Trip Report Whose Trip Is It Anyway?

It's mine. But it wasn't supposed to be.

The vacation to celebrate my <number redacted> birthday with my beloved Woody was supposed to happen at the end of January and included time with @lindawdw, @ajrwdwgirl and a few other forum friends. But a predicted ice storm and a couple other extenuating circumstances caused us to cancel our plans two days prior to departure.

This trip was supposed to be a belated birthday celebration for my mother during winter break for my brother's family. I was going to accompany her and assist with her mobility challenges. The day after we canceled my birthday trip, Mom announced she no longer wanted to go to WDW and insisted Woody take her place since the resort was already paid in full. (She did have several local celebrations on and around her actual birthday.)

Our airline tickets were refunded and since Woody prefers driving from Atlanta we added a couple nights to our trip. No spoilers yet, just a math problem.

Winter break + Presidents' Day + Mardi Gras + Lunar New Year + Snowbirds = A crowd collision of massive proportions

When: February 14-19, 2026
Where: Disney's Art of Animation Resort
Who: Tuvalu and Woody, with family introductions to come

 

[Tuvalu]

The People

Now for the family introductions. One of my brothers (T) lives nearby and the other (C) lives in Louisville with a second home near WDW. Over the years I’ve had trip overlap with both their families. T’s kids are 15,13 &11. C’s boys are grown.

Em and M are my mother’s only granddaughters. The other six are grandsons. With a twenty year age gap between the girls, M’s arrival was extra special to our family. This was her first experience at Be Our Guest - back in the good old days when lunch was quick service (and cell phone photos were bad!)

Thankfully we had Photopass on the vacation two years later where I was a Tag-a-long.

Evidence of the passage of time. Exhibit #1.

Exhibit #2.

Now let’s get this trip started!

 

[RememberWhen]

Love seeing the family pictures!!

 

[littleroo]

I don't know what makes me feel older, seeing Em at the age or remembering when BOG was a quick service at lunch Really looking forward to Tu's first TR of 2026!!

 

[93boomer]

My, how they’ve grown up fast!

 

[Tuvalu]

I don't know what makes me feel older, seeing Em at the age or remembering when BOG was a quick service at lunch

BOG served lunch (and breakfast) up until the pandemic shutdown in March 2020. Em and I ate there in February 2020. If we'd only known then it would be our last time ever....

Six years shouldn't make you feel too much older.

 

[WDisneyW]

Happy belated birthday!

 

[k8einwdw]

BOG served lunch (and breakfast) up until the pandemic shutdown in March 2020. Em and I ate there in February 2020. If we'd only known then it would be our last time ever....

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, February 14

I couldn’t have been happier as Woody and I were backing out of our driveway to begin our journey. In that moment all the stress of trip planning and preparation to leave town melted away. Note that yesterday was Friday the 13th - and in due form our microwave blew the kitchen circuit breaker, requiring a Target run to purchase a new microwave. Em was going to stay at our house to care for cats Kona and Poly, who continues to recover from a self-inflicted wound and is on daily meds and ointment.

I did not want to leave Em without a
microwave, because she was sacrificing the comfort of her own home and had to make daily visits to care for her cat Astrid. (If only non-familial cats could get along like non- familial dogs!)

The early part of the morning passed quickly as I answered birthday greetings texts from family and friends with Woody in the driver’s seat. When we arrived at the center of all things Beaver, we found an open gas pump - albeit at the very end of the pump station.

What a sweet welcome!

We did our business (purchasing Buc-ees Nug- ees for the grands was a must!) then sat in the car to enjoy our brisket and egg tacos and tater tots.

I taunted brother T with the next picture. They were still at home.