Trip Report Tu in ‘25

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise
Tu in ‘25

These lyrics came to mind when I thought about my trip reporting. (I also thought, Here we go AGAIN but the above sounds much more poignant.) It’s now that time of year when my Disney trips are frequent. And this Disney Senior loves sharing her visits with y’all because your engagement makes it fun!

Yes, there will be stuff that’s the same. Yes, there will be surprises (too soon for the reveals). And yes, there will be sun rises!

Spring break countdown is at 4 days.

Since this intro needs a picture, here are Tu.

 

[mysto]

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That's a very professional photo bomb. Must be a hobby of hers.....

 

[Tiggerish]

At the very least an early arriving bus should wait at the stop until the posted arrival time

Well, yeah!

The area around Spaceship Earth has been split in half, with non-resort guests on the left side of the stanchions. There are more stanchions (and CMs) further up which prevent access to attractions prior to official opening time.

Picked this phrase at random.from your detailed description of (early morning?) Epcot entry. It just all.seems too complicated to me.

I would board SSE and ask.my time.machine to return me to.2005, please.

 

[Tuvalu]

That's a very professional photo bomb. Must be a hobby of hers.....

I didn’t notice until you mentioned it! That’s hilarious!

 

[Tuvalu]

Well, yeah!

Picked this phrase at random.from your detailed description of (early morning?) Epcot entry. It just all.seems too complicated to me.

I would board SSE and ask.my time.machine to return me to.2005, please.

As a frequent visitor very familiar with the parks, I’m able to follow new procedures with a shrug. But I completely understand the daunting complexity of a Disney day faced by most guests.

And yeah - I would go back to WDW circa 2005 in a heartbeat!

 

[wdisney9000]

Monday, April 7

This morning we wanted to follow after @wdisney9000 and be in Epcot in advance of 8:30 am early entry.

We went to dinner with Justin and his wife last night and I showed him this trip report with your rope drop adventures and he loved it!

It sparked an entire conversation of potential new strategies to attmept to be one of the first riders on and then re-ride with a short wait before the line gets too long. We both agreed it would need to be a 40 minute wait or less for the second ride to be considered successful.

This led to discussions of a quick trip down over summer. We were at the same restaurant as when we decided to have our most recent trip so we figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Our wives did not say no, so that's a good start lol!

 

[lindawdw]

Glad you were able to get on the bus before it departed!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

I’ve got to give the CMs props - they were very entertaining as we waited in the holding pen. There was the repeated “joke” informing us that anyone going to Mission:Space first could leave the central mass and step to the right where a CM was waiting to escort them to M:S at rope drop.

Not a single person left the crowd.

“C’mon, there’s gotta be SOMEBODY who wants to be first on Mission:Space!” cried an enthusiastic CM.

No one bit.

I kept my stopwatch running to document our progression to GotG. Here again I must give props to whomever figured out the queue Tetris. There was enough space to hold everyone and although it was a lot of back-and-forth walking, it was a smooth process. (Well except for the one guy pushing a stroller who DID NOT LISTEN to the CM about where to park strollers, and ended up far down in line only to be pulled out by a CM and had to start over.)

As the minutes ticked closer to 8:30, I wondered when the CMs would begin the parade. After repeated warnings TO WALK, NOT RUN and stay behind the cast members, the crowd in front of us began to move forward at 8:29.

I’ll let my pictures be the commentary.

It took 11 minutes of continuous walking to enter the building, and we did not come to a stop until here.

Where we inched along for the next 11 minutes before entering the waiting room.

 

[Tuvalu]

We spent two minutes in the waiting room before entering the first pre-show. Once again, Terry Crews did not know what to call us.

We moved into the second pre-show four minutes later. Who stole the cosmic generator?

We reached the load zone 33 minutes after our walk in the breezeway had begun. I bid Em goodbye as I took the chicken exit and waited for her at the top of the stairs, where I grooved to the music while waiting for her.

She joined me six minutes later and announced she got the “worst song.” (It’s back a few pages if you can’t remember.)

Her ride photo is classic.

The total time from when we stopped to wait in the breezeway holding pen to exiting the building was 62 minutes. The posted current wait was at 65 minutes. I’m not sure if you could do back-to-back in 40, @wdisney9000.

The breezeway sure looked different now!

Took a quick Buzz pic.

And a couple more as we headed to our next destination.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Her ride photo is classic.

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Are we sure this isn't on purpose @TrolleyFollower91

 

[Tuvalu]

It was my turn for “the worst.”

The end seat on the Soarin' glider. Three out of my last four flights have been in that seat! Though I suppose it is the "best" seat if one needs to quickly evacuate.

And it does have the added bonus of watching everyone else's reactions.

Surely the Eiffel Tower will not appear bendy in my seat with the new reshot Paris scene?

You be the judge.

Em and I waited 20 minutes for a private boat ride (though we didn't know it at the time) on Living With The Land. I will split the photos into two posts since I will reach the limit in this one.

Hot take: The desert IS less beautiful than the rainforest. You can’t convince me otherwise.

Excuse me while I go sit a spell.

Em needs a little work on her iPhone dark ride photography skills, @donaldtoo.

Porch sittin' is over.

The greenhouses had some not-so-hidden IP for Flower and Garden.

If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me....

Make Way!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Are we sure this isn't on purpose @TrolleyFollower91

 

[Tuvalu]

Me: "See any bananas?"
Em (scowling): NO!

Marie, the baguettes!

Down here in New Orleans....

For the panicked people who fear the tomato trees are gone.

Can you find Pascal?

How about now?

This one is easier.

 

[Tuvalu]

Now about our private LWTL cruise….

As we approached the tunnel just prior to the unload area, I opened the app to check wait times.

Look what I saw!

Umm....we were currently IN a boat. On the ride.

It wasn't until we disembarked that we saw a maintenance man. Apparently our boat was the last one to be dispatched before a technical difficulty shut the ride down.

The queue had been emptied at some point during our cruise.

Spoiler alert - This won't be our only experience with an attraction closing on us!

 

[lindawdw]

Most of my family will be waiting on the line for GOTG next month while my younger DD and I will be enjoying some Starbucks! I truly love LWTL and hope they never get rid of that ride!

 

[Tuvalu]

I truly love LWTL and hope they never get rid of that ride!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

We thought we’d have plenty of time to ride SSE without being rushed to our next commitment.

We thought wrong. Though the wait was posted at 20 minutes it was actually 35. A whole bunch of LL people showed up and the CM at the merge point was allowing in just 2 to 4 standby guests at a time. She literally held the standby line back while waiting for more LL folks to make their way through the queue. It was infuriating.

Finally!

I’m certain the ride also stopped several times as we were waiting, because it stopped several times as we rode.

I have enlarged this album cover multiple times and tried a Google search but I cannot discern the title. (Treasure Island? Sleeping Beauty?) All I know is that it is not The Wizard of Oz, which it was the last time we rode SSE.

Who’s ready to take flight….

….into outer space?

Hey if the all-girls Space X crew can do it, so can Em and I!

 

[93boomer]

View attachment 853790

Me: "See any bananas?"
Em (scowling): NO!

View attachment 853791

Marie, the baguettes!

View attachment 853792

Down here in New Orleans....

View attachment 853794

View attachment 853795

For the panicked people who fear the tomato trees are gone.

View attachment 853796

Can you find Pascal?

View attachment 853797

How about now?

View attachment 853798

This one is easier.

View attachment 853799

Aww they had some bananas on the left side tree when we were there. I’m sorry @TrolleyFollower91 I should have taken a picture. I’ll look but I don’t think I took one.

 

[93boomer]

Monday, con’t

We thought we’d have plenty of time to ride SSE without being rushed to our next commitment.

View attachment 853810

We thought wrong. Though the wait was posted at 20 minutes it was actually 35. A whole bunch of LL people showed up and the CM at the merge point was allowing in just 2 to 4 standby guests at a time. She literally held the standby line back while waiting for more LL folks to make their way through the queue. It was infuriating.

Finally!

View attachment 853811

I’m certain the ride also stopped several times as we were waiting, because it stopped several times as we rode.

View attachment 853807

View attachment 853808

I have enlarged this album cover multiple times and tried a Google search but I cannot discern the title. (Treasure Island? Sleeping Beauty?) All I know is that it is not The Wizard of Oz, which it was the last time we rode SSE.

View attachment 853809

Who’s ready to take flight….

View attachment 853812

….into outer space?

View attachment 853816

Hey if the all-girls Space X crew can do it, so can Em and I!

At least y’all had heads this time. DH was headless!
Unfortunately, the CM did that at several rides. I think we waited at least five mts or more waiting to be let up the walkway at SE.

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

Em had to hurry. She had purchased a LLSP for Guardians in case we didn’t make rope drop. And if we did, she still wanted a second ride!

I knew I had time to wander around while she was saving the galaxy. I admired the topiaries in the area.

This one is such fun. I almost didn’t see GROOT!

Nice camouflage, buddy!

I browsed Creations Shop. I really dislike this name. “Creations” can suffice; “Shop” is redundant. I also dislike its uninspired interior. Oh, how I miss Mouse Gear!

I did see a cute tee but I channeled my inner @ajrwdwgirl and took a picture instead.

Then I sat on a ledge in a spot where Em could see me when she exited GotG.

One Way or Another Em will eventually figure out how to take a decent ride photo.

 

[donaldtoo]

Em needs a little work on her iPhone dark ride photography skills, @donaldtoo.

View attachment 853781

Oh my, LOL…!!!!!
Just remind her (if she has an iPhone) to bop that yellow oval in the upper left of her phone screen to disable the exposure delay…!!!