The Magic is Back - Share your Experience! Superthread

It was spicier than I was expecting it to be. I’m a spicy wuss! The sauce was good though. But it was definitely too spicy to share with my kids and at that point of the day we were very hungry because there was nothing else to have at the avengers campus.
Thank you very much! I gotta be wary of spice due to my stomach (I'm not really a wuss about it, but my stomach totally is), so I appreciate the info. Guess I will avoid it then.
 
Went to Disneyland and DCA yesterday, and all the posts here really helped me prepare, so I'm paying it forward...

ARRIVAL/PARKING
Chose to do Mickey & Friends instead of alternate parking and Harbor-side entrance. We arrived at 8:15. By the time we had parked, made it through screening, walked to the gate, and made it through the turnstyles, it was a little after 9:00. Temp screening adds no time, and bag check was standard wait, if not faster. But it did take 25–30 minutes to park (from exiting the 5 to exiting the vehicle). We are fast walkers, and I would estimate not too much of a difference from a day you have to wait for one round of trams (and faster than when you have to wait more than that). If I were to do it again, I would aim to arrive at 7:30/7:45.

ATTRACTIONS
Space Mountain
(posted wait was 40, actual wait was 25). While in line, we booked snacks and lunch—basically all time slots were open for all mobile-order venues. We also got into the Indy VQ (BG 17, which turned out to be too early).
ROTR. We had scored BG 26 thanks to tips from the ROTR thread here. Our group was called while we were waiting for Space Mountain. So we skipped Star Tours and headed for Galaxy's Edge. Line was about 15 minutes. Our Indy BG was called before we even got onto ROTR.
MFSR. Posted wait was 45, which worked perfectly for our Savi's res, so we decided to do that instead of go to Indy and come back. Wait time was fairly accurate for this one.
Savi's. We had an 11:45 reservation. I thought you had to check in at 11:30, but 11:45 was the check-in, and then we waited about 15 min (actually, exactly 18, because we were outside at noon—and scored Web Slingers BG 106!—and entered the building at 12:03).
Lunch (Ronto wraps).
Dok Ondar's to buy Kyber crystals.
Indy. Our BG was long-past, but we asked at the queue entrance, and they said we were ok! 25-ish minutes in queue.
Matterhorn Macaroons and Starbucks in Town Square (great place for a snack/rest!).
Package check at Stroller Rental (essential for anyone doing Savi's).
Over to DCA.
Mike & Sully. 30 min posted wait, was actually 20.
TSMM. 40 min posted, actually 25.
Avenger's Campus. There was an hours-long standby line the entire time we were in DCA. We walked in without a wait when our BG was called.
Web Slingers. Was a 30–40 min wait.
GOTG. 30 min posted, actually 20.
RSR. 60 min posted, actually 65 (the only attraction of the day with an underestimated wait).
Dinner at Lamplight Lounge.
Incredicoaster. 35 min posted, actually 10.
Haunted Mansion. 30 min posted, actually 10 (because we did the stairs).
Pirates. 35 min posted, actually 20 (but we got lucky in that our side of the line moved faster than the other. A lot of the "wait here" stickers were missing on the left-hand half of the queue—you could see the outlines where they had been—maybe that had something to do with it?)

FOOD
Ronto Roasters
. Not much to say, the Ronto Wrap is right up there with the Dole Whip for me as far as quick-service food items go. Made the mobile order while waiting in line for first attraction.
Jolly Holiday. We missed our mobile-order window to pick up Matterhorn Macaroons (by like 15 minutes), but we weren't charged, and when we got there, there were only two parties in front of us in the standby line.
Starbucks. No line at about 1:00 p.m. And they still had all the Star Wars Day mugs!
We ate the Matterhorn Macaroons and drank the coffee on the benches in Town Square by the flag—great place to stop and sit for a snack (and nice view of characters, who are in front of the train station)!
Lamplight Lounge. Lobster nachos (longtime fave) and sliders (so good!). Lucked into a 6:30 p.m. reservation when logging onto the app at 3:00 a.m. a couple days before.

THOUGHTS
DCA crowds seemed normal. I didn't notice a difference in DCA from a regular day (except in Buena Vista St shops, which were almost eerily empty).
Disneyland seemed EMPTY at the beginning of the day. When we turned into Tomorrowland from the Hub, the only people we saw were riding the Astro Orbiters. Seemed more populated as the day went on, but still light. Was wild to have tons of space around me walking down Main Street at the end of the day.
Seating is an issue, especially now that you have to find a designated eating spot just to hydrate. Docking Bay 7 outdoor seating was abundant, even at peak lunch rush. Benches in Town Square are a great place to eat or sit.
The ROTR thread here helped immensely in scoring BGs for both ROTR and Web Slingers, cannot recommend enough.
 
@Jacchus, what method did you use to get the WS BG? I feel confident with getting ROTR as we have done that several times pre-COVID and I have practiced it recently. Just trying to get the best option for WS. Thanks and it sounds like you had an amazing day!!
 
@Jacchus, what method did you use to get the WS BG? I feel confident with getting ROTR as we have done that several times pre-COVID and I have practiced it recently. Just trying to get the best option for WS. Thanks and it sounds like you had an amazing day!!
Our method was having one device run the time.gov clock, everyone else already clicked through on the join boarding group button and be on the screen with the rides on it. At 6:59:59 pull down to refresh. Then click join and join again on the who's selected page. We had 6 people working at once to get our RotR passes and missed out at 7 but got them at noon. We had 4 people doing WS the next day and got it at 7. Close all other apps. We were all using verizon or AT&T I think.
 
We had 2 day PH and visited Mon/Tues of this week- myself and DD16. While everything was not perfect and we did miss some parts of "normal" overall we had a GREAT time and the magic was definitely back for us.

-For the most part we did not have issues with food or mobile ordering and found the availability of windows plentiful and the overall experience pretty smooth. One exception was Stage Door (which I know others have reported as being one of their best experiences). There I was put in a line that ended up being a mix of standby and mobile order. And the party ahead of me at this window looked like one group but ended up being 5 young adults all placing their own standby orders so it took FOREVER. Once I made it to the window it was fairly quick, at least. I do think the overall system is a little strange (order ahead, then wait once you say "I'm here", then wait again to pick up and in nearly all cases its obvious they aren't actually preparing anything for you until you're standing there. Also shame on previously allergy friendly Disney for making it so hard to order allergy friendly items now.

-We did have one food related hiccup last night. We had a late (7:55pm) CO reservation but were caught on Star Tours. We rushed over and checked in online as we ran across the park (as soon as I was close enough which was by 8:05). It told us to wait for notification our table was ready. We sat on a bench by POTC exit and waited.. finally around 8:20 I decided something didn't seem right as closing was fast approaching and we could see empty tables. Went around to the CO entrance only to see it all closed up. We were able to ask a server by the patio and she told me they closed the kitchen already, probably right around the time we checked in. That's certainly understandable- we were late. But WHY did it let me check in and then just leave me hanging with no notice that we could not be accommodated?

-Lines and waits were what I expected based on info here and elsewhere. I definitely would NOT advise "chasing" what appear to be short wait times in the app as things change rapidly and the estimations rarely seemed accurate (in either direction) for us.

-The BG drama is legit stressful. We had no luck the first day at 7am and got a backup for WS that didn't get called at the noon drop. It definitely put a damper on our Monday as DD16 really loves Marvel and actually resulted in us deciding to brave the standby line for AC late afternoon. We got in after about 90min and had no regrets about having waited as we really enjoyed the area and were thrilled to be able to see it at night as well. We had no issues getting mobile orders in a Pyms (though standby lines were short) and minimal line at the main Shawarma cart as well. The Force was with us yesterday though and we got ROTR (my first time, though not DD's, and I LOVED it) at 7am and WS at noon (literally as we were boarding Peter Pan).

-I actually really "felt the magic" in AC with so many characters and shows out and about. A lot like how SWGE was at opening. We saw some Stormtroopers up on the wall at SWGE but no one else on this visit. We are not big character photo op people but still like seeing them out and about and thought many of the distanced character meet and greets we saw were adorable.

-I know WS is getting mixed reviews as nothing more than TSMM plus but we loved it and can't wait to go on it again. Without spoiling too much I thought the story was cute and they way they have sections of the ride that reflect the Campus was awesome.

All in all, I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back later this summer with all 3 of my girls. It was SO GOOD to be back.
 
Back at our hotel from day one. Super tired but I think it was a great day. Here are some of my thoughts:

We got a ROTR boarding group at 7am from our hotel. BG 56 and we were called at 11:20. Everything seemed to be working, and it was amazing! We tried for web slingers at 12, but it said it was full.

We got in the Harbor security line at 7:15. Security opened at 8 and we were in DL by 8:15. The line looks intimidating but it moved fast.

Space Mountain was our first ride. The line was open before park open, but maybe the ride wasn’t quite ready yet because we stood there without moving for quite awhile. Even so, we were also able to ride Star Tours before official park opening.

I got my birthday button at the Space Mountain gift shop (Star Traders?). We also bought iPhone 12 cases there, in case anyone is looking for some. Didn’t go into many stores, so they could be everywhere.

The only water bottle filling stations I saw were: 2 in galaxy’s edge, one near Autopia, and one in Frontierland. Anyone know of any additional ones?

Social distancing in lines is hard, but I think everyone tries their best. Mask compliance is so-so. I saw a lot under noses and chins, but it was always outside, so not super bothersome. Wearing a mask all day didn’t bother me too much, but it was hard to drink enough water.

I bought the white chocolate birthday cake at Lamplight Lounge. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but omg we loved it! There were 4 of us, and it was plenty big enough for 6.

I saw Matterhorn testing today. Not sure if it’s been ongoing, but it was good to see the testing. Also cast members were riding the canoes throughout the day.

We mobile ordered 3 times today, and found the process super easy. No wait and no issues for any of them.

In total, we rode: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Indy (through the virtual queue), ROTR, Smugglers Run, Roger Rabbit, Midway Mania, Peter Pan, and Alice.

I got to say hi to Donald on my way out at the railroad station, and remembered it’s his birthday today too!

We’re very tired, but had an amazing day. We start at DCA tomorrow so hopefully we’ll get a BG for web slingers and can see the campus!
 
Back at our hotel from day one. Super tired but I think it was a great day. Here are some of my thoughts:

We got a ROTR boarding group at 7am from our hotel. BG 56 and we were called at 11:20. Everything seemed to be working, and it was amazing! We tried for web slingers at 12, but it said it was full.

We got in the Harbor security line at 7:15. Security opened at 8 and we were in DL by 8:15. The line looks intimidating but it moved fast.

Space Mountain was our first ride. The line was open before park open, but maybe the ride wasn’t quite ready yet because we stood there without moving for quite awhile. Even so, we were also able to ride Star Tours before official park opening.

I got my birthday button at the Space Mountain gift shop (Star Traders?). We also bought iPhone 12 cases there, in case anyone is looking for some. Didn’t go into many stores, so they could be everywhere.

The only water bottle filling stations I saw were: 2 in galaxy’s edge, one near Autopia, and one in Frontierland. Anyone know of any additional ones?

Social distancing in lines is hard, but I think everyone tries their best. Mask compliance is so-so. I saw a lot under noses and chins, but it was always outside, so not super bothersome. Wearing a mask all day didn’t bother me too much, but it was hard to drink enough water.

I bought the white chocolate birthday cake at Lamplight Lounge. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but omg we loved it! There were 4 of us, and it was plenty big enough for 6.

I saw Matterhorn testing today. Not sure if it’s been ongoing, but it was good to see the testing. Also cast members were riding the canoes throughout the day.

We mobile ordered 3 times today, and found the process super easy. No wait and no issues for any of them.

In total, we rode: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Indy (through the virtual queue), ROTR, Smugglers Run, Roger Rabbit, Midway Mania, Peter Pan, and Alice.

I got to say hi to Donald on my way out at the railroad station, and remembered it’s his birthday today too!

We’re very tired, but had an amazing day. We start at DCA tomorrow so hopefully we’ll get a BG for web slingers and can see the campus!

We saw the Matterhorn being tested last week as well. It was funny because I told my daughter that I saw a matterhorn car while we were in line for another ride as a joke to make her think it was running. She started watching it and I thought I had her fooled and then all of a sudden a car actually went down the tracks so it blew my whole joke. I was just about to tell her "made you look", lol.

You were far more observant of the water bottle fill stations than I. I could only find two in GE and that was it so we always made sure to fill up when we were in that area.
 
Back at our hotel from day one. Super tired but I think it was a great day. Here are some of my thoughts:

We got a ROTR boarding group at 7am from our hotel. BG 56 and we were called at 11:20. Everything seemed to be working, and it was amazing! We tried for web slingers at 12, but it said it was full.

We got in the Harbor security line at 7:15. Security opened at 8 and we were in DL by 8:15. The line looks intimidating but it moved fast.

Space Mountain was our first ride. The line was open before park open, but maybe the ride wasn’t quite ready yet because we stood there without moving for quite awhile. Even so, we were also able to ride Star Tours before official park opening.

I got my birthday button at the Space Mountain gift shop (Star Traders?). We also bought iPhone 12 cases there, in case anyone is looking for some. Didn’t go into many stores, so they could be everywhere.

The only water bottle filling stations I saw were: 2 in galaxy’s edge, one near Autopia, and one in Frontierland. Anyone know of any additional ones?

Social distancing in lines is hard, but I think everyone tries their best. Mask compliance is so-so. I saw a lot under noses and chins, but it was always outside, so not super bothersome. Wearing a mask all day didn’t bother me too much, but it was hard to drink enough water.

I bought the white chocolate birthday cake at Lamplight Lounge. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but omg we loved it! There were 4 of us, and it was plenty big enough for 6.

I saw Matterhorn testing today. Not sure if it’s been ongoing, but it was good to see the testing. Also cast members were riding the canoes throughout the day.

We mobile ordered 3 times today, and found the process super easy. No wait and no issues for any of them.

In total, we rode: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Indy (through the virtual queue), ROTR, Smugglers Run, Roger Rabbit, Midway Mania, Peter Pan, and Alice.

I got to say hi to Donald on my way out at the railroad station, and remembered it’s his birthday today too!

We’re very tired, but had an amazing day. We start at DCA tomorrow so hopefully we’ll get a BG for web slingers and can see the campus!
Where is the water refill station in Frontierland?
Were there any in DCA that you found?
 
Where is the water refill station in Frontierland?
Were there any in DCA that you found?
I read that there was a water refill station in AC but we did not see it and when we asked a CM about a place to refill our water bottle in DCA we were told they did not have a place and that we could ask for water from the resteraunts
 
@Jacchus, what method did you use to get the WS BG? I feel confident with getting ROTR as we have done that several times pre-COVID and I have practiced it recently. Just trying to get the best option for WS. Thanks and it sounds like you had an amazing day!!
Day was truly amazing, yes!

Short answer for WS BG method:
two phones doing the 11:59:59 first click method (not the pull-down method)

Detailed method for WS BG:
We were on an Android (T-Mobile, I think) and an iPhone (AT&T) seated outside Savi's workshop (location and guest density may make a difference, service-wise?).
We closed all other apps.
We logged into the Disney app at 12:58 and scrolled down to Virtual Queue section.
I kept time based on the second hand on the iPhone clock/alarm/timer app (which is VERY close to the atomic clock), announcing every 15 seconds.
Starting at 11:59:45, I counted down to 11:59:59 (had to go based on rhythm for last three-ish seconds, when I was switching over to Disney app).
I said, "Go," as close to 11:59:59 as I could, and we hit the blue "Join Boarding Group" button in the Virtual Queue section of the Disney app's home screen.
We both got the button under the DCA tab to join a Web Slingers Boarding Group.
We both hit that button (party was automatically selected on the next screen).
We both hit the button on the party screen, but my friend's went through while mine stalled out (possibly because we already had a group at that point from his phone?).
We got BG 106, which opened up at some point between 3:00 and 4:00.

I hope this is helpful, and I wish you all the best in scoring a Web Slingers BG!
 
I bought the white chocolate birthday cake at Lamplight Lounge. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but omg we loved it! There were 4 of us, and it was plenty big enough for 6.

I'm so happy to hear that because I have ordered the white chocolate cake from LL to have in 2 weeks. We'll be a party of 5. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
 
Where is the water refill station in Frontierland?
Were there any in DCA that you found?

I believe it was around the entrance to Frontierland from Main St. My husband had checked, and it didn’t seem like there was a water location marked on the map. I’ll try to check again today.

We didn’t spend too much time in DCA yesterday, but I’ll be checking today & will report back.
 
There is one of the newer bottle refill stations across from the entrance to the Pioneer Mercantile gift shop on the pathway between Frontierland and Adventureland.
Ohhhh, good to know! We did not see that when we were there, but I’m glad to have that info. Thanks!
 
Second day comments:

We got to Harbor security at 7:15 again, same as yesterday, but we were quite a bit farther ahead today. Security opened at 8:05 and we were in DCA by around 8:20. The line looks so intimidating, but everything moves super fast. It’s very impressive.

Did not get a web slingers BG at 7am. We tried different methods (refresh, toggle, etc) but our Wi-Fi and cell service is pretty slow at our hotel. I got BG 102 at 12pm from Smokejumpers Grill by refreshing. We got called around 3:20.

Speaking of Smokejumpers, the seating there is terrible. We had to stalk someone for their table, and multiple people were waiting for our table. Just a warning.

Avengers Campus was great! Loved Web Slingers more than I thought I would. Somehow we got the high score of the hour, even though we had no clue what we were doing lol. We were able to order drinks from Pym Tasting Lab after we got into the land.

We mobile ordered 3 times today, and again no issue. Everything was super easy and smooth.

Confirmed the water bottle fill station in Frontierland is outside of Pioneer Mercantile. We looked everywhere in DCA, but the only one we found was inside Avengers Campus.

I thought Mickey’s PhilharMagic was closed, but I saw cast members at the entrance today handing out 3D glasses and people going inside. Any idea what’s going on? I meant to go back and check, but didn’t get around to it.
 

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