50 and fabulous - A November, 2021 trip report - Updated 08-12-22 - FINISHED

[Ruthie5671]

Rest day - continued . . .
​

When we last left off, we had finally been allowed into the magical gates and into the Magic Kingdom. This was the halfway point of our trip, and I hadn't been in this park yet. And that was wrong - very, very wrong! The rain was intermittent and irritating. It had also gotten chillier, and that combined with the rain was not very pleasurable. But we were in the park and all the twinkle lights were on, so all was right with the world.



Hello beautiful castle - I have missed you!

I knew there were certain "must do's" for the party. I wanted to see the fireworks show. There was the normal "Enchantment" show and then later that evening a special holiday themed fireworks show. There was also a parade (WOO-HOO) and a stage show. Now full disclosure, I am team "Happily Ever After". I love the music and the projection show and all of the magic that goes along with it. I know that all of Disney's fireworks shows are amazing and I knew that Enchantment would be too. But it wasn't going to be HEA. We took a leisurely stroll down Main Street USA and headed up to the designated ECV spot to watch fireworks.





I was amazed at the lack of crowds. I realize that the party has very limited capacity but to be there witnessing it for the first time was shocking.



We got situated and waited for the fireworks to start. Fortunately for the fireworks show we were able to be poncho free.



This was the only picture I took of the fireworks because I really wanted to look and listen and let it all soak in. And I'm glad I did, because even though I didn't LOVE IT as much as HEA, it was a fantastic show. I had listened to the music several times already (thanks internet) so I hummed along and just enjoyed. I've said it before and it bears repeating that Disney knows how to do fireworks.

After the show ended, it started raining again. Enough to put our ponchos back on and for Tony and I to put our heads together and figure out what we were going to do. We had paid for this separate from our normal park tickets. And it wasn't cheap, but it was our big splurge and it was being spoiled by the weather. It was rainy and cold and we just weren't happy. So even though I knew it was highly unlikely, we went to the City Hall to speak with a cast member to ask about a possible refund. I wasn't the only person who had this thought because I was in line a good 30 minutes before I got to speak with someone.

And I was told no.

Again, I'm not surprised. But it just wasn't as great of an experience as it could have been without the rain.

By the time I got back to Tony, it had actually stopped raining and they were roping off the area for the parade. Since it had stopped raining (for now) we decided to perch ourselves right by City Hall/the fire station and watch the parade.



See the guy holding the green lights? Best cast member ever. He guided Tony and I to the ECV section (we were the only ones there) and he sang and danced with the children and was genuinely happy to be there. And by that time, I was pumped for the parade. There hadn't been one in Magic Kingdom for such a long time and while the calvacades are okay, it's not a parade. So we got ready and I decided to do a video recording of the parade so I would have it forever. The music started playing and the floats rounded the corner and I had my phone at the ready.

And apparently I forgot to press record.

I was too excited. It was sensory overload. For instance, I never realized that there were scents coming from the floats. Wafts of peppermint and gingerbread was everywhere as the floats went by. There was singing and dancing and Santa Claus! And Mickey and Minnie! It was glorious and I have no proof it happened. But it did and I was happy. Of course until I realized that I didn't record any of it.

After the parade was over we went over to the big tree to have some pictures taken.



The twinkle lights on the tree turned into Mickey heads. All kinds of magic. We decided to head back towards the hub area to catch the stage show and finally hop on some rides. But first a quick stop in the confectionary store.



The CM's there were checking arm bands to make sure we were legit party people and not interlopers! Tony was confused and kept trying to show her his magic band. He's all kinds of special. We bought a few sweet things - of course - because how could you not. It was so nice to whip in and out of the stores with so little crowds.



I thought the wreath was so pretty.

I set Tony by the castle to get ready for the show and I went and got some "free" snacks. Popcorn, diet coke and water. The drinks were fine, but the popcorn tasted as if it had been there for days. And then out of nowhere, the heavens opened up and the rain came down. The announcer came on and said that the castle show would be postponed and at that point we were done. The whole event would have been amazing if the weather had cooperated but it just wasn't meant to be for us. Being cold and wet isn't a good combination, so we headed back towards the busses. Not one single ride. We didn't even get past the castle. At that point we decided to give up day two at EPCOT and come back to Magic Kingdom for our last park day. There's no way I could not enjoy MK and since we had at least already been to EPCOT, this was our new plan. Of course we missed so many things at EPCOT but it was the best choice for us. Back to the bus and to the resort. We were soaked by that time. The ponchos were useless when the rain was splashing everywhere. It was a fun experience. I just needed Mother Nature to cooperate. She is an evil thing!

Up next - movin' on up and Hollywood Studios!

#50andfabulous

 

[Ruthie5671]

Your day sounds awesome - so far. Yay for a nap. I call our Disney trips a "working vacation". Dang the rain. I hope you're still able to enjoy the party. We just got back from our family trip - seven of us. I told my DH I need a do-over

The day was really nice. The party could have been awesome had it not been for the weather but what can you do??

What an amazing trip! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for reading along! I just put a new post up.

Love that Tony is wearing the matching shirts! He is a trooper for sure. Loving your trip report. I slept on the beach at the Poly one trip and it was the most amazing nap. I will have to try out the couches at GF, LOL.

Yes, Tony is a trooper for wearing the matching shirts. But I think deep down he doesn't mind. The couch nap was the best nap ever. And I am able to say I slept for free at the Grand Floridian!

We visited the Grand Floridian one trip. The gingerbread house was so neat. Your picture looks a lot like mine except for the flowers. I know we will never stay there, but it was fun to visit. I can't imagine falling asleep there though, but my husband could I bet. We went to the Christmas party too and had so much fun. The weather was so perfect and felt wonderful after coming from Minnesota. We even stayed until it closed.

The GF was amazing to visit, but I would never spend the money to stay at a deluxe resort. I'm much too frugal. Had I not been sleeping so poorly I would have been riding around looking at everything, but I had hit a wall. I'm glad you had great party weather. Not so much for us. New post is up!

 

[rdkeim]

Oh Mother Nature - she can be a b***h! Sounds like you enjoyed parts of the party but probably not enough to feel like you got your money's worth. Dang. I don't blame you for moving your Epcot day to MK. I'll be glad when the construction is finished in Epcot - Future World isn't looking too good. Seems like it's taking a long time to finish the project. Hope you have great weather in HS!

 

[gopherdame]

So sorry your party was a bust. At least you got to see the parade and fireworks. I think I would have been so disappointed after paying all that money. We went on 1 of the 2 most expensive days so it would have hurt to pay for 5 people, and my grandkids would have been so disappointed. My husband and I had been to a party a few years ago and it was so crowded. I loved that they made it an after hours party with less people. Glad you picked to go back to MK. I would pick that every time over EPCOT right now with all the construction.

 

[Ticklefart]

Been taking a Dis-break (after cancelling my 40th birthday grownups trip in April 2020 ) but now I'm back to the boards and glad to see another trip report from you!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Where I've been - a real life update
​

I probably don't have any readers left. I'm sure everyone thinks I've fallen off of the face of the earth to never be heard from again. Or I've won the lottery and have moved into Cinderella's castle. Unfortunately, neither of these are true. Where I have been - or rather Tony has been - is in the hospital. Let me tell you a story.

On March 20th, Tony woke up and had symptoms that presented as a stomach flu. Being the award winning wife that I am, I basically told him to suck it up. We've all thrown up before and he can push thru. After all day of him not feeling well, he decided a trip to the ER was needed. I was still thinking this was crazy, but it was his choice, so off we went. After lots of tests, they diagnosed Tony with pancreatitis. He was admitted for what they said would be a "few days". Famous last words. After a couple of days, the symptoms had subsided but Tony wasn't acting like himself. On night #3, the nurse called me and said that Tony had pulled out six IV's and was putting on his shoes to walk home. He was convinced that someone was going to kill him and he would only calm down when they told him I was on my way. When I got there, Tony was not Tony. He was having auditory and visual hallucinations. He was seeing people wearing pink shirts standing in the hallway with guns ready to kill him. And he believed this was true. They gave him meds to try and calm him down, which only worked temporarily. After a few hours, he was at it again, only this time he saw an airplane crash and he had to check for casualties. I was scared and so was Tony. They attempted more medication to calm him down, but it had the opposite effect and he went into respiratory distress. He was taken away to the ICU.

And all I could do was wait.

I called his sister and told her she needed to come to the hospital. I called my best friend and ugly cried. I sat in a dark waiting room looking at our Disney pictures and wondered how we got here. Over an hour later and they finally let me come back into the ICU. He was sedated and ventilated and being transferred to University of Kentucky Hospital. They sent him via ambulance to UK hospital and he was in the ICU (of course). He was on the ventilator for four days before he was able to breathe independently and they finally took him off. But the very next day, he started having a very hard time breathing and he had to go back on the ventilator. His right lung had collapsed and now he had pnemonia.

Warning - medical pictures on the way.



This time he remained on the vent for almost a week. And because his kidney (he only has the one) decided that the lungs and pancreas couldn't be taking all of the attention, it shouted "hold my beer" and decided to stop working. And not just a little bit, but full out I don't want to work and you can't make me. So after they were able to take him off of the vent and keep him off, he had to be put on dialysis for 72 straight hours. This gave his kidney a rest so that his poor body could have some kind of a break from all the fighting.








He was pretending to be happy. In reality, him having to do dialysis - even for just three days - was just so defeating for him. We thought the days of dialysis were long behind us. But like most things, Tony took it like a champ and we waited out the three days. But it would be a week/10 days before we knew for sure if the kidney would rebound. In the meantime, Tony was being discharged to rehab to start the long road to recovery.



This was a day or two before we left for rehab. It was quite the struggle to get him up and into the chair. At this point, he had been in the hospital for about six weeks. His kidneys were "okay" at this point and we just had to wait. So he was finally discharged and taken to rehab. He was there for about a week or so and he got a UTI/blood infection. So back to the hospital he went for five days of tests and IV antibiotics. And then back to rehab.

And then we both got COVID.

I swear I cannot make this up. He was having "allergy like" symptoms when I visited him one Saturday. A few days later, I started feeling bad and then a fever that wouldn't go away. I tested positive on May 20th and called the rehab and told him they might want to test him. Sure enough, he was positive too. I felt like death on a cracker. His symptoms were much more mild. However, his blood work and chest x-rays showed he was getting COVID related pnemonia. So he went back to the hospital for more IV antibiotics. And I couldn't go see him because it took 3 weeks for me to produce a negative COVID test. I was sick and thankful I was able to manage it at home.

After his COVID, he was released back to rehab to finish up. And then after 83 days of hospital, rehab, hospital, rehab, hospital and rehab - he was able to come home.



He still has a lot of recovering yet to do. Home health is providing all kinds of services and luckily my job is amazing and I'm at home with him full-time. It has been a long, long road and I thank God every day that he is healing and getting stronger every day. No Disney trip this summer (we were supposed to go next week) but I'll take him being home over a vacay any day. But now that things have calmed down, I really want to finish this trip report. There are more stories to tell. We still have Hollywood Studios, a BFF meet up and moving over to a new resort. I'll get to it this week! Well start it anyway!

#50andfabulous

 

[froggibabey]

Oh my gosh, what a crazy time!

I'm so glad he's home safe now, and you're both feeling okay!
I don't comment much at all, but I couldn't read that story and not say anything.

Hopefully things stay looking up.. and I can't wait to read the rest!

 

[tigerlilly]

Wow.. what a rough few months you have both had. Tony must be a real fighter (and you too!). I am happy for you both that he is home now and hope for a full recovery! Can't wait to read the rest of your trip report and hopefully you will be planning another trip for the two of you soon

 

[rdkeim]

Oh my word! What an ordeal. A terrible time for both of you. Happy to hear things are turning around. Hope things continue to improve. I will watch for more updates on your 50 and fabulous trip!

 

[footballmouse]

Wow, wasn't expecting an update like that! Glad everyone is doing okay.

 

[Bama Mom]

Oh wow! So glad he is on the road to recovery now. Glad you both are over covid as well.

 

[heathermd01]

Wow! I am so glad to hear that you both are on the mend! What a stressful time!

In lighter news, I am enjoying your trip report and can't wait until you are able to write more.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Oh Mother Nature - she can be a b***h! Sounds like you enjoyed parts of the party but probably not enough to feel like you got your money's worth. Dang. I don't blame you for moving your Epcot day to MK. I'll be glad when the construction is finished in Epcot - Future World isn't looking too good. Seems like it's taking a long time to finish the project. Hope you have great weather in HS!

Mother nature has historically hated us on more than one trip. I can tell how magical the party would have been had it not rained. And if our next trip goes as planned (holiday time - 2023) I'm thinking matching pajamas!

So sorry your party was a bust. At least you got to see the parade and fireworks. I think I would have been so disappointed after paying all that money. We went on 1 of the 2 most expensive days so it would have hurt to pay for 5 people, and my grandkids would have been so disappointed. My husband and I had been to a party a few years ago and it was so crowded. I loved that they made it an after hours party with less people. Glad you picked to go back to MK. I would pick that every time over EPCOT right now with all the construction.

The parade was absolutely worth it. We had the best view of all the floats. Wish I had pressed record, but I was excited as a kid on her first day of school. I do agree that paying for more than just Tony and I would be alot to manage. And yes, changing our last day to go back to MK was a good plan. We had a great last day.

Been taking a Dis-break (after cancelling my 40th birthday grownups trip in April 2020 ) but now I'm back to the boards and glad to see another trip report from you!

Glad to have you along. Happy to be back to finish this up.

Oh my gosh, what a crazy time!

I'm so glad he's home safe now, and you're both feeling okay!
I don't comment much at all, but I couldn't read that story and not say anything.

Hopefully things stay looking up.. and I can't wait to read the rest!

Very glad to be back to writing this report and that Tony is healthy. It was a long and scary road.

Wow.. what a rough few months you have both had. Tony must be a real fighter (and you too!). I am happy for you both that he is home now and hope for a full recovery! Can't wait to read the rest of your trip report and hopefully you will be planning another trip for the two of you soon

Yes, Tony is a fighter for sure. I just need a nap, which I will take once he's all recovered. Getting ready to type up an update now!

Oh my word! What an ordeal. A terrible time for both of you. Happy to hear things are turning around. Hope things continue to improve. I will watch for more updates on your 50 and fabulous trip!

He's improving every day, but it is a slow process. I read online that for every day you're in the hospital it takes a week to recover. I'm trying to be patient - not my best character strength.

Wow, wasn't expecting an update like that! Glad everyone is doing okay.

It's quite the tale, but all 100% true. He's getting better slowly every day.

Oh wow! So glad he is on the road to recovery now. Glad you both are over covid as well.

Nothing can compare to what Tony went thru. But I'm telling you that COVID was awful.

Wow! I am so glad to hear that you both are on the mend! What a stressful time!

In lighter news, I am enjoying your trip report and can't wait until you are able to write more.

Very, very stressful. And I'm getting ready to type a new update right now!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Hollywood Studios!
​

When we last left off (before our own medical drama), we had finished up a rainy holiday party and spent our last night at POP Century resort. This was part of all the "new things" we were doing this trip - a split stay. We had never done this before and had never stayed in any resort other than a value. I was ready to see what else was out there. I had done most of the packing the previous night, so we called the luggage folks and told them we needed to have our things moved over. We also decided to leave our van at POP Century. Now I'm not sure if it was allowed, but the technical aspects of moving the van and then getting the ECV's over there was more than I could handle. And FYI, the van was fine. It took no time for the luggage to get picked up and tagged and we said goodbye to our room and headed over to Hollywood Studios.

On our last trip to WDW, Hollywood Studios was a major wash out and we spent little to no time in Toy Story Land. So our first stop was to see what Buzz and Woody were up to.

And apparently so did every other human being in the world. It was so crowded!!!!!

Tony wanted to ride Slinky Dog. I did not. I don't do coasters, even those that are not jerky. So I found a somewhat shady spot and Tony went into the line that seemed to be endless. Over an hour later, Tony found me and of course I wanted to hear everything about the ride. He said that he didn't ride it. He had to get out of the ride because he had to use the bathroom. I was all about getting him back on this ride. We were not going to waste an hour. So I went to the CM who was managing the DAS and explained the situation. Tony had gotten pretty far in the line and just couldn't wait any longer. And although we didn't have a DAS pass, I'm sure there was a CM who could confirm that the dude with the Star Wars ECV was really in the line. After a few minutes, they were thankfully able to let him get back to the point where he stepped out of line. I waited right there and in about 15 minutes Tony was back with a huge grin on his face. He loved the ride. So that was a good use of our time.

Our next stop was Toy Story Mania. Again another endless line. I'm very glad that the majority of the line was inside. A great opportunity for some pictures!









We had gone thru the line up to the part where the ECV's break off. I could see light at the end of the tunnel - the ride was on the horizon.

And then it went down.

I know it is most certainly not the CM's fault that this happened, but they certainly get the blame. Nobody was happy with the news that they had no anticipated time of how long it would be down and if people chose to leave the line, they would have a Lightening Lane/old fashioned fast pass for later that day. We decided to leave the line. It could have been hours and I didn't want to just sit there. It did come back up later in the day, but we never made it back over there.

We grabbed some drinks and headed over to the Star Wars area. Even though I'm not a Star Wars fan (please don't hate me), we had to go over there and at least see it. It was - well - interesting. Out of all the Star Wars movies, I've only seen the first/original one and that was enough for me. I had no idea who a lot of the characters were or what the meanings of all the buildings and signs were. But like all things Disney, it looked impressive. I took no pictures because I had no idea what I was looking at. My hope would have been that there were some roaming Storm Troopers to stand by Tony and his ECV, but I never saw one. Tony wasn't interested in riding any of the rides over there, so we just looked around, used the bathroom and moved on.

Our original dining plan this evening was Hollywood and Vine. However, we really wanted to spend some time at the resort and be able to look around before it got dark. So we ditched our original reservation and got one for Sebastian's Bistro for later that evening. Yes they charged us $20 for the late cancellation. I didn't fight it - I clearly was in the wrong for canceling so late. But before we made our way out of the park, I had to at least get into one ride or show. Because once again at HS, I had just sat and waited. The most logical thing to do was go visit Kermit and Miss Piggy!



I laughed at the corny jokes and the wacka wacka from Fozzie Bear. At least I could say I did something at Hollywood Studios. This park and I just don't get along. Maybe next time?

Up next - a new resort! If we can find our room.

 

[gopherdame]

Oh Ruthie what a hard few months you've had. I looked at your trip report last week and hoped everything was ok. I thought maybe you just decided not to finish it. I am glad you are. I have had covid twice. Once when we were in Florida before Christmas and again a month ago. Except for being extremely tired for a few days, my symptoms were mild. My husband who is 78 also got it this last time and had a terrible cough for 3 weeks besides being tired. He was fully vaxed and boosted and it still hit him hard. I was out working in my garden the 5th day, not for long but it still felt good. I hope Tony continues to improve and how great you can stay home with him. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[kateandy08096]

Hi there! I'm loving your trip report but so sorry to read about your husband falling ill. I hope he has a fast recovery

 

[rdkeim]

Not such a great day at HS but you were in Disney! Agree that sometimes it's nice to just chill and enjoy your resort. Anxious to hear where you're moving to!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Movin' on up . . .
​

When we last left off, we had finished another so-so visit to Hollywood Studios. I'm seriously beginning to wonder of that park is even destined for us to have a good day at. Either it is an all-day torrential downpour or just no luck on rides. I'm not sure. Things to think about when planning our next trip. I had received the text that our room was ready and we cancelled our reservation to eat with Minnie Mouse and her friends and decided to head over and check out our new place for the next two nights. Where were we headed??



Caribbean Beach Resort

Now full disclosure - I was not picky about which moderate resort we stayed in. This was just a splurge and CBR had availability. It was pricy, but aren't most things you splurge on? So we hopped onto the Flying Tin of Death (I was getting more used to it but still didn't like the abrupt stops) and the cast member suggested that where our room was located we should get off at the Saratoga Springs stop, as it would be closer. Sure - whatever you suggest! So we did that and after getting off the skyliner, we stepped onto probably one of the prettiest resorts I've ever seen.



It was like a postcard. I honestly felt like I was in Barbados - which I have gone to - and that was where our room was located. I'm not sure if it was because we were looking at everything and was distracted, but finding our room was a comedy of errors and several wrong turns. But we did find it and we had a nice big corner room.



It was a handicapped accessible room with two queen beds and a roll in shower. And the scent in the room - I bought a candle with that smell the minute I got home.



There was so much room. We parked both ECV's with ease and had plenty of room to walk around. We called and had our luggage brought to the room and I got us organized for the next two nights. I had gotten us a reservation for Sebastian's Bistro for dinner, so we made our way over. This resort is HUGE!!! We followed the path and went over the bridge and passed the pool before we found the main building. There were a few brave souls in the pool but it was chilly and not swimming weather. I can see it being wall to wall people on a warm summer day.

We were a little early for dinner, so I checked us in and we just relaxed in the lobby until they called our name. I loved all the nods to "Little Mermaid". I took no pictures, so whatever I post next will be stolen from the internet.



This is an all you care to eat restaurant with beverages included, so I started things off with a huge Diet Coke and told the sweet waiter to keep them coming. So he brought me two at a time. I could have kissed him.



I was excited about this menu because it had enough variety of things I would eat (steak), what Tony would eat (pork) and what we would both eat (everything else). The rolls were delicious - piping hot and so flaky. We also added the fried coconut shrimp because, well why not? Everything was so yummy. Not too spicy and when we asked for more veggies and chicken, they brought it out with no problem. The only thing I took a hard pass on was dessert because pineapple is disgusting and should not even be allowed amongst people. Tony devoured it. Weirdo.

After dinner we refilled our mugs and headed back to the room. There was music playing and people strolling around. It was just so nice. If it had been warmer, it would have been even better.

Up next - our last park day!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Oh Ruthie what a hard few months you've had. I looked at your trip report last week and hoped everything was ok. I thought maybe you just decided not to finish it. I am glad you are. I have had covid twice. Once when we were in Florida before Christmas and again a month ago. Except for being extremely tired for a few days, my symptoms were mild. My husband who is 78 also got it this last time and had a terrible cough for 3 weeks besides being tired. He was fully vaxed and boosted and it still hit him hard. I was out working in my garden the 5th day, not for long but it still felt good. I hope Tony continues to improve and how great you can stay home with him. Looking forward to reading more.

It has been a rough time for sure. But each day is a little bit better. The COVID was rougher for me and I've been vaccinated but not boosted. When I finally went a full day without taking cough medicine it was an exciting day. But I am finishing up this trip report. There's still a whole full day of Magic Kingdom and boy did we have fun!

Hi there! I'm loving your trip report but so sorry to read about your husband falling ill. I hope he has a fast recovery

Thank for reading along. The recovery is slow, but we are making it.

Not such a great day at HS but you were in Disney! Agree that sometimes it's nice to just chill and enjoy your resort. Anxious to hear where you're moving to!

I just don't think HS likes me. Our movin' on up post is up and ready to read!

 

[rdkeim]

Glad to see a new update! Sorry your HS day was underwhelming. Maybe next trip you'll only plan a 1/2 day or skip it altogether? We've never stayed at CBR but it looks lovely. Glad you were happy with your room. The dinner menu items sound very good. I'm with Tony - I would go for any bread pudding even one with pineapple!

I hope the health situation for both of you is continuing to improve. You really had the double whammy. Covid is no joke. As far as I know either me or my DH has had it. Not sure how we've managed to avoid it. Prayers go out to you and Tony.