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! )

 

[Ears to Disney]

There were lots of bees pollinating the flowers which was fun to watch.

"We're POL-LIN-ATORS!!!"

OMG. The combo of warm cake paired with cold ice cream has always been a favorite. As much as our mouths wanted to scarf down the whole thing, our full bellies caused us to stop short

This is what dreams are made of! We had this last year at Whispering Canyon and all those delicious memories came flowing back!

 

[Tuvalu]

We are trying Whispering Canyon for dinner late next week. Those nachos look amazing. Not sure how I am going to handle that, a skillet and endless milkshakes. Good thing food in Disney doesn't count on the sugar/calorie/fat intake scale

Pace yourself! And don't forget to leave room for the CL snacks!

I cannot wait to try those nachos, anything with pulled pork makes me one happy girl!

You will love these!!!!

Aaaarrrrghhh! Those nachos AGAIN! yeeeee-UM!!

Hope you've made an ADR for your next vacay.....

 

[Tuvalu]

We had Chick-fil-a for lunch today too!

And Woody and I had breakfast there today! Can never have too much chikin!

I like the rules at your house!

Grandparent rules are the best.

I’d go to lunch with you any day @Tuvalu

Ditto!

Do I get to choose flavors? Because you know which one I'd choose!

Chick Fil A only has one flavor....which is the reason I don't eat ice cream at CFA!

 

[Tuvalu]

"We're POL-LIN-ATORS!!!"

Now I have that song stuck in my head!
Glad I could bring back fond Whispering Canyon memories.

I want to commend you for how careful you are when posting pictures of your grandchildren. You capture sweet pictures while protecting their privacy. Very classy, Tuvalu!

You will have to trust me that both girls have adorable faces.
(Says every grandmother about her grandchildren!)

 

[Nunu]

And Woody and I had breakfast there today! Can never have too much chikin!


Grandparent rules are the best.


Ditto!


Chick Fil A only has one flavor....which is the reason I don't eat ice cream at CFA!

It doesn't have to be from CFA, you know?!

 

[Tuvalu]

It doesn't have to be from CFA, you know?!

We’ll go to Ample Hills on the Boardwalk. Yummy dark chocolate ice cream there!

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuesday, con’t

Upon finishing our Whispering Canyon lunch, we set out for Epcot.

If only the bus (grumble, grumble) had arrived in a reasonable amount of time (grumble, grumble) and did not have to detour to the campground (grumble, grumble) before Epcot.

It was an hour of travel time.

Welcome to Refurbcot. Walls. Walls everywhere.

Wanna know the best time to breeze through Epcot security?
2 pm on a Tuesday.
You’re welcome.

RIP monoliths. (I kid, I kid. So glad to see them gone!)

What I am not glad will be (soon) gone ~ the Fountain Of Nations.
Had to capture a few memories.

 

[Tuvalu]

Em and I were on a mission to reach our first attraction before our FP expired. We were walking at a brisk pace and were starting to melt because it was so HOT and so HUMID.

She did not appreciate my request to stop for a picture. (Note the furrowed brow.)

As we made the turn onto the Promenade, we felt even better about our decision to lunch at Whispering Canyon. The picturesque outdoor seating for La Cantina (our original choice) was draped in refurbishment cloth!

While the seating area was available for use, I cannot imagine how uncomfortable it would have been to eat surrounded by tarps and no moving air.

There was a lot of squawking as we approached Norway. There was a flock of dozens of birds over the lagoon. Black birds always freak me out thanks to Alfred Hitchcock. The picture I managed to quickly take only shows a few of them.

We made it to Frozen Ever After just in time for a green Mickey head. It felt SO GOOD to be inside the air conditioning.

What say you? Did I find the camera?

I hadn’t walked around World Showcase Lagoon since April, and though it was hot I was willing to take a stroll. However, Em was in recovery mode from her illness and was not up for any extra walking. So we turned back towards Mexico.

A visit with Donald and friends was in order....if for no other reason than more a/c!

 

[dizfan917]

Tuesday, con’t

Upon finishing our Whispering Canyon lunch, we set out for Epcot.

If only the bus (grumble, grumble) had arrived in a reasonable amount of time (grumble, grumble) and did not have to detour to the campground (grumble, grumble) before Epcot.

It was an hour of travel time.

Welcome to Refurbcot. Walls. Walls everywhere.

View attachment 393926

Wanna know the best time to breeze through Epcot security?
2 pm on a Tuesday.
You’re welcome.

RIP monoliths. (I kid, I kid. So glad to see them gone!)

View attachment 393927

What I am not glad will be (soon) gone ~ the Fountain Of Nations.
Had to capture a few memories.

View attachment 393928

View attachment 393929

View attachment 393930

I think I am most upset by the removal of the Fountain. I am very sad to see it go. Like we need another beer garden right there (I saw on some proposed map that that is what is supposed to go there). blah. RIP indeed.

 

[Tuvalu]

I was determined to get a Photopass picture of us this trip.

Once I ascertained that the photographer was NOT Callan, we got in line.

Hey @JosieBee ~ I remembered to ask for a magic shot!

Unfortunately it was the only magic shot we got this vacation. But at least we got ONE!

 

[Tuvalu]

Boat ride #1 ~ Frozen Ever After

Boat ride #2 ~ Gran Fiesta Tour

Boat ride #3 ~ The Farm Ride

We had front row seats! I wish I could say we thoroughly enjoyed our ride, but the a/c seemed to be broken. Those greenhouses were toasty.

Em was in fine form too.

“Why are there either no bananas or very small ones?” she complained. “I’m beginning to think the banana trees are fake.”

“And why is there only ever one shrimp?”

I think the heat was getting to her.

 

[MinnieM123]

I think I am most upset by the removal of the Fountain. I am very sad to see it go. Like we need another beer garden right there (I saw on some proposed map that that is what is supposed to go there). blah. RIP indeed.

Agreed. We don't need a beer garden. The fountains gave the location a unique focal point, and many people stopped to enjoy the show. There was a "wow" factor to it. Sigh ...

 

[Tuvalu]

Since the Land pavilion was not especially cool, I suggested we try next door.

When a blast of cold air hit us as the door opened, I knew we’d made a good choice. I really like Nemo, though I think both Em and Woody would skip it if I wasn’t around.

Not a boat. Clamshell.
#fuzzyselfie

The ride stopped here for a couple minutes. I like to watch Nemo swim through the pipes, so I didn’t mind.

 

[Tuvalu]

I think I am most upset by the removal of the Fountain. I am very sad to see it go. Like we need another beer garden right there (I saw on some proposed map that that is what is supposed to go there). blah. RIP indeed.

Agreed. We don't need a beer garden. The fountains gave the location a unique focal point, and many people stopped to enjoy the show. There was a "wow" factor to it. Sigh ...

Fountains fascinate me. It is the WOW factor, @MinnieM123. I like to watch dancing fountains almost as much as fireworks.

I can hear Tina Turner singing, “We don’t need another beer garden....”

 

[Tuvalu]

SSE was pretty crowded. Happy we had FP.

The camera screen at the beginning was on a constant flash, so I doubted our pictures would show up in our “Future” video.

I was wrong.

 

[Tuvalu]

When we completed SSE, we found a shady spot in which to sit and discuss what to do next. The heat and early wake-up had zapped our energy.

I made a suggestion for a dinner location and Em smiled and said, “That’s what I was gonna say!”

Mothers and daughters have a simpatico relationship.

Our mode of transport would be monorail.

Climbing the platform gave us these lovely views of Refurbcot.

Monorails aren’t exactly known for their a/c, so you can count on a late afternoon summer ride being a tad warm. As our monorail approached the TTC, the dad across from us asked his teens, “Want to take the ferry boat across to Magic Kingdom?”

To which his snarky daughter replied, “Does the ferry boat have a/c?” (With an eye-roll, of course!)

Em and I transferred to the resort line. Some of you (@slipperalwaysfits ) might be thinking we were headed to Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace. That would be a good guess if it wasn’t 104 degrees in the shade. Once again we would miss having a Nautilus, a Spikey Pineapple and small app plates.

 

[DisneyGigi]

I hate to see the fountains go as well. We have a running joke, B and I, about them. Around 2007 I asked him to video the whole show for me. He stood there the whole time with video camera and only took a picture. Every-time we pass it to this day I say, hey baby can you do me a favor? He falls for it every time and says ya anything sweetie. I say can you video the fountains for me... then he gives me the evil eye. Lol- hoping he will finally get me one this trip.

 

[Tuvalu]

I hate to see the fountains go as well. We have a running joke, B and I, about them. Around 2007 I asked him to video the whole show for me. He stood there the whole time with video camera and only took a picture. Every-time we pass it to this day I say, hey baby can you do me a favor? He falls for it every time and says ya anything sweetie. I say can you video the fountains for me... then he gives me the evil eye. Lol- hoping he will finally get me one this trip.

The sad thing is a lot of the water jets no longer work, so even if he records the show now it will not be as glorious as it was in 2007.

 

[Tuvalu]

As our monorail was stopped in the MK station I said to Em, “I can’t believe we are thisclose to the MK and aren’t getting off.”

“Oh this counts as a visit,” she replied.

A drive-by? But I wasn’t about to argue with a sick person.

We disembarked at the Contemporary. The escalator to the main level was broken and only folks with strollers or ECVs were allowed to use the elevator. The rest of us peons were instructed to go out the emergency exit and down the exterior stairwell.

We reentered through a glass door and found ourselves here.

We weren’t quite hungry yet so we perused Fantasia (above) and BVG (below).

It was in BVG that Em found two wallets which intrigued her.

This one:

And this one:

Which one went home with her?

Hope it was the blue one! It's adorable!

If she was smart, the one with the orange bird!

Love the blue one. The Toy Story one would be great except for the creepy staring doll right in the middle...

**WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER, LADIES! **

 

[Tuvalu]

As Em was making her purchase (you can see her in the BVG photo above) I took some pics of the screening area which looks to be getting enlarged.

New wall by the elevators.