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!

 

[MinnieM123]

@Tuvalu , what made your TRs stand out, was that you always offered a "balanced" review of the parks, hotels, restaurants, fellow guests, the weather, etc., etc. That's why we all hung on to your impressions, because they were credibly written.

The above aside, we all appreciate you here, and your warmth has always shone through in your many TRs, down through the years. Your photos were great as well.

I'll miss your TRs, but am glad to read that you'll still be around the forums. Thanks for making a difference here.

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

Thank you for taking us all on vacation with your family! I have always looked forward to your trip reports and your open and honest feedback on your experiences. I know it was a lot of work to create the reports, but I will truly miss your humor and insight. Thank you again @Tuvalu

 

[mpaulam]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the trips you've shared. I've truly enjoyed reading each them. Enjoy your future trips without having to keep any notes.
You are such a wealth of knowledge, I hope you'll still be around to help with all our questions.

 

[Tiki Traveler]

Thank you for sharing your vacations with us. Also, thank you for helping create such a welcoming environment on this thread where even someone not active on social media (like me) felt comfortable joining in.

 

[k8einwdw]

I believe I told you this the first time we met in person and I got my super rare, special edition Tuvalu card (which I still have btw), but you are the reason I started writing trip reports. I used to come on here to casually peruse the News and Rumors forum (yikes), and one week, I got an email with the top trending threads for that week. One of your TRs, I want to say maybe Spring Break 2019, was on the list. I was curious, so I decided to check it out, and was immediately drawn in by your detailed storytelling and commentary. You have a special way of making all of us feel like we are on your trips with you, and 4.5 years later, your TRs are still some of my favorites.

I was inspired by you, and several others, and decided to write my first TR later on that year. Since then, I have made so many dear friends and felt such a sense of community in the Trip Reports forum, all because I decided to click the link for one of your reports. Thank you for always being a positive presence in our little community. Thank you for being so kind and welcoming to all who stumble into this little corner of the internet. And thank you so much for taking the time to share the last decade of your Disney trips with us.

While I’m sad for myself that we won’t get to read any more reports from you, I’m glad for you that you’ll be able to enjoy future trips without worrying about taking notes and remembering all of the details. I hope that you do stick around on the forums, as we all love you and would miss your presence terribly.

 

[Katiekitten]

Thank you for sharing your many trip reports with us over the years, they have definitely helped with my Disney blues. Like many others on this site I will miss reading them. I hope you enjoy all of your future trips!

 

[Thanx4Noticin]

So incredibly grateful for your trip reports. Funny, accurate, delightful and always helpful when planning my next trip. While I am a long time lurker, I have read all your reports over the years and they always made me smile. ( I think my all time favorite was the imaginary virtual trip during the lockdown - a much needed dose of Magic!) It’s been a pleasure to get to know you and your family over the years. Enjoy your trip report “retirement” and I will continue to look for you, Woody or Em in the parks on future trips!

 

[joshsprincess921]

Thank you for sharing your trips for all of these years. I will certainly miss reading them. Hoping the next time we are at the same place at the same time we will actually get to finally meet in person. Glad you are sticking around!

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[eb3257]

Thank you for sharing your vacations with us! I've followed along for years and will miss reading them very much!

 

[krause]

Final Thoughts - The Last One

I coined this trip “The Last One” because it was my final WDW vacation of 2023.

But that’s not the only reason.

As I said waaayyy back on page one, it has been a great joy for me to write trip reports for the reading pleasure of you, my forum friends. When I finished my first TR in 2014, I could not have fathomed all the positive feedback, support, laughs and kindness that has been shown me in the ensuing years. It has been a wonderful season - one that I’ll never forget.

But seasons change and it is time for me to retire from trip reporting. I will still be around this forum to engage with you incredible people and will always be happy to offer advice or answer questions.

I have several trips planned in 2024 so if you see me in the parks please say hello. I have plenty of Tuvalu cards yet to give out.

Your trips have brought me years of joy.
Through middle of the nights rocking babies, to pandemic lock down, your reports have been there to give me something to transport me to a joyful (warmer ) place.
All the best with your growing family. You, Woody, and Em have years of magic ahead of you

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Thanks so much for sharing your Disney adventures with us and I'm sad you are giving it up. I understand though, trip reports are a lot of work. I hope to see you in the parks and around the site here!

 

[InLovew/disney]

I've always looked forward to your trip reports and will miss them very much. Thank you for taking us along for the ride!!

 

[Kiwiduck]

Have enjoyed your reports so much over the years - understand why you are stopping as from my own weak attempts it is so much work. Your reports are so popular there may be a huge drop in views on the forums!!

 

[lindawdw]

Tuvalu, your TR was the first ever TR I read on these boards, and I knew instantly you were a special Disney Friend! I have absolutely loved every minute reading about your adventures with Woody and Em and will so miss reading about your future trips. I know we will meet up in the Parks and keep in touch. Enjoy your park time without having to note your daily comings and goings. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful trips here with us over the years. <3

 

[puppawuppa]

Thank you Tuvalu, I have enjoyed your trip reports thru the years. I don't post much but I wanted you to know that I have enjoyed every minute of your reports and getting to know Em and Woody. Your reports will be missed. Kim

 

[Spash007]

As much as it saddens me to hear you are done writing, I completely understand - I’ve had trouble just completing one a year! The fact you’ve been consistently posting them for so doing is truly an achievement, and I think many of us Trip Reporters owe a lot of our inspiration to you. Thank you for the entertainment and the source of information - I can’t even count how many things I’ve learned from your reports. I look forward to still interacting on this sight, and am hopeful for that yet to happen Tuvalu sighting. Enjoy those grand babies, and everything else your “retirement” brings!

 

[Pirate Magic]

It has been a pleasure to read all of your trip reports!! You were the first person that read your reports, I am sure they are a lot of work and time consuming. As a matter of fact when we met in September in EPCOT I believe in 2016 I had finished reading your report before I came to Disney that year. It was also a comfort for me when some of us couldn’t come down to Disney during the end of the pandemic (because of the dueling Governors in New York and Florida) that I was able to live through your reports.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Captain Barbossa]

It’s taken me a while to figure out what I want to say because the announcement sucked the life out of me lol.


Tu,

As countless others have expressed, you are the kindest/friendliest person that anyone could ever imagine encountering on these forums. Your constant positivity and welcoming demeanor is what makes you the wonderful human being you are, and it’s the example mindset/behavior that we all should strive to achieve each and every day. Unfortunately for me, I was late to the party and didn’t start reading your TRs until 2018/2019……………because someone didn’t realize that the TR forum existed the first 1 1/2 years of being a member (yikes)

Anyway, your TRs quickly became a favorite of mine and I eagerly awaited each one. I think I can speak for quite a few when I say that they provided some much needed joy/happiness on some very difficult/crappy days, and because of that, all I can say is thank you. In fact, I can’t say it enough. You have done so much for so many through your TRs, and none of it goes unappreciated. We all will be forever grateful for you and the time you sacrificed while on vacation to take notes/make documentations, and for the time you sacrificed to write these TRs. Your TRs stand out from the rest due to the amount of detail you put into each and the unique dialogue/commentary that we all know and love, and because of that, they will stand the test of time.

Enjoy your well deserved TR retirement, and may your future WDW trips with Woody and Em be more pleasurable and enjoyable than ever.

Once again, thank you.

Much love

 

[fractal]

Final Thoughts - The Last One

I coined this trip “The Last One” because it was my final WDW vacation of 2023.

But that’s not the only reason.

As I said waaayyy back on page one, it has been a great joy for me to write trip reports for the reading pleasure of you, my forum friends. When I finished my first TR in 2014, I could not have fathomed all the positive feedback, support, laughs and kindness that has been shown me in the ensuing years. It has been a wonderful season - one that I’ll never forget.

But seasons change and it is time for me to retire from trip reporting. I will still be around this forum to engage with you incredible people and will always be happy to offer advice or answer questions.

I have several trips planned in 2024 so if you see me in the parks please say hello. I have plenty of Tuvalu cards yet to give out.

So Bittersweet. Say it isn't so! I feel like I lost a part of me. Maybe you just need a break. Regardless, a final good-bye to Trip Reports or a break is well deserved. Nobody has been able to write so much wisdom and love in their reports. Your writing will be missed but we do have a formidable library of "Shirley" trip reports to always look back on.

Speaking of 2024. Current plans include a WDW trip in the Summer. If so, I hope we can meet again in the parks!