Trip Report The Tuvalu Chronicles ~ Chapter 25 *COMPLETED*

Welcome, welcome, welcome to my 25th trip report.

Over the past five years, I have loved chronicling my WDW adventures with fellow forum readers who share my Disney passion. Writing keeps the magic alive for me. Discussions that result from your comments are icing on the cake! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my posts. (And for those of you who have been following from the beginning ~ THANK YOU!!)

All my reports have been live, live-ish, or shortly-afterwards.....except one. In 2016 I wrote a retro TR detailing my first visit to the park that forever captivated my heart. You can read about it here. Or you can merely mock the photo below which is proof positive I cannot pull off wearing a hat.

Similar in style to last summer’s novel, this report will incorporate my June, July and August vacations. The ship has already sailed for a live report for June, but I may attempt some live updates in July/August. Or not.

Trip #1
Who: Tuvalu and Em
When: June 8-13, 2019
Where: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Did we meet the Wicked Queen? Who got shoved in the Haunted Mansion? Did the rain rain rain come down down down? Was there an attraction evac? Did one of us really cause a ride to shut down?

Answers to come!

(Special thanks to @krisri18 for another trip report title! )

 

[Tuvalu]

Our next FP window had opened and we strolled to Fantasyland.

Stopped for another PP session. Picked the best one out of the lot. (At least they all showed up in MDE!)

Though we never specifically ask for Magic Shots when we pose for PP pics (however after seeing @JosieBee ’s treasure trove, that may change!) we usually end up with one or two surprises at the end of a trip.

That did not happen this vacation. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

We’re about to go unda the sea.

Or so we thought. We were stopped here for a LONG time.

Finally we discovered the culprit. (Apologies for the dark pics.)

It was this guy (not to be confused with “that” guy from Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor) ~

Apparently he had dropped his glasses while boarding his clamshell and it caused the ride to shut down. A CM eventually retrieved them and went shell to shell to find the owner.

This guy reached for them.

Didn’t realize that this attraction needs the “hang on to your hats and glasses!” warning.

 

[Tuvalu]

When we exited Little Mermaid it was golden hour.

Em asked to stop and take pictures.

Here are a few.

No 7DMT for us this trip.

 

[JosieBee]

Our next FP window had opened and we strolled to Fantasyland.

Stopped for another PP session. Picked the best one out of the lot. (At least they all showed up in MDE!)

View attachment 385338

Though we never specifically ask for Magic Shots when we pose for PP pics (however after seeing @JosieBee ’s treasure trove, that may change!) we usually end up with one or two surprises at the end of a trip.

That did not happen this vacation. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

We’re about to go unda the sea.

View attachment 385334

Or so we thought. We were stopped here for a LONG time.

View attachment 385337

Finally we discovered the culprit. (Apologies for the dark pics.)

It was this guy (not to be confused with “that” guy from Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor) ~

View attachment 385335

Apparently he had dropped his glasses while boarding his clamshell and it caused the ride to shut down. A CM eventually retrieved them and went shell to shell to find the owner.

This guy reached for them.

View attachment 385336

Didn’t realize that this attraction needs the “hang on to your hats and glasses!” warning.

I can't believe there were no Magic Shot surprises waiting for you! That would be very disappointing, indeed! Now that I am addicted to Magic Shots, I can't risk that and will have to keep specifically asking for them just to be safe! lol

 

[Tuvalu]

We hit the lottery for our last FP.

No handicap accessible car this time. And I switched places with Em so I would get the brunt of the bruising.

We would not get to see Happily Ever After from our balcony tonight.

Instead we watched it from our preferred location.

At the conclusion we walked through Liberty Square, out into the hub and down Main Street. Turns out we were verrry close to @JosieBee and her sister.....they were shopping in the Emporium!

Even with a brief wait for the bus we were back in our room by 10 pm.

It had been a grand “no plans” day!

 

[Tuvalu]

I can't believe there were no Magic Shot surprises waiting for you! That would be very disappointing, indeed! Now that I am addicted to Magic Shots, I can't risk that and will have to keep specifically asking for them just to be safe! lol

A wise plan!

 

[RememberWhen]

There’s a lovely restaurant up here in Amherst, MA that serves popovers. I had no idea that’s a Yorkshire pudding! Aren’t puddings desserts? I’ve never been able to sort out the British cracker/cookie/biscuit situation. All I know is it’s all delicious! When offered the correct response is “yes please.”
I’m definitely checking out that popover recipe.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Hmmmm....photopass photogs. Some are awesome and some have no idea that you're even smiling.
I bet Ursula took his glasses cause he didn't wave at Ariel and Eric!

 

[JosieBee]

Now the food.

I ordered the Prime Rib merely for something that accompanied it ~ a popover. (Otherwise known as Yorkshire pudding to our British friends.)

I adore the warm, buttery, light-but-chewy texture of a popover. It had been years since I tasted one. Woody and I had popovers at our wedding reception. It was a specialty of the restaurant. Jiffy made a popover mix that I used during our early years of marriage. But once we moved to GA, our popover consumption ceased. Can’t find ‘em anywhere.

The popover tasted just like I remembered. Absolutely delish. Em had no idea what a popover was and I gave her a piece. I believe her reaction was, “Wow!”

View attachment 385024

Horseradish mashed potatoes were supposed to accompany this dish. Not being a horseradish fan, I asked if I could substitute them with the fingerling potatoes that came with the chicken.

Instead I received roasted red potatoes....which had no flavor at all. The carrots didn’t have much flavor either. Both went uneaten.

But the Prime Rib?

You know how one bite of food can instantly transport you back in time, usually to a happy place? I was suddenly a child sitting at my grandparents’ dining room table feasting on my grandmother’s Prime Rib. Her Prime Rib was AMAZING. So good, in fact, that my mother tried to duplicate it for years and never could (and she eventually stopped trying.)

The meat on my plate was Grandma-Tuvalu worthy. Perfect temperature, perfect doneness, not too fatty, packed full of flavor. (Maybe the veggies sacrificed their flavor for the Prime Rib!)

Em regretted her decision to order the chicken. It tasted like....chicken. Nothing special. The fingerling potatoes were nothing to rave about either.

View attachment 385027

Though we weren’t real excited about the dessert selections (Miner’s Treasure, Gooseberry Pie, ‘Poison’ Apple) we did like the “dirt cup”. The dark chocolate apple mousse was meh. (Apparently there is a dark chocolate dessert I don’t care for, @NunuBelle! ) We didn’t touch the Gooseberry Pie.

View attachment 385025

The final “dessert” presentation was impressive, even though we did not partake of it.

View attachment 385026

We settled our bill (FYI Artist Point does not accept Tables in Wonderland but offers a 10% food discount for AP/DVC) and went to see the Wicked Queen (now that we were allowed to stand up, since we had finished dinner. )

The Wicked Queen was MIA.

We had no idea how long she would be gone and did not feel like waiting.

Overall, we are glad we tried Storybook Dining though likely won’t return. I agree with @ELeigh ‘s assessment and share her mixed feelings about the meal. Em decided the entire experience was odd (“it’s fine dining coupled with silliness”) and better suited for a cruise ship, not a hotel restaurant. (She’s cruised DCL and knows of what she speaks.)

As you know from my TR, we had a great time there, but maybe that is because we never got scolded to stay in our seats or got blasted by loud speakers near us! I'm sorry to hear it was a bit hit or miss for you. I am with you on the mushroom soup (not enough of it and it was delicious), the prime rib was heaven, and I liked the miner's treasure dessert, too. I don't usually like horseradish either, but glad I tried the mashed potatoes because I did end up liking them. I am also wondering what was going on with your Evil Queen? Ours was there pretty much most of the time. It is definitely a different type of character dining, for sure!

 

[JosieBee]

When we exited Little Mermaid it was golden hour.

Em asked to stop and take pictures.

Here are a few.

View attachment 385347

No 7DMT for us this trip.

View attachment 385348

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What a beautiful picture of you! You look so happy!

 

[Tuvalu]

As you know from my TR, we had a great time there, but maybe that is because we never got scolded to stay in our seats or got blasted by loud speakers near us! I'm sorry to hear it was a bit hit or miss for you. I am with you on the mushroom soup (not enough of it and it was delicious), the prime rib was heaven, and I liked the miner's treasure dessert, too. I don't usually like horseradish either, but glad I tried the mashed potatoes because I did end up liking them. I am also wondering what was going on with your Evil Queen? Ours was there pretty much most of the time. It is definitely a different type of character dining, for sure!

I was a little jealous when I read about your fun experience! Wish we’d been able to enjoy Artist Point as much as you and your sister did.

You look so happy!

I was!

 

[Pirate Magic]

You know that years ago Rose & Crown use to have on their menu Prime Rib & Yorkshire pudding. Which was delicious. Oh those were the days!!!

 

[susan lees]

You know that years ago Rose & Crown use to have on their menu Prime Rib & Yorkshire pudding. Which was delicious. Oh those were the days!!!

I think you still get a loaded Yorkshire pudding at rose and crown. We tried it a couple of years ago as a side and it was good.

 

[krisri18]

Monday, con’t

When we arrived on Main Street I told Em I wanted to stop for a PhotoPass picture.

There were a couple of photographers out (there seem to be fewer of them in the evenings than the mornings) and we joined the shortest line. Our photographer looked to be college age and may have been part of the CP. His name was Callan (which was easy to recall since it is unusual) and he was a little awkward in trying to make conversation.

He also was not adept with the digital system. Our pictures did not show up in MDE for over 24 hours....and of the six pictures he took, only two turned out (the other four were blank.)

View attachment 385320

View attachment 385325
(Foreshadowing ~ this would not be our last encounter with Callan.)

We headed to Sunglass Hut and Em got her Ray Bans adjusted. Then we crossed the hub to use our first FP.

View attachment 385321
Sun, glorious sun! The ominous clouds that were over the Kingdom had passed!

The FP line for Buzz Lightyear began at the entrance to Laugh Floor!

View attachment 385322

It took nearly ten minutes just to get here ~
View attachment 385323

Em agreed to ride with me.

Did we beat the Evil Emperor Zurg?

I’ll let this photo speak for itself.

View attachment 385324

The fact that it took both our scores combined to do so is irrelevant.

Well the 2 photos Callan did manage to load look lovely!

 

[need2go2wdw]

We hit the lottery for our last FP.

View attachment 385352

No handicap accessible car this time. And I switched places with Em so I would get the brunt of the bruising.

View attachment 385353

We would not get to see Happily Ever After from our balcony tonight.

Instead we watched it from our preferred location.

View attachment 385354

View attachment 385355

View attachment 385356

View attachment 385357

At the conclusion we walked through Liberty Square, out into the hub and down Main Street. Turns out we were verrry close to @JosieBee and her sister.....they were shopping in the Emporium!

Even with a brief wait for the bus we were back in our room by 10 pm.

It had been a grand “no plans” day!

The pictures of the fireworks with the lit up Liberty Belle in it are beautiful!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuesday, June 11

I woke refreshed after a better night’s sleep, but I was still a long way from being fully healed. (In fact, as I type this nearly five weeks after the first symptoms appeared, I am still battling a cough. I know others who have been sick just as long. Whatever strain of infection this is, it’s a doozy.)

I left a sleeping Em to get muffins and coffee. She was awake when I returned.

Em commented that she really enjoyed our morning at the pool yesterday and wished we didn’t have plans to go to Epcot this morning.

I went into Fairy Godmother mode and switched our fastpasses from morning to afternoon.

“Done!” I announced.

She looked at me quizzically.

“Pool first, Epcot later!” I chirped.

When we got there we practically had the place to ourselves. A couple of swimmers....

....and a couple of ducks.

And a very happy daughter!

The sun was strong and we lounged only a short time before needing to go into the water. Sadly our #ShirleyStatus did not last long. A large group of non-English speaking guests (mostly children) arrived and donned life jackets. They were very boisterous and commandeered the area in the pool where Em and I like to relax. No matter where we moved, one or more of them followed. Soon it felt like we were in the middle of a herd of wandering cats.

Only unlike cats, they were yelling and splashing.

And one of the chaperones (I use that word very loosely) shot video with his phone of the children splashing and yelling (none of them could swim) for a full thirty minutes. (Dude....is anyone ever going to watch that footage?)

It was not the peaceful pool time we had hoped for.

 

[susan lees]

Tuesday, June 11

I woke refreshed after a better night’s sleep, but I was still a long way from being fully healed. (In fact, as I type this nearly five weeks after the first symptoms appeared, I am still battling a cough. I know others who have been sick just as long. Whatever strain of infection this is, it’s a doozy.)

I left a sleeping Em to get muffins and coffee. She was awake when I returned.

View attachment 385517

Em commented that she really enjoyed our morning at the pool yesterday and wished we didn’t have plans to go to Epcot this morning.

I went into Fairy Godmother mode and switched our fastpasses from morning to afternoon.

“Done!” I announced.

She looked at me quizzically.

“Pool first, Epcot later!” I chirped.

When we got there we practically had the place to ourselves. A couple of swimmers....

View attachment 385522

....and a couple of ducks.

View attachment 385520

And a very happy daughter!

View attachment 385519

The sun was strong and we lounged only a short time before needing to go into the water. Sadly our #ShirleyStatus did not last long. A large group of non-English speaking guests (mostly children) arrived and donned life jackets. They were very boisterous and commandeered the area in the pool where Em and I like to relax. No matter where we moved, one or more of them followed. Soon it felt like we were in the middle of a herd of wandering cats.

Only unlike cats, they were yelling and splashing.

And one of the chaperones (I use that word very loosely) shot video with his phone of the children splashing and yelling (none of them could swim) for a full thirty minutes. (Dude....is anyone ever going to watch that footage?)

It was not the peaceful pool time we had hoped for.

I think it has been a very virulent from of influenza. I'm a nurse in a GP surgery and we have had quite a few young fit adults develop this form of flu and some even needing hospitalised. Some of them had even had their flu shot! I've been nursing for many years and this has been a bad year for respiratory infections. Hope you get better soon @Tuvalu.

 

[Nunu]

What are the odds of Em and me having the exact same swimsuit?!

 

[Nunu]

So sweet of you to start Em's day with coffee and muffins

 

[Tuvalu]

Shortly before noon, a few dark clouds began to form in the sky. We didn’t want to get caught in rain while lunching, so we decided the covered patio outside Roaring Fork was a better option than an umbrella table at Boulder Ridge.

(That shadow form is supposed to be Em, LOL!)

We had just sat down (hadn’t ordered yet) when we heard the loud shrill of lifeguard whistles.

Both pools were now closed. Perfect timing!

I went inside and placed our order. Then I came back and joined Em. As we waited for our food (which ended up being an awfully long time) we saw two unusual sights. The first being this ~

The sun brightly shining, blue sky, puffy white clouds.....and two lifeguards standing in the shade.

The second?

The entire noisy group from the pool walked past us into the Lodge. Three of the adults were carrying banquet-size aluminum trays full of food. Where did the trays come from? Where had they prepared the food? And where were they planning to eat it?

It was a mystery we wouldn’t be able to solve.

Lunch ~ Western Chicken Nuggets for Em, tossed in BBQ sauce.

BBQ Pork Sandwich for me.

Our meals were tasty and filling. We kept waiting for the clouds to roll in and for the rain to start but neither did. The pools remained closed (must have been lightning on the radar) so Em and I moved to a table in the sun to catch a few rays before returning to our room to shower.

 

[LeighM]

My grandma didn't write down any recipe and she was taught to cook from memory. There were some things her and her cousins were all taught to make. So when she died, a lot of the family food history was lost. Mom and one of her brothers, both very good cooks, tried to recreate several of their favorite dishes and were successful for the most part. But the one thing no one was able to recreate was her chicken and dumplings. Each fall, I think about trying it myself but I chicken out LOL. If Mom and my uncle couldn't do it, I doubt I'll be able to! There were other recipes I tried to hunt down - contacted the childen/grandchildren of Grandma's first cousins to see if any of them wrote down any recipe for their families but nope. Each and every one cooked by memory and never wrote anything down.