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.

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Followed closely by a getaway with my favorite guy.

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

I hope you’ll join the fun!
 
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amjt660

amjt660

Well-Known Member
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Glad you were able to see HEA.

(Minor TR high jack might to follow)

So not to get too serious (because I know it is not my expected brand) but I have to ask about HEA

I quick search tells me in started in May 2017 and then was replaced by in Sept 2021 by Enchantment
I have not seen either HEA or Enchantment ( my trip in 2018 was at Christmas - my trip in 2022 did not include MK FW show)

I remember hearing a lot of negative about HEA when it came out - that it did not come close to Wishes
Yet here we are in 2023 singing its praises

It is a great show? a good show?
Is it just a case of it being comparably so much better than Enchantment?
Do we all have short memories and forget how great Wishes was?

For me I have two favorite FW shows

Remember in Disneyland (50th - in 2005) - best Disney character based fireworks - combines Wishes with a virtual tour of DLR

Illuminations - Reflections of Earth - 2000's - best non Disney character fireworks - that soundtrack gives me chills when I listen to it

I am returning to WDW in late May and want to ensure I do not build up HEA so much in my mind that it is a disappointment

So I'll give you a topic ( where does HEA sit all time for you)


verklempt saturday night live GIF


Max
 
k8einwdw

k8einwdw

Well-Known Member
amjt660 said:
I remember hearing a lot of negative about HEA when it came out - that it did not come close to Wishes
Yet here we are in 2023 singing its praises

It is a great show? a good show?
Is it just a case of it being comparably so much better than Enchantment?
Do we all have short memories and forget how great Wishes was?
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Disney fans are notorious for hating change, and Wishes was around for 13(?) years. I personally think that’s why a lot of people criticized HEA initially - they didn’t *want* to like it, simply because it wasn’t Wishes. IMO, HEA is a more emotionally charged show, and the projections really add to the experience. I think Wishes was more impressive from a pyrotechnic standpoint. The criticism for HarmoniUS, I think, is a little more nuanced. IllumiNations was around forever, so there’s the reluctance to embrace change. Some people aren’t fans of IP in Epcot, which I can certainly understand, BUT I think it’s really special to have those characters represented in what would be their native language. I think everyone can agree the taco barges are atrocious. However, again IMO, IllumiNations was both more impressive pyrotechnically speaking, as well as more emotionally charged, *if* you understood the premise behind the show.
 
Loco_driver

Loco_driver

Well-Known Member
k8einwdw said:
Disney fans are notorious for hating change, and Wishes was around for 13(?) years. I personally think that’s why a lot of people criticized HEA initially - they didn’t *want* to like it, simply because it wasn’t Wishes. IMO, HEA is a more emotionally charged show, and the projections really add to the experience. I think Wishes was more impressive from a pyrotechnic standpoint. The criticism for HarmoniUS, I think, is a little more nuanced. IllumiNations was around forever, so there’s the reluctance to embrace change. Some people aren’t fans of IP in Epcot, which I can certainly understand, BUT I think it’s really special to have those characters represented in what would be their native language. I think everyone can agree the taco barges are atrocious. However, again IMO, IllumiNations was both more impressive pyrotechnically speaking, as well as more emotionally charged, *if* you understood the premise behind the show.
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What she said. People get emotionally attached to shows. I loved wishes and hated to see it go, but HEA is better. The music is better and the show has more heart. Enchantment had potential, but lacked any real emotion thanks to some odd choices for song covers. Also illuminations was my favorite soundtrack. Harmonius paled in comparison, because it felt like a generic clip show with a few fireworks thrown in. The ugly barges added almost nothing to the show unless you were at a perfect angle to them. It was definitely created by a committee and not by a creative.
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Tuesday, con’t

Kilimanjaro Safari is not open during early entry. It was our #1 priority, which is why Em was not so keen on stopping at Na’vi River first. She thought we should be as close as possible to the Safari entrance when it opened at 8 am.

We joined the line at 8:10. Knowing how much queue there is past the entrance I was naively surprised to find that the line started here.

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Imagine my continued disbelief after we’d entered and discovered the extended queue was in use!

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
We waited about 40 minutes in a continuously moving line and a cool breeze was blowing so it wasn’t too bad.

There was a lot of animal activity. The entire pack of painted dogs was out feasting on bloody carcasses (so no pics 😉).

Enjoy this petite giraffe instead.

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The cheetahs were playing so that was fun to see. As our vehicle neared Pride Rock, three ostriches were trying to get to a food truck and blocked the road. Suddenly we heard several roars from the lion (a rare occurrence for us) and I was wanting to get to the other side of the rock ASAP.

But this guy had other ideas.

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When the lions came into view the male was rubbing himself against the rock. No more vocalization. :(

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The goats at the end of the safari made me smile though.

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93boomer

93boomer

Premium Member
Tuvalu said:
Tuesday, con’t

Kilimanjaro Safari is not open during early entry. It was our #1 priority, which is why Em was not so keen on stopping at Na’vi River first. She thought we should be as close as possible to the Safari entrance when it opened at 8 am.

We joined the line at 8:10. Knowing how much queue there is past the entrance I was naively surprised to find that the line started here.

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Imagine my continued disbelief after we’d entered and discovered the extended queue was in use!

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Yeah that line was wrapped around that bar and headed towards Lion King show when we were there. So glad we had LL. We only waited 5 mts.
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Em’s request.

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We saw mole rats, birds, zebras and of course the namesakes for the trail. Two adorable baby chimps were chasing each other but my picture attempts were unsuccessful. They were in the brush behind Mama.

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We had a Kevin sighting. Or as the man beside me said, “It’s Fred!” 🤦🏻‍♀️

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Tuesday, con’t

The breeze had stopped blowing and the sun was strong. Coupled with the increase in crowds (and wait times) AK was quickly becoming less pleasant.

There was ample time before lunch so we joined another line.

Any idea where we are?

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Does this help?

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Yeah we didn’t know Dinosaur had an extended queue!

Can I mention how rude people are? In the room with the T-Rex skeleton there was so much loud chatter that Bill Nye’s voice was barely audible. It was the same in the theater - no one was paying any attention to Phylicia Rashad. Fortunately the Dino puppet and Dr. Seeker caught people’s attention and the room quieted down.

Are these lights on the back of the time rovers new?

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We did not get our ride photo.

Both of us were stunned to see that all of Primeval Whirl is gone.

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“As if Chester and Hester’s didn’t look cheap before,” was Em’s only comment.
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
The Door Nazis were patrolling the area in front of Satu’li Canteen. They would not let anyone pass by unless their mobile order had been called.

Meanwhile most of the guests sitting in the outdoor dining area were not consuming Satu’li food. 🤔

Yet Em and I were not allowed to proceed towards the restaurant, even though our mobile order was in process (which I showed the DNCM) but not ready.

“May we stand in the shade?” I asked as the sun beat down on us.

She couldn’t have been more nasty. “NO. You must stay outside this area until your order is called.”

It was a hot wait.

The restaurant was not crowded inside. In fact one entire section was roped off. There were two families picking up mobile orders and about half a dozen guests ordering at the register. (Not sure how they got past the DNCMs.)

But our grilled steak bowls with hearty salad were worth the aggravation!

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93boomer

93boomer

Premium Member
93boomer

93boomer

Premium Member
Tuvalu said:
The Door Nazis were patrolling the area in front of Satu’li Canteen. They would not let anyone pass by unless their mobile order had been called.

Meanwhile most of the guests sitting in the outdoor dining area were not consuming Satu’li food. 🤔

Yet Em and I were not allowed to proceed towards the restaurant, even though our mobile order was in process (which I showed the DNCM) but not ready.

“May we stand in the shade?” I asked as the sun beat down on us.

She couldn’t have been more nasty. “NO. You must stay outside this area until your order is called.”

It was a hot wait.

The restaurant was not crowded inside. In fact one entire section was roped off. There were two families picking up mobile orders and about half a dozen guests ordering at the register. (Not sure how they got past the DNCMs.)

But our grilled steak bowls with hearty salad were worth the aggravation!

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We must have had the nice one. She was very sweet to us.
My fav dish!! ❤️
 

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