Trip Report Two broke guys & a dog (for the last time.) (now with Christmas 2024!)

No, I’m not mad at Disney. We’ll be back (in fact, it can’t be soon enough.) But this turned out to be our last trip together as a family.

Who: Brian (R) Tony (L) and Kylie.

When: May, 2023.

Can’t tease this, so I’ll just come out with it.

We’ve posted TRs over the years under the “Two broke guys & a dog” banner (and other titles.) Our May trip was short, and we had already booked August for my birthday (complete with a planned meet up with @Tuvalu) so I thought I’d make one double TR after August.

I ended up with Covid mid-month and we had to postpone to December for Brian’s birthday.

In the meantime, Kylie, our 14 year old German Shepherd/Chow Chow was diagnosed with heart failure. That “heads up” turned out to be a gift and a blessing that allowed us to spend so much extra quality time with her.

Kylie’s 14th bday on Halloween:

She stayed with us through the holidays, rubbing on the Christmas tree when she walked past it, per usual (like a cat lol) and was really doing well - eating, going for walks, snuggling. I expected more of a slow, gradual decline…but she passed yesterday. Now my heart is failing.

I don’t know how far I’ll get with this today. It might actually be too soon. But I thought it could be therapeutic, and a nice tribute.

For some reason, since my 30s, if I cry even a little, my eyelids swell up and it’s hard to undo. Ice helps only temporarily. I fear typing all this out will continue the waterworks (it already has) and prolong that condition. OTOH, they’re already swollen, so WTH? I’ll play it by ear, if that’s ok.

This is my love letter to my pup.

 

[93boomer]

Now I have more choices-Astro orbiter or Buzz. I Buzz. I have only beaten DH once. We both hit 999,999 once when we were stopped a long time.

Ohh forgot about Tron!!!

 

[93boomer]

If it’s Tron, you’ll love it. I rode it the first time this week!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

If it’s Tron, you’ll love it. I rode it the first time this week!

I’ll put you out of your misery!

That’s right, in all these years, we’ve never done Monsters Inc Laugh Floor! We just never prioritized it, thought we wouldn’t be into it. It was fun! It will be on our B-list (M-list?) for sure.

 

[93boomer]

I’ll put you out of your misery!

View attachment 831366

That’s right, in all these years, we’ve never done Monsters Inc Laugh Floor! We just never prioritized it, thought we wouldn’t be into it. It was fun! It will be on our B-list (M-list?) for sure.

That didn’t even come close to crossing my mind!

Thank you! Can you tell that I was bored this afternoon?

 

[Tiki Traveler]

Hint: The sun’ll come out…

They added an Annie ride??

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

It’s become one of our more regular stops over the last decade or so…but, coincidentally, we’ve only ever been seated outdoors!

We both enjoyed our meals, per usual. Their Old Fashioned…

I don't know if my husband has ever gotten their old fashioned, I think he has just ordered scotch on the rocks there. I usually get beer. Does the fireworks package still feature all you can drink beer?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I don't know if my husband has ever gotten their old fashioned, I think he has just ordered scotch on the rocks there. I usually get beer. Does the fireworks package still feature all you can drink beer?

From what I had been reading before this trip, I think so; but this was not that - we just got a last minute (like an hour beforehand) ADR, and they were nice enough to walk us down to the viewing area.

I guess we’ll call that double pixie dust!

And the last time we did unlimited drinks at Rose & Crown, I wanted to get my money’s worth () and Illuminations () kept getting rain delayed. By the time the show started, I was head-down asleep on the table, and very politely asked to leave, and come back the next night. (It’s in a TR!) Brian practically had to hold me up on the walk to the parking lot.

But I got my money’s worth.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

After Monsters, we walked a few paces to Buzz.

with a short (no) wait.

It was a walk-on, but showing as 15 minutes.

I kicked B’s B-hind. He made some excuse about being blind in one eye, blah blah blah. I reminded him his cataract surgery in the other eye left him seeing much better, so nice try, Bri! Better luck in January.*






*I was looking at one day prices for Christmas Day today.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Continuing in order, we got to test out the new seats on CoP!

I always try to notice little details. This time, we sat fairly far to the right, which is unusual. I actually took notes:

In the window on the left, in scene 1 you see birds in trees. In scene 2, you see what appears to be a Chinese restaurant and other buildings (??) In scene 3, you see trees.

What. Is. Up? I have no idea.

The TV video game wasn’t working.

So when Grandma was commenting, it made no sense!

That pic was just for the dog. I never find CoP merch, though.

 

[Tuvalu]

You never noticed the scenery outside the windows until now?

 

[Tuvalu]

While I have occasionally seen a CoP tee on WDW shelves, you’ll find fun CoP shirts at Tee Public or Etsy.*

*another helpful tip to you from Tu.*

 

[93boomer]

After Monsters, we walked a few paces to Buzz.

View attachment 831405

with a short (no) wait.

It was a walk-on, but showing as 15 minutes.

I kicked B’s B-hind. He made some excuse about being blind in one eye, blah blah blah. I reminded him his cataract surgery in the other eye left him seeing much better, so nice try, Bri! Better luck in January.*






*I was looking at one day prices for Christmas Day today.

Buzz is back!!!! He was behind the curtain the whole week last week.

 

[luvinthemajik]

Good guess, but I believe we rode 7DMT in this very report. I’m guessing early in the year(?) late night at MK. Got in line just before park closing with a 20ish minute wait.

Hint: The sun’ll come out…

Tron?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You never noticed the scenery outside the windows until now?

I always look, but never realized the stark lack of continuity!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Tron?

I still haven’t been on Tron.

I think one day in the new year, I’ll take a Dramamine and a couple of lightning lane thingies and do that and Guardians! (Probably single rider line on both, if they have one.)

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

From what I had been reading before this trip, I think so; but this was not that - we just got a last minute (like an hour beforehand) ADR, and they were nice enough to walk us down to the viewing area.

I guess we’ll call that double pixie dust!

And the last time we did unlimited drinks at Rose & Crown, I wanted to get my money’s worth () and Illuminations () kept getting rain delayed. By the time the show started, I was head-down asleep on the table, and very politely asked to leave, and come back the next night. (It’s in a TR!) Brian practically had to hold me up on the walk to the parking lot.

But I got my money’s worth.

Getting your money's worth at the R&C package is important. I've done that but not quite the extreme as you.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

By the end of Carousel, I was hungry. I mean too hungry to get an ADR or walk all the way over to Columbia Harbour House.

We just stopped at the nearest place, ordered, and sat by the window (again.) Caught a reflection in this pic:

I had a chicken sandwich with BBQ and bacon that was good (nice quality chicken breast) and scratched my itch as I gazed out the window.

Apparently, these are in demand. We were not interested, but they are pretty adorable.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I very much wanted to see the new Country Bears, so we started to cut across the hub.

…and contorted ourselves to fit into this pic with golden Chip & Dale.

There was so much going on, we couldn’t hear anything when we waved our (my) Magic band in a circle - but it worked well at other times, lit up during the fireworks, etc.

We noticed and appreciated the message of “freedom for all.”

And here we are.

The refurb was a bit controversial around here. I’ve argued plenty about it from a philosophical standpoint on these pages. The old CBJ, much like CoP, grew on us over the years and became a staple that we loved. Now I could see for myself whether we’d like the new version or not.

Hint: I didn’t start another thread saying my vacation was ruined and Disney is going down the tubes because the video game TV wasn’t working at CoP!

I believe there are valid criticisms, there are people just resistant to change, and there are people who have a habit of complaining across all areas of their lives.

So did we enjoy the newly renovated, “more appropriate” CBJ?

 

[Tuvalu]

I think one day in the new year, I’ll take a Dramamine and a couple of lightning lane thingies and do that and Guardians! (Probably single rider line on both, if they have one.)

No single rider on either. But if you purchase a Lightning Lane Single P (LLSP) for each one, your wait (and B’s ) should be under 20 minutes.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

No single rider on either. But if you purchase a Lightning Lane Single P (LLSP) for each one, your wait (and B’s ) should be under 20 minutes.

Having you around is better than Genie+++!!!