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

 

[Swissmiss]

I'm happily following along
I admit that I would of Had to straighten that picture! I couldn't let it go, lol. I am happily surprised at just how themed your room is. It looks fantastic. Thanks for the great photos and awaiting more of your TR.

Me too. I wouldn’t have been able to resist

 

[Tuvalu]

I'm happily following along
I admit that I would have Had to straighten that picture! I couldn't let it go, lol. I am happily surprised at just how themed your room is. It looks fantastic. Thanks for the great photos and awaiting more of your TR.

Oh honey I tried to straighten that picture! It was bolted and/or glued to the wall!

 

[Tuvalu]

Me too. I wouldn’t have been able to resist

See above.

 

[Swissmiss]

See above.

Glad you only stayed one night - that would have driven me bizerko

 

[LadyBelle]

I can count the number of times on one hand that I have had my birthday dinner in a restaurant. Yes, I’m a Valentine baby. Not only that, but the anniversary of my and Woody’s first date also happens to be February 14.

I was supposed to be born around that time, but decided to cook about a week longer.

Celebrated a milestone birthday this year.

 

[dizfan917]

O.M.G. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt!! HOOKTOPUS is the funniest thing I have heard in a while. Thank you for the (good) pain!

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Little Mermaid was a magical surprise. The room was beautiful and a feast for the eyes!

Oh good to hear! Lil BES has requested one of these rooms for a future “special lady time” trip.

I will have to hope either she outgrows her fear of Ursula or we are assigned a non-Ursula building.

 

[Tuvalu]

I was supposed to be born around that time, but decided to cook about a week longer.

Celebrated a milestone birthday this year.

Oh good to hear! Lil BES has requested one of these rooms for a future “special lady time” trip.

I will have to hope either she outgrows her fear of Ursula or we are assigned a non-Ursula building.

I think she’ll love it there! Request Building 8 (Ariel) or 9 (King Triton) to avoid the Sea Witch.

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

After unpacking, we got back into the car to fuel up and drive to Saratoga Springs. We drove around the resort as looky loos, something we had never done before.

On our canceled trip we were going to spend our arrival night here and I was looking forward to off one of the few remaining resorts where I have not stayed. Although many years ago we stayed in a golf villa with friends and those villas were demolished to build Saratoga Springs, so maybe that counts?

We parked in a lot that overlooked the golf course and the Sassagoula River. Note the brown grass, a casualty of the freezing temperatures the previous week.

The sunbeams coming down from the cloud caught my eye….

….and illuminated the SSR boat dock.

We’ve utilized that dock once. Woody, Em and I had cruised over from POFQ to have lunch at the very restaurant where I was about to enjoy my birthday/Valentine’s/anniversary dinner.

We were a bit early and relaxed with drinks in the lounge.

I just read that The Turf Club Bar and Grill is about to undergo a months-long refurbishment. I hope the serene vibe that Woody and I felt while sipping our drinks remains once the work is complete. We liked the classy (and discreet) horse race theme.

 

[93boomer]

 

[Ella's Mommy]

YAY!!! You're back

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, con’t

When we were escorted to the dining room I was surprised at how small it was. My memory from that lunch visit years ago had faded. There was an outdoor dining area as well, where a few large family parties were seated.

It was a bit before our server arrived to introduce herself so we checked out the menu.

Prices were on the reasonable side for a Disney restaurant!

When our server arrived she asked how we were doing. Woody informed her we were celebrating my birthday and she asked me if I had a birthday button. I shook my head and she said, “Ooh, can I make one for you?” She seemed more excited about the button than I was so I smiled and said, “Sure!”

That task caused her to depart before we could place our order, which was unfortunate because we hadn’t eaten anything since our Buc-ees breakfast.

When the complimentary rolls showed up we dug right in!

(We did not order the butter board enhancement.)

Woody went with the Char-grilled NY Strip and substituted a baked potato for seasoned fries. The steak was juicy and cooked exactly as he’d ordered it, with the distinctive NY Strip taste. He was pleased!

I opted for the Slow-roasted Prime Rib, something I rarely order. I was not disappointed!

The seasonal vegetables were cooked with a lot of sage, which I did not care for. Woody happily ate them.

When our server inquired about dessert, both of us were so full from our hearty meals that we declined. However that did not prevent her from surprising me with two mini (and absolutely delicious!) cannolis, which we shared.

@littleroo you were right (again!) about Turf Club! It was a great choice for my birthday/Valentine’s/anniversary and I’m glad it was the only restaurant with availability tonight, because it was definitely worth a visit.

 

[Swissmiss]

I’ve eaten at Turf Club a couple of times over my various trips to WDW (the last time this past summer) and I’ve always enjoyed my meal there.

 

[RememberWhen]

The Mickey balloon on the birthday button is a cute touch.

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Glad you enjoyed your birthday dinner at the Turf Club. I’ve always enjoyed it there, it’s one of those hidden gems (like Olivia’s at OKW) that are reasonably priced, easy to get a reservation and good food. I would have ordered that butter board though, it sounds delicious

 

[Tuvalu]

The Mickey balloon on the birthday button is a cute touch.

I thought so too!

Glad you enjoyed your birthday dinner at the Turf Club. I’ve always enjoyed it there, it’s one of those hidden gems (like Olivia’s at OKW) that are reasonably priced, easy to get a reservation and good food. I would have ordered that butter board though, it sounds delicious

Great comparison. We also like Olivia’s!

 

[littleroo]

@Piglet_the_brave took the words out of my mouth! Lol! A definite hidden gem and like you said Tu, reasonably priced for Disney! I am so happy you had a wonderful birthday meal!! You deserve it!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, February 15

Though it’s never convenient to have to change rooms, the convenience of being at the same resort to make the switch helps. When I woke this morning I was glad we didn’t have to drive over to AoA from a Flamingo Crossing hotel. I felt much less rushed.

We loaded the car and made the short commute from The Little Mermaid lot to Animation Hall. At 7:30 am I was fairly certain our Nemo Suite would not be ready, but a girl can hope, right? A friendly CM came out from behind her pod the moment we entered the lobby.

I explained that we were checking out and in. She was able to close out our current folio and switch our MBs to our new reservation. She checked if the room was ready (it wasn’t) and also made sure we had not been assigned a disability access room. (I had canceled that request after my mom changed her mind.)

Woody had missed having Mickey waffles on our last trip and I promised he could get them this week. I figured we might as well stop in the food court before heading to the park.

We went through the Ink&Paint gift shop to get to Landscape of Flavors.

I loved the light fixture in the Lion King section, where we sat to eat.

In keeping with the Lion King theme, Woody’s desired Mickey waffles turned out to be Simba waffles.

He said they were fine but NOT the same. My promise to him had been (unintentionally) broken.

On the other hand, my egg and cheese bagel was surprisingly good, as were the tots. Since I’m not a big tots person, I told Woody to have some as a peace offering.

The MK bus was waiting at the gate for us after we finished breakfast. It departed only 1/3 full. I guess we missed the rope drop crowds as early entry began at 7:30 am all this week.

While walking towards security screening I noticed these unusual poles and thought they must be new. Lightning rods to prevent birds from landing, perhaps?

“Those aren’t poles,” Woody corrected. “They are palm trees that lost their fronds during the freeze. We won’t know for a while if they’ll come back or have succumbed to permanent damage.”

Silly me.

 

[luvinthemajik]

Sunday, February 15

Though it’s never convenient to have to change rooms, the convenience of being at the same resort to make the switch helps. When I woke this morning I was glad we didn’t have to drive over to AoA from a Flamingo Crossing hotel. I felt much less rushed.

We loaded the car and made the short commute from The Little Mermaid lot to Animation Hall. At 7:30 am I was fairly certain our Nemo Suite would not be ready, but a girl can hope, right? A friendly CM came out from behind her pod the moment we entered the lobby.

View attachment 910429

I explained that we were checking out and in. She was able to close out our current folio and switch our MBs to our new reservation. She checked if the room was ready (it wasn’t) and also made sure we had not been assigned a disability access room. (I had canceled that request after my mom changed her mind.)

Woody had missed having Mickey waffles on our last trip and I promised he could get them this week. I figured we might as well stop in the food court before heading to the park.

View attachment 910431

We went through the Ink&Paint gift shop to get to Landscape of Flavors.

View attachment 910432

View attachment 910473

I loved the light fixture in the Lion King section, where we sat to eat.

View attachment 910470

In keeping with the Lion King theme, Woody’s desired Mickey waffles turned out to be Simba waffles.

View attachment 910474

He said they were fine but NOT the same. My promise to him had been (unintentionally) broken.

On the other hand, my egg and cheese bagel was surprisingly good, as were the tots. Since I’m not a big tots person, I told Woody to have some as a peace offering.

The MK bus was waiting at the gate for us after we finished breakfast. It departed only 1/3 full. I guess we missed the rope drop crowds as early entry began at 7:30 am all this week.

While walking towards security screening I noticed these unusual poles and thought they must be new. Lightning rods to prevent birds from landing, perhaps?

View attachment 910433

“Those aren’t poles,” Woody corrected. “They are palm trees that lost their fronds during the freeze. We won’t know for a while if they’ll come back or have succumbed to permanent damage.”

Silly me.

We learn something new every day

 

[RememberWhen]

I love that Woody knew they were trees.