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.

 

[Tuvalu]

Then I went cheatin’ on Em again….

….but I blamed Woody.

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con’t

We’d hit Main Street/Storybook Circus (Train), Fantasyland (Mermaid), Liberty Square (Mansion), Adventureland (Tikis), and Frontierland (Bears). Just one more to go.

Tomorrowland .

Though it wasn’t yet 4 pm, day guests also attending MNSSHP were already lined up near Buzz to get their wristbands and treat bags.

After our ride on the MPB 2.0 we went to visit John and his family through the decades. (Confidential to Em - we sat in one of the refurbished theaters!)

Valentines Day at the start of the 20th century. It would have been an unfortunate day for John’s lumbago to flare up.

Fourth of July. I heard it was one of the hottest summers they’ve had in years.

On Halloween John sat on his keister while Sarah struggled to hang wallpaper. I don’t imagine any rumpuses happened in that room tonight.

Christmas with John’s famous microwave pizzas.

Some things never change!

Woody and I preferred not to be hit by a wave a party goers, so we headed for the exit. Goodbye for this trip, Magic Kingdom!

(Current countdown at 16 days!)

 

[lindawdw]

That turned into a fun afternoon at MK!

 

[Swissmiss]

(Current countdown at 16 days!)

Oh thank goodness! I don’t think I could handle finding out this TR was permanently finished.

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday, con’t

We boarded the ferry to get to the Lodge.

Our first stop. I was starving from having no lunch (except ice cream) and was so glad evening appetizers/happy hour had begun.

This was my first plate. The bowl was an Asian noodle slaw which was fantastic. I did not take pictures of the other offerings but the heavy apps were substantial and we ate enough to count it dinner.

We returned to the lounge at 8 pm for desserts. I had a healthy serving of the strawberry peach cobbler I was too full to sample the other night and Woody popped a few mini Oreo cupcakes.

It was fun to end our lemonade day with MNSSHP fireworks.

Tomorrow would bring more .

 

[lindawdw]

Sounds like the perfect ending to your day!

 

[93boomer]

Friday, con’t

It was sprinkling as we exited the Villains theater but lots of puddles on the ground indicated a downpour had happened while we were inside.

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We had a lunch ADR at Beaches and Cream in under an hour so we left the park and headed for the boat dock since we did not feel like making the walk to the resort in the rain.

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We thought our timing was perfect as the boat arrived less than 5 minutes later. Passengers disembarked and then the captain announced boat service was suspended due to weather.

He said we’d need to take a bus to the Epcot resorts. < Insert flashback to Sunday when we got trapped at the Riviera. >

So we and the others who were waiting turned around and headed for the bus station, warning guests who were making their way towards the boat.

However the Skyliner was operating. Very curious as to why that mode of transportation was deemed safe while the boat wasn’t? Bear in mind there had been no thunder or lightning, just light rain.

Woody and I did not want to risk getting on the Skyliner, since we’d already be burned by our decision earlier this week! So we continued on to the very last bus bay and walked allll the way down.

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We waited and waited. We were joined by others who needed to get to one of the Epcot resorts, including Swan and Dolphin. Someone counted at least four AK and four MK buses that passed by during that time. To say everyone was frustrated is an understatement. People were p*****.

(The Skyliner eventually ceased running.)

Our ADR time came and went and I began to fret that we would be charged the $20 no show fee. Then I remembered that a CM at the Old Faithful Club had given me her number. I contacted her and learned that restaurants don’t cancel reservations when there are weather-related issues. Phew!

Fifty minutes later a bus finally arrived and everyone waiting at the gate filled the bus to capacity!! Of course the bus had to make stops at the Swan, then the Dolphin, before Yacht Club where we got off.

The entrance was under refurbishment!

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But Stormalong Bay was back open after its lengthy refurb closure. Hello, relaxation grotto!

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How long would we have to wait to be seated for our missed ADR?

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Good info to know!

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, August 23

I’d planned another pool day for our last day of vacation but the forecast did not look good. However the sun was streaming through the windows when Woody and I went to get breakfast. We had not had any Mickey waffles this trip and I had brought along a jar of Nutella just in case waffles were on the breakfast bar this morning.

They weren’t. Two mornings there had been silver dollar pancakes and another morning there were crepês, but no waffles. This morning I inquired as to the reason and was told we’d need to get Mickey waffles from Roaring Fork. That wasn’t worth the hassle (or expense) when there was a bounty of other breakfast items before us which were included in our stay.

We both started with the yummy egg casserole and a few slices of bacon. On Woody’s second trip, he returned with a crepe, some strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

“Give me the Nutella,” he requested and went to work.

Voilà! Chef Woody’s Nutella and strawberry crêpe!

Well that looked absolutely delicious to me, so I procured the ingredients. After Woody finished his crêpe, he made one for me.

Sunshine and breakfast with dessert. The day was off to a promising start!

 

[lindawdw]

Oh my, that does look delicious I love Woody's t-shirt!

 

[MinnieM123]

Oh my, that does look delicious I love Woody's t-shirt!

I'll second this -- Woody's t-shirt is very

 

[Tuvalu]

Oh my, that does look delicious I love Woody's t-shirt!

I'll second this -- Woody's t-shirt is very

I almost kept it for myself - that tee is incredibly soft!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

When we got to the pool the sun was trying to break through the cloud cover.

We read for a little bit before going into the water to lounge. Sadly the sun was not able to overcome the clouds, and at exactly 10:30 am rumbling began inside those now-black clouds. Woody and I quickly dried off and packed up our belongings, making it inside the Lodge moments before the heavy downpour began. (I was so thankful not to be trapped under the overhang of the restrooms like I was with Em!)

For once our room had been serviced early so we were able to shower and change into dry clothes.
And the rain rain rain
came down down down
quenching our desire to get lunch anywhere outside the main building. So Roaring Fork it was!

We mobile-ordered before leaving our room. We never expected how crazy-crowded the restaurant, dining area and hallway would be! But it was a Saturday, with its usual check in/check out congestion. The rain had only made the situation worse!

Once again we got to experience the benefit of being club level guests. We grabbed our food and dined at the same quiet table where we’d eaten breakfast. Italian sandwich for Woody, cheese flatbread for me.

Thunderstorms continued all afternoon. We hung out in our room. It wasn’t worth going out in the yuck!

 

[RememberWhen]

I love watching the rain come down at Wilderness Lodge. Somehow it always downpours when we’re there.

 

[lindawdw]

It's too bad the rain interrupted that beautiful pool time but having the club lounge to enjoy your delicious lunch was a great substitute. Roaring Forks is my favorite counter service restaurant in all the Disney resorts!

 

[Tuvalu]

I love watching the rain come down at Wilderness Lodge. Somehow it always downpours when we’re there.

Us too!

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

The rain finally subsided in late afternoon. We had not left the resort in almost 24 hours and needed a change in venue for dinner. Again I’d been swayed by restaurant pictures in @littleroo ‘s trip report and was able to book an ADR.

No car tonight. We reverted back to using Disney transportation. First leg was small launch to MK.

Then we transferred to a bus which took us here.

We were a little early for our reservation and opted to explore the area of the boardwalk we hadn’t seen on Tuesday. The demise of Big River Grille and Jellyrolls made this section feel lifeless. The unmanned games did not help with the vibe either.

Woody and I stood still for a few minutes, reminiscing about the vacation when middle son was 11 and successfully scored over and over. He was so proud of himself!

 

[Tuvalu]

Would our meal live up to the hype?

I began to take pictures once we were seated.

Very cool utensils!

A server (not ours) had been watching me. The moment I set my phone down in the table he came over and said, “May I?” He picked up my phone and took at least two dozen pictures of Woody and me. We were all laughing and later wondered if he used to work at 50s Prime Time, as his antics were not typical of a “fine dining” server!

The server who took care of us (from our generation) was just as friendly but more professional in her demeanor (my notes said, “top notch”.) She offered suggestions after inquiring about our tastes and checked on us frequently (often discreetly), keeping our glasses filled. We weren’t rushed and the pacing of our meal never left us wondering if she had disappeared.

The bread service was delicious and despite the wisdom of not filling up on bread we ate it all anyway!

This long-married couple ordered the same entrée. Woody had also seen the pictures and read @littleroo ‘s praises of the char-crusted steak and thin-layered au gratin potatoes.

Y’all this NY strip put my former Mama Melrose favorite to shame! Perfectly cooked and juicy, bursting with flavor. Loved the potatoes and green beans too.

Flying Fish exceeded our expectations and was the perfect choice for our last meal of vacation.

 

[littleroo]

Awe, my beloved strip steak! How I long for thee! I am, so happy, that you and Woody enjoyed Flying Fish!! I can't say enough how much I enjoy the people and the utensils there!!

I agree that The Boardwalk itself is in need of some serious love. It is almost eerie how quiet it is during the week! It is such a great "central" location to everything in Disney.

I have enjoyed this TR, as always and can't wait for the next one coming soon!!

 

[Minnie1986]

Wednesday, con’t

Before returning to Future World World Discovery we took a moment to see some south of the border friends.

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This ride has perfect vibes for me.

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I pray that they never remove the three caballeros!

 

[Minnie1986]

Moving on to the 13 minute wait.

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I spy with my little eye….

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Woody must have paid those playful spooks to destroy the ride photo. I’m sure he wanted to avoid my mocking him for missing the camera again.

Since Haunted Mansion was obviously my request, I said he could choose our next attraction….

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….one of his nostalgic faves.

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He crooned with the flowers.

I too am a huge fan of the Tiki Room, so I love seeing it pop up in Trip Reports. Excellent choice, Woody!