different trips that I have taken to WDW - including one that was virtual.

The reason? You, the reader.

I don’t do trip reports for my own documentation. I have journals for that. I write because I love interacting with y’all. Your encouragement, humor, curiosity and even snark (*ahem* @amjt660) assure me that I am not alone in my crazy affection for Disney parks. A big thanks to each of you!

I am very fortunate to be a frequent visitor to WDW (despite what @Mr Ferret 88 believes, I do not live there!) and am entering a season of monthly visits. Trip reporting is time consuming (as those of you who’ve written can attest) but I’m not ready to completely give it up - yet.

What I’d like to do is keep this as an ongoing TR for the rest of 2023. It will be highlights and moments, with live posting as the goal. My story coming alive, so to speak.

First up is spring break with my favorite girl.

Followed closely by a getaway with my favorite guy.

There will be Magician meets. New experiences. And (as always) the unexpected.

I hope you’ll join the fun!

 

[Tuvalu]

That’s so disappointing about the Poly Club level. I wonder if it’s in more demand so they don’t feel the “need” to go above and beyond.

But, I would imagine a first time guest would leave feeling they did not get their money’s worth. Unless without anything to compare it to, they just think they’re paying extra for the foo

Our thoughts exactly while we were there.

 

[Tuvalu]

Club Level Welcome Treats

There were two WL chocolate bars in the wrapper.

The nut mix was inside the Polynesian scroll.

Polynesian wins for presentation, but the WL chocolate was YUM.

 

[Tuvalu]

The Resorts - Hilton Lauderdale Beach Resort

Woody and I have history in South Florida. We dated, got engaged (on the beach), got married, bought a condo and started our family here.

It was essential to revisit where our married life began.

Much has changed over the last four decades. Many places - including our reception venue - are gone.

Mom-and-Pop motels that once dotted the quiet strip of beach have been replaced by high rise hotels, including the Hilton.

Our room was on the 23rd floor. Beautiful view, but I was a bit nervous standing out on the balcony. Thankfully we could enjoy the view from inside thanks to the large windows and clear balcony railing.

We watched the sun rise while lying in bed. It was a mostly cloudy morning.

We may complain about WDW prices, but the nightly parking fee at the Hilton is $58.85 (tax inclusive) and the resort fee is $48.15 (tax inclusive).

Then and now photos of our first home.

The three palm trees are still standing!

And @Tony the Tigger‘s record store is less than 2 miles from here. It truly is a small world!

 

[93boomer]

The Resorts - Hilton Lauderdale Beach Resort

Woody and I have history in South Florida. We dated, got engaged (on the beach), got married, bought a condo and started our family here.

It was essential to revisit where our married life began.

Much has changed over the last four decades. Many places - including our reception venue - are gone.

View attachment 729129

Mom-and-Pop motels that once dotted the quiet strip of beach have been replaced by high rise hotels, including the Hilton.

Our room was on the 23rd floor. Beautiful view, but I was a bit nervous standing out on the balcony. Thankfully we could enjoy the view from inside thanks to the large windows and clear balcony railing.

View attachment 729125

We watched the sun rise while lying in bed. It was a mostly cloudy morning.

View attachment 729126

We may complain about WDW prices, but the nightly parking fee at the Hilton is $58.85 (tax inclusive) and the resort fee is $48.15 (tax inclusive).

Then and now photos of our first home.

View attachment 729127

View attachment 729128

View attachment 729130

The three palm trees are still standing!

View attachment 729132

And @Tony the Tigger‘s record store is less than 2 miles from here. It truly is a small world!

Such nice memories for you two!

 

[lindawdw]

The Poly Club Level sounds like a big disappointment especially knowing that WL provided such a memorable experience. Where is the consistency with these Disney resorts? You are such a wonderful writer and I so enjoy seeing all your then and now pictures. You certainly made this 40th a special trip.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

The Resorts - Hilton Lauderdale Beach Resort

Woody and I have history in South Florida. We dated, got engaged (on the beach), got married, bought a condo and started our family here.

It was essential to revisit where our married life began.

Much has changed over the last four decades. Many places - including our reception venue - are gone.

View attachment 729129

Mom-and-Pop motels that once dotted the quiet strip of beach have been replaced by high rise hotels, including the Hilton.

Our room was on the 23rd floor. Beautiful view, but I was a bit nervous standing out on the balcony. Thankfully we could enjoy the view from inside thanks to the large windows and clear balcony railing.

View attachment 729125

We watched the sun rise while lying in bed. It was a mostly cloudy morning.

View attachment 729126

We may complain about WDW prices, but the nightly parking fee at the Hilton is $58.85 (tax inclusive) and the resort fee is $48.15 (tax inclusive).

Then and now photos of our first home.

View attachment 729127

View attachment 729128

View attachment 729130

The three palm trees are still standing!

View attachment 729132

And @Tony the Tigger‘s record store is less than 2 miles from here. It truly is a small world!

So cool that your got to revisit place important to you and Woody. And your wedding dress....ooolala that was a gorgeous dress. You were a beautiful bride and had a handsome groom too!

 

[Tuvalu]

So cool that your got to revisit place important to you and Woody. And your wedding dress....ooolala that was a gorgeous dress. You were a beautiful bride and had a handsome groom too!

Thank you. The dress first belonged to my mother when she married my father in 1959. The only modification was the hem needed to be shortened, otherwise a perfect fit. There are cloth buttons all down the back which we had to secure with an antique button hook - which is stowed away with the dress.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Thank you. The dress first belonged to my mother when she married my father in 1959. The only modification was the hem needed to be shortened, otherwise a perfect fit. There are cloth buttons all down the back which we had to secure with an antique button hook - which is stowed away with the dress.

Now I love it even more that I know it was your mom's too. My mom hadn't stored her dress properly so it had gotten so damaged that there was no way my sister or I could have used it at all.

 

[Swissmiss]

Your wedding picture is gorgeous and since you didn’t wear glasses then (or at least took them off for the picture ) I can really see that @TrolleyFollower91 looks very much like her mother did when she was younger!

 

[Tiggerish]

So cool that your got to revisit place important to you and Woody. And your wedding dress....ooolala that was a gorgeous dress. You were a beautiful bride and had a handsome groom too!

Seconded.

@Tuvalu the dress is gorgeous (would not have guessed it was vintage, what a classic, elegant design) and you wore it beautifully.

Woody looks great, too. By the time I got married three years later, the pastel tux had gone out of style, but boy do I remember those from my proms!!

 

[Tuvalu]

My mom hadn't stored her dress properly so it had gotten so damaged that there was no way my sister or I could have used it at all.

My extended family joked for years prior to my engagement that my mom’s dress had been “hermetically sealed.”
She got the last laugh, as the dress was in pristine condition for me. (The veil didn’t make it though.)

Your wedding picture is gorgeous and since you didn’t wear glasses then (or at least took them off for the picture ) I can really see that @TrolleyFollower91 looks very much like her mother did when she was younger!

Contacts

@Tuvalu the dress is gorgeous (would not have guessed it was vintage, what a classic, elegant design) and you wore it beautifully.

Woody looks great, too. By the time I got married three years later, the pastel tux had gone out of style, but boy do I remember those from my proms!!

Thanks! Hoping at least part of the dress remains for future family use. And yeah, 80s tuxes were hideous.

 

[MinnieM123]

@Tuvalu, I loved your wedding gown -- gorgeous. And how nice that it was also your mom's!! Your floral bouquet was very pretty as well. Woody looked quite sharp, himself, in that wedding photo! Thanks for sharing your memories with us.

 

[Tuvalu]

The Weather

Note that Florida does not bill itself as the afternoon showers/tropical storm/hurricane state, though that’s every bit as true….it’s just not a good slogan for tourism!

We left Georgia in sunshine. As we approached the Florida state line we learned that I-75 just north of Gainesville was closed in BOTH directions, thanks to an overturned tanker that had spilled toxic chemicals several hours earlier. Cleanup was predicted to last until evening, which meant we had to detour.

A detour through very rural areas of two-lane roads with poor drainage when it storms. And boy, did it storm.

The detour cost us 90 minutes and my nerves. And even though it was still raining, I was ever-so-happy to see this sight:

During our vacation it rained A LOT.

I awoke before 6 on our first morning to a loud thunder/lightning storm. Two hours later we watched the continuing downpour while breakfasting in the lounge.

We delayed going to a park as did many others. Skies eventually cleared, but the sprinkles returned for evening extra hours at MK.

The following day we were able to get in a few hours at the pool before the typical afternoon storm rolled in. It cleared a little by early evening and we went to Epcot - only to get caught in a deluge of epic proportions.

Woke the next morning to another thunderstorm. Woody had packed three pair of sneakers and all of them had been soaked through. He put on the driest pair and we made rope drop, under an ominous sky behind the castle.

Arty Pan - then we we trapped at the exit.

We did not escape the rain in South Florida either. We had walked the couple blocks from our hotel to a restaurant for dinner under clear, sunny skies and after dining exited into a downpour. One of us had forgotten an umbrella so we huddled under a small Totes and splashed through puddles back to the Hilton.

I’d like to say it was romantic but it really wasn’t.

Upon our return to WDW we had two days without rain. We had this delightfulness instead.

Yep, feels like 105 degrees! Even the pool didn’t do much to help cool off. Woody overheard a woman complain that “Disney shouldn’t heat their pools in the summer!”

You can’t make this stuff up.

@riverside brought the rain back on our last day. (Sorry Patti, but @Darstarr wasn’t there to blame!) The sun returned mid-afternoon, giving me a final hour at the pool. But at sunset Woody and I watched a nasty storm roll in, canceling the Electrical Water Pageant and delaying Happily Ever After until 10:30 pm….but I had already fallen asleep.

 

[Tiggerish]

I’d like to say it was romantic but it really wasn’t.

Oh, this made me laugh!! Come on that's gotta be romantic! (no really, I totally get it, maybe if you had a golf umbrella...)

I didn't catch earlier that your split stay was split by a visit to SoFla...am I reading that right?

 

[Tuvalu]

The Dining

Before our departure I’d made exactly one ADR. We wanted our celebration to be spontaneous and go with the flow. (If only we didn’t have to make those pesky park reservations!) My mother had given us money for a nice dinner and I’d booked California Grill, despite my disdain for its prix fixe status.

Our anniversary was noted at check in (the CM asked if we were celebrating anything). However this did not grant us a table by the window nor Mickey confetti on the table as in years past. Our server was not overly genial and could not specifically answer a couple questions I had about items on the menu. In fact she steered me way from the stone fruit salad in favor of a “marble potatoes and leeks” pizza for my appetizer.

Folks, this is an 8 inch pizza! I can’t eat an entire 8 inch pizza as a meal, let alone as an appetizer. As if the dough isn’t enough carbs, let’s throw on some potatoes and “crispy potato chips”. I took a couple bites of one slice and was done. Woody enjoyed his single goat cheese ravioli (a reasonable sized appetizer). I am not a goat cheese fan, nor sushi (3 different choices) or sashimi (remember - no seafood). I regret being swayed from the salad. (Actually I regret having to order an appetizer at all. Darn you, prix fixe!)

The oak-grilled filet has always been the star of the show for us, and the only reason I booked CG. Happily, the filet did not disappoint! I cannot say the same for the sides. Cooked carrots (blech) and more marble potatoes!! (Was there a sale?)

Sautéed small potatoes are a lazy side. What happened to the risotto CG was famous for? Or grilled asparagus?

The beef filled me up. I did not need dessert. I am perfectly content sharing a dessert when I need a little something sweet to end my meal.

Tonight I was obligated to order dessert. I picked the chocolate torte. Woody chose the peanut butter torte. I had one bite of mine (it was much too rich and needed something? to cut the sweetness) and offered Woody the rest. He loves peanut butter and chocolate together, so he combined a few bites of my dessert with a few bites of his. There was still a lot left over.

Our plates had been cleared and we were preparing to leave when our server brought us two complimentary glasses of champagne for our anniversary. While a nice gesture, it would have been better at the start of our meal.

Woody’s fave dinner of the trip was Olivia’s. After my bad experience with Em earlier in the month, I was hesitant to go back when Woody suggested it. But…..OLIVIA’S TOTALLY REDEEMED ITSELF!

Great friendly service, fabulous food and our server surprised us with the chef’s signature celebration toast - champagne with a scoop of mango sorbet. (We had not mentioned our anniversary. She’d noticed the button on my purse strap.)

My fave dinner was ‘Ohana. It began with the best window table we’d ever had and got better with each dish we were served. I was so stuffed by the time the bread pudding arrived yet I managed to have a few spoonfuls of yumminess.

Our “most fun” dinner was at the Garden Grill. It had been a couple years since we were last here….with the Tuva Tykes!

Beaches and Cream (B served us, @Loco_driver), Mama Melrose and Liberty Tree Tavern round out the rest of our table service meals. Food and service spot on at all! (It was such a treat after all the abysmal service on my last trip with Em.)

 

[Tuvalu]

I didn't catch earlier that your split stay was split by a visit to SoFla...am I reading that right?

Yes. We decided to avoid an 11 hour journey from ATL to SoFla (or vice versa) by breaking up the WDW portion.

 

[joshsprincess921]

Your wedding dress was so beautiful and timeless! Thanks for sharing your stories, as always, I love to hear them. Even with you taking minimal notes and pictures this trip, your storytelling brings this report to life.

 

[Zipadeelady]

What a great way to start my morning. Cup of tea and a new style of reporting from Tuvalu, not that there was anything wrong with your reports before.

Everyone is right, your wedding dress is beautiful!
I hate to say it i thought the rug in the Club Level room at WL was a towel but everything else seems incredibly wonderful and now I'm thinking one day I'm going to have to splurge.

 

[Tuvalu]

What a great way to start my morning. Cup of tea and a new style of reporting from Tuvalu, not that there was anything wrong with your reports before.

Where my mind went.

I hate to say it i thought the rug in the Club Level room at WL was a towel but everything else seems incredibly wonderful and now I'm thinking one day I'm going to have to splurge.

The thin rug does look like a towel. There was one in our Poly room too.

Have C book a WL club room with the AP discount.

 

[lindawdw]

Bummer that you had so much rain on this trip but Florida in the summer months is a lot of showers that literally come out of no where most of the time! The detour on your drive down definitely sounded less than magical. It really is a lot of food at California Grill but with that said, we usually enjoy our food and dining experience so much that it always draws us back again and again. I do wish they would go back to the a la carte menu but I think the fixed price is here to stay for quite a while. So happy that your other dinners were better than expected and that the servers recognized your special anniversary!