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! )

 

[krisri18]

Aw, what a cute pic of you and Woody! Love it!

 

[Katiekitten]

That's a cute picture!

 

[lindawdw]

Glad you got home safely. I enjoyed following along on your live updates and will definitely enjoy your TR!!!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

@Tuvalu SO happy to see you had a great trip as usual!! I miss bumping into you at Disney and hope to see you again soon! Hope you and your family are well!

 

[Tuvalu]

Now, that picture of you and Mr Woody looking into each other's eyes make a lot more sense to me than the one with you and Em at Cinderella's Wishing Well, amiright?

Oh, just wait for it.....there’s another pose from that same SW:GE location that does not make a lot of sense!

@Tuvalu SO happy to see you had a great trip as usual!! I miss bumping into you at Disney and hope to see you again soon! Hope you and your family are well!

Hiya @Disneydreamer23! Long time no see! Any chance you’ll be there in November? I bet I wouldn’t recognize your kiddos, they grow up so fast!

 

[Gurt]

Glad you stayed safe looking forward to the last summer trip report and I can't wait to see the picture you are refering to

 

[Nunu]

Oh, just wait for it.....there’s another pose from that same SW:GE location that does not make a lot of sense!

Can't wait!

 

[djpoore94]

Agreed. They are pretty good, but not as good as in the parks and definitely not worth the price tag.

The Dove Ice Cream Bars (vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate) are as close as I have had to a real "WDW parks" Mickey Premium Bar, and totally worth the price!

 

[krisri18]

The Dove Ice Cream Bars (vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate) are as close as I have had to a real "WDW parks" Mickey Premium Bar, and totally worth the price!

I definitely just finished off a box of the Mickey bars. Perhaps I should have the Dove ones next to compare...

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Wow! I just finished all your reports!!! I haven't cleaned the house lately or done yard work, BUT I read the entire thing!!!!!!
I had a lot of fun living through your reports. Makes me want to go back before March! Until the next one...…...…...……...… and maybe, maybe I won't be the last one to read it next time

 

[Tuvalu]

Wow! I just finished all your reports!!! I haven't cleaned the house lately or done yard work, BUT I read the entire thing!!!!!!
I had a lot of fun living through your reports. Makes me want to go back before March! Until the next one...…...…...……...… and maybe, maybe I won't be the last one to read it next time

Chores can wait. Dreaming about your next visit to WDW cannot.
Thanks for reading!

 

[disneyworlddad]

Chores can wait. Dreaming about your next visit to WDW cannot.
Thanks for reading!

I'm so glad I stumbled on this site and your trip reports @Tuvalu . They have given insight and useful infomration as well as just plain old entertainment. I'm also happy to report that my son (5) is now a full fledged fan of BTMRR, Maybe one day we can all ride it, even @Longers!

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, August 24

The final vacation of summer is always bittersweet for me. It means my favorite season (and monthly visits to WDW) is coming to an end. But I also couldn’t wait to leave the stresses of real life and spend a week in Fantasyland with my beloved!

The pace of this week would be different. Woody likes the parks but there is never a must-do ride, attraction, show or experience for him. In fact he will say his best Disney days don’t necessarily include a park. (I think I wore him out back in the 90s.....ask any of my children about his “Dixie Landings Bus Face” and they’ll immediately know his mood.... ) So when planning our trip I purposely included lots of downtime. In the end, I think I enjoyed it even more than he did!

Though our vacation did have a few disappointments. The biggest was the food ~ very lackluster quality for the price. Forum posters frequently complain about Disney food, but I’d always had more better meals than bad ones....until now. There was a noticeable decline in our meals. Woody said it’s a clear case of quantity over quality. And it made us sad.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s begin in the early morning of Day One. Our goal was to depart home by 6:30 am. How did we do?

Not too bad! We never would have left this late on a weekday (Atlanta rush hour) but being a Saturday traffic was free-flowing all the way to our breakfast stop in Macon.

What? Did you really think we’d stop someplace else?

Woody was a real trooper and drove the whole way. Usually we switch off, but I just didn’t feel like driving today. His only request was that I keep conversation flowing. (Was that a nice way of saying, Don’t nap? ) Our chatting helped pass the time and less than 8 hours after leaving home we were welcomed HOME.

 

[Darstarr]

They have given insight and useful infomration as well as just plain old entertainment.

Careful, @Tuvalu ’s TR’s also come with spellcheck.

 

[Rista1313]

Saturday, August 24

The final vacation of summer is always bittersweet for me. It means my favorite season (and monthly visits to WDW) is coming to an end. But I also couldn’t wait to leave the stresses of real life and spend a week in Fantasyland with my beloved!

The pace of this week would be different. Woody likes the parks but there is never a must-do ride, attraction, show or experience for him. In fact he will say his best Disney days don’t necessarily include a park. (I think I wore him out back in the 90s.....ask any of my children about his “Dixie Landings Bus Face” and they’ll immediately know his mood.... ) So when planning our trip I purposely included lots of downtime. In the end, I think I enjoyed it even more than he did!

Though our vacation did have a few disappointments. The biggest was the food ~ very lackluster quality for the price. Forum posters frequently complain about Disney food, but I’d always had more better meals than bad ones....until now. There was a noticeable decline in our meals. Woody said it’s a clear case of quantity over quality. And it made us sad.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s begin in the early morning of Day One. Our goal was to depart home by 6:30 am. How did we do?

View attachment 408521

Not too bad! We never would have left this late on a weekday (Atlanta rush hour) but being a Saturday traffic was free-flowing all the way to our breakfast stop in Macon.

View attachment 408523

What? Did you really think we’d stop someplace else?

haha.. never doubted you for a minute!

I don't miss that Atlanta traffic ever! I worked in Dunwoody and lived in Norcross and man that was a headache 17 years ago.. I can't even imagine what it's like now!

 

[MegRuss626]

ask any of my children about his “Dixie Landings Bus Face” and they’ll immediately know his mood.... )

George has a “Polynesian Face”!!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Woody and I have taken a late August trip for the past few years. It is not his favorite time to go but a little persuasion from his wife (lower crowds, lower rates, pool time!) assures him he’ll have fun. Typically we go 5 days/4 nights and fly; thus many months ago I booked our usual 4 nights.

Then came the awful flight experiences in December, February and May. I took flying off the table. If we drove we could extend the trip by a couple days.....hmmmm, more Disney time? A no-brainer!

But where to stay? I hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention to the construction of the Gran Destino Tower or the Riviera, mostly because both height monstrosities annoyed me. Why was Disney ruining the serene Mexican ambiance of CSR and the laid-back tropical vibe of CBR? How dare they mess with sight-lines! All in the name of
.

Yet it was that lured me to consider Gran Destino Tower. With the grand opening a couple months away, room rates were very reasonable. I took a gamble......and it paid off!

This would be my third stay at Coronado Springs. Nearly 3 years ago Em and I spent two nights in Cabana 9B ~ the exact location where Gran Destino Tower now stands. A dozen years prior to that we’d spent a single night in Casitas 4. We didn’t hate the resort but we weren’t wowed by it either. Its sheer size and multiple bus stops were a negative. When staying moderate, we preferred the Port Orleans resorts.

However for this stay I planned to keep an open mind and keep my expectations in check.

I never expected to fall in love. Okay, maybe love is too strong a word. Adoration is better. I now adore CSR! And I understand why it is the go-to resort for @DisneyGigi, @JenniferS, @bee and others.

Speaking of @DisneyGigi, I was following her Live TR and she and her B had checked into CSR shortly before we arrived. I posted this picture of Woody in her report to let her know we’d made it!

The self-parking for the Tower is conveniently located, but could use more non-restricted (and non-valet) spaces. It wasn’t a problem when we arrived to check in, but was a problem when we returned later that night.

Climate-controlled Resort Airline Check In? Sign me up! (Oh wait, then I would have to fly....)

The two-story lobby is beautiful, and gave me the “wow” I felt CSR was missing. Pictures don’t do it justice; it is better experienced in person.

But I’m gonna post pictures anyway.

 

[Tuvalu]

Gran Destino Tower was clearly designed with the business traveler in mind. There are lots of work spaces and just about every chair in the lobby has its own USB port. Yet its functionality blends seamlessly into a Disney vacation property. There are subtle (and some not-so-subtle) hints of the mouse throughout.

I had done online check-in and had received the “your room is not quite ready yet” text earlier. It wasn’t 3 pm yet so there was no need to be frustrated. I suggested exploring the resort while we waited for the “room ready” notification.

The Tower lobby is now the official check-in/check-out location for all of Coronado Springs Resort. I was curious what was done with the former lobby, so we ventured to find out.

An indoor corridor connects the new with the old. Hooray for air-conditioning (and heat should it ever get cold) as well as protection from inclement weather!

The corridor still had the “fresh paint” aroma.

Ta-da! Former lobby area.

Last time I was here there was a huge Christmas tree in the spot where the blue globe chandelier hangs.

Directional sign back to Tower lobby.

The courtyard fountain is as lovely as ever and can still serve as a meeting spot for those waiting for shoppers inside Panchitos or diners at the restaurants.

 

[JenniferS]

Woody and I have taken a late August trip for the past few years. It is not his favorite time to go but a little persuasion from his wife (lower crowds, lower rates, pool time!) assures him he’ll have fun. Typically we go 5 days/4 nights and fly; thus many months ago I booked our usual 4 nights.

Then came the awful flight experiences in December, February and May. I took flying off the table. If we drove we could extend the trip by a couple days.....hmmmm, more Disney time? A no-brainer!

But where to stay? I hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention to the construction of the Gran Destino Tower or the Riviera, mostly because both height monstrosities annoyed me. Why was Disney ruining the serene Mexican ambiance of CSR and the laid-back tropical vibe of CBR? How dare they mess with sight-lines! All in the name of
.

Yet it was that lured me to consider Gran Destino Tower. With the grand opening a couple months away, room rates were very reasonable. I took a gamble......and it paid off!

View attachment 408767

View attachment 408768

This would be my third stay at Coronado Springs. Nearly 3 years ago Em and I spent two nights in Cabana 9B ~ the exact location where Gran Destino Tower now stands. A dozen years prior to that we’d spent a single night in Casitas 4. We didn’t hate the resort but we weren’t wowed by it either. Its sheer size and multiple bus stops were a negative. When staying moderate, we preferred the Port Orleans resorts.

However for this stay I planned to keep an open mind and keep my expectations in check.

I never expected to fall in love. Okay, maybe love is too strong a word. Adoration is better. I now adore CSR! And I understand why it is the go-to resort for @DisneyGigi, @JenniferS, @bee and others.

Speaking of @DisneyGigi, I was following her Live TR and she and her B had checked into CSR shortly before we arrived. I posted this picture of Woody in her report to let her know we’d made it!

View attachment 408769

The self-parking for the Tower is conveniently located, but could use more non-restricted (and non-valet) spaces. It wasn’t a problem when we arrived to check in, but was a problem when we returned later that night.

Climate-controlled Resort Airline Check In? Sign me up! (Oh wait, then I would have to fly....)
View attachment 408770

The two-story lobby is beautiful, and gave me the “wow” I felt CSR was missing. Pictures don’t do it justice; it is better experienced in person.

But I’m gonna post pictures anyway.

View attachment 408771

View attachment 408772

View attachment 408773

View attachment 408774

Funny, but sad ... it doesn’t feel like “home” to us anymore.

Except for check in (which was our least friendly experience in 12 on-site check-ins) and to eat at Toledo, we haven’t been in the tower at all.

We also haven’t been to the Dig Site even once this trip, preferring to stay in the Casitas quiet pool.

We’ll be booking our BounceBack deal tomorrow. Same time ... different place. We’re going to give Caribbean Beach a try. We’re thinking with the Skyliner to DHS and Epcot and the bus to MK, we might not even need a rental car.

 

[93boomer]

Woody and I have taken a late August trip for the past few years. It is not his favorite time to go but a little persuasion from his wife (lower crowds, lower rates, pool time!) assures him he’ll have fun. Typically we go 5 days/4 nights and fly; thus many months ago I booked our usual 4 nights.

Then came the awful flight experiences in December, February and May. I took flying off the table. If we drove we could extend the trip by a couple days.....hmmmm, more Disney time? A no-brainer!

But where to stay? I hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention to the construction of the Gran Destino Tower or the Riviera, mostly because both height monstrosities annoyed me. Why was Disney ruining the serene Mexican ambiance of CSR and the laid-back tropical vibe of CBR? How dare they mess with sight-lines! All in the name of
.

Yet it was that lured me to consider Gran Destino Tower. With the grand opening a couple months away, room rates were very reasonable. I took a gamble......and it paid off!

View attachment 408767

View attachment 408768

This would be my third stay at Coronado Springs. Nearly 3 years ago Em and I spent two nights in Cabana 9B ~ the exact location where Gran Destino Tower now stands. A dozen years prior to that we’d spent a single night in Casitas 4. We didn’t hate the resort but we weren’t wowed by it either. Its sheer size and multiple bus stops were a negative. When staying moderate, we preferred the Port Orleans resorts.

However for this stay I planned to keep an open mind and keep my expectations in check.

I never expected to fall in love. Okay, maybe love is too strong a word. Adoration is better. I now adore CSR! And I understand why it is the go-to resort for @DisneyGigi, @JenniferS, @bee and others.

Speaking of @DisneyGigi, I was following her Live TR and she and her B had checked into CSR shortly before we arrived. I posted this picture of Woody in her report to let her know we’d made it!

View attachment 408769

The self-parking for the Tower is conveniently located, but could use more non-restricted (and non-valet) spaces. It wasn’t a problem when we arrived to check in, but was a problem when we returned later that night.

Climate-controlled Resort Airline Check In? Sign me up! (Oh wait, then I would have to fly....)
View attachment 408770

The two-story lobby is beautiful, and gave me the “wow” I felt CSR was missing. Pictures don’t do it justice; it is better experienced in person.

But I’m gonna post pictures anyway.

View attachment 408771

View attachment 408772

View attachment 408773

View attachment 408774

It really is gorgeous inside.