Finally Made It Back!!! - a college student's first trip to WDW in years (Feb-March 2020)

After the riverboat, it was time to do another attraction I have not yet done: Country Bear Jamboree! I felt like I needed to see it, because as a massive Disney parks fan, this is such a legendary attraction that I have missed out on. We walked in just as a show was about to start, so we didn't have to wait at all.

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My verdict: I liked it a lot, but it's not my favorite of the classic Disney attractions. We sat near the back and found it hard to hear at times, but the parts we did here were kind of funny. I appreciated the kitsch of the show and would definitely want to see it again when I could sit closer to the front. As far as singing animal shows go, I much prefer the Tiki Room. The cast member running the show was great though! He told us he had a surprise under the seats for us for the 50th show of the day. Everyone looked and he said "feel free to take whatever trash is there!" He also unironically described the show as his favorite attraction at MK. This show surely has its devoted fans!

We ducked under the passageway between Frontierland and Adventureland to go see the Tiki Room! But first, we made a pit stop to get some Dole Whip (my favorite Disney snack!). The line was SO long, so I mobile ordered and waited in the shorter (but still long) mobile order line. Soon enough, I got my food and took the obligatory Adventureland photo:

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As you can see in the photo, Adventureland was utterly mobbed. The area around Aloha Isle, Tiki Room and the carpets ride was pretty much shoulder to shoulder. It got hard to move at points and was really overwhelming. It was by far the worst area of the park. It seems like it was narrow and tight, but I don't remember this area seeming so packed on past trips.

Luckily, the Tiki Room doors were open so we went in to avoid the crowds. We missed the preshow (which I find fun). But the Tiki Room was as wonderful and zany as ever, and is still one of my underrated favorites. I forgot how literally the whole room sings, not just the birds!

I saw that the PeopleMover opened back up, so we escaped to a comparatively serene Tomorrowland:

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There was about a 25-30 minute wait for the PeopleMover, which was easily the longest I've waited. At that point our longest wait of the day was for Small World, so we decided just to ride it since it's one of our family's favorites. My first few trips, it was a walk on. In 2014, I remember there was a short wait beyond the ramp, but not too much (this was MLK weekend). But this trip, there was a large but consistently moving line. I didn't mind it because it kept moving, but I was still shocked at how popular it's gotten. I'm curious if this is due to reduced ride capacity, increasing crowds, or increasing popularity of the ride. I have a feeling it's a combination of the latter two factors.

I just love how peaceful this ride is:

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Sometimes photos like this (with the trees, water and castle) remind me of what a magical and special place MK is. Like, how is this place real?

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I'm excited for Tron, but sad that it'll probably bring FP tiers to MK:

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We haven't done Laugh Floor in a while so we decided to see that. There was a 25 minute wait posted, but we only waited about ten in the area before you enter the theater. I must say, I have never seen this show so popular, the waiting area was PACKED. It was actually a lot funnier than I remember it being, but I felt like it wrapped up quickly? The last act was a little underwhelming so when it ended I was like "oh, that's it?" But I thought overall it was really enjoyable. Monsters, Inc is my favorite Disney Pixar movie, so it would have to be pretty terrible for me not to enjoy it. I would love to do it again one day!
 
At this point we were getting a little hungry--we had an early lunch, after all. I heard good things about Columbia Harbour House so we decided to go there for dinner.

But first, another castle pic:
(any Big Brother fans here? whenever I say "but first" all I can think of is Julie Chen)

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Again, we mobile ordered. I looooove the mobile ordering. It takes a lot of frustration out of quick service dining.

I ordered the grilled shrimp entree (and subbed the hushpuppies for fries). Sorry it's out of focus :( :

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The shrimp were really tasty and a lot better than I would expect from a counter service spot! The chicken pot pie was also yummy, and my mom really enjoyed her lobster roll. Everything people say about the upstairs seating area is true. So quiet and peaceful. We got a table next to a window overlooking Liberty Square and it was just a lovely place to eat. I also loved how the cast members say "welcome aboard" when you enter the restaurant :)

I managed to snag a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP a few days after our window opened (they were initially unavailable). It was at 6:10, so we went over there after dinner. I was really excited to ride 7DMT. It was under construction last time I visited.

I think it's such a great addition to Fantasyland! Yes, it's short. But it's also a lot faster than it looks and packs a good punch for a coaster of its size. The rocking was a lot more noticeable than it looks in videos and it was just such a fun ride. We rode it right at golden hour too, so that offered such a nice warm glow to our ride. I still like Big Thunder more, but I can't wait to ride this again.

By the time we got off Seven Dwarfs it was about 6:30. Happily Ever After was at 8pm, so we still had some time to blow before the fireworks. I wanted to do some shopping, so we went to Main Street.

I first bought a cute t-shirt (the one I'm wearing in the first photo of this report in Pandora). Then I saw a Cinderella Castle blanket I spotted at World of Disney back in October when my boyfriend and I did a day trip to Disney Springs. At the time I wasn't sure if I 100% wanted it, but seeing it again at Magic Kingdom felt like a sign that is was meant to be mine...oh the things I say to justify spending $70 on a blanket. It's now sitting nicely on my bed in my dorm room (I can take a picture if y'all are interested).

We got done shopping a little before 7p, so we still had time before fireworks. I took this opportunity to just explore Main Street and soak up the atmosphere. I always find myself rushing down Main Street at rope drop or dragging myself down it tired at the end of the day, so it was really nice just to enjoy it. The vibe at night is just so cute with all the lights. I really loved this side alley, I can imagine it would be nice to enjoy some ice cream in peace. Next time!

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Loving your report and great pictures! If someone asks my son about his favorite WDW ride, he always answers PeopleMover! He doesn’t like thrill rides and though he likes many of the disney rides, I think PM gives him the nice views and time away from crowds that he needs once in a while.
 
By the time we strolled around Main Street, we decided just to start looking for a spot to watch Happily Ever After. Seeing the fireworks was something that was really important to me on this trip, so we wanted a good view. People recommended the grass in front of Casey's, but both grass pads were reserved for viewing parties. Then we tried behind the fenced fountain areas that people have recommended, but those were reserved for wheelchairs and the like. I'm thinking they changed their procedures for fireworks viewing? After a bit of milling around and trying different views, we decided on this spot:

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This was actually a perfect spot. It was on a slight hill, so none of my family (from 5 feet to 6 feet) had issues viewing. We were far enough back that the fireworks were all easily visible--I read that if you were past the Partners statue, the castle would obscure some of the fireworks. It was nice to have the railing behind us so that we couldn't be pushed back. The railing was also nice to lean on while we waited for the show to start. What was also nice is that a woman on an ECV scooter parked at the corner of the flowerbed, so she served as a wall of sorts for those who would squish us or block our view.

At 7:05, the crowds were already starting to find spots:

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By 7:55, it really filled up. For us, it wasn't as bad as it looked--the ECV woman made it impossible for people coming from behind or to the left of us to get in front of us.

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Now, a disclaimer. I barely took photos of the show because it was my first time that I saw Happily Ever After, so I wanted to really live in the moment and enjoy it. I managed to grab a few photos in a less emotional part of the show, but they're not good. So if you're looking for beautiful fireworks photos, they're not here. Sorry, but I was trying to savor the moment!

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This blurry picture is actually quite accurate if you had tears in your eyes during much of the show like myself:

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Now, what did I think of the show?

I ABSOLUTELY. LOVED. IT. Every single moment. It was by far the most magical 18 minutes I have ever experienced and by far one of the highlights of my day at Magic Kingdom. The opening notes of the song with the spotlights gave me chills right off the bat. At that moment I knew I would cry during the show. I particularly loved the finale and "Go the Distance" which gives me chills just thinking about it. When I think of this family trip in March, I am positive the first memory I will remember will be watching this stunning show after a perfect day at my favorite theme park with my family. It embodies everything I love about Disney and the message is so wonderful--if you make a wish and work hard for it, and it will come true. After not visiting in Magic Kingdom for years and really hoping and wishing for it to happen, it felt quite poetic. For those 18 minutes, all was right with the world. I could write so much about this show, but it is one of the absolute "must do" (thanks Stacy) things at Walt Disney World. I don't think I will ever be able to go to Magic Kingdom and pass up seeing Happily Ever After. Kinda tearing up thinking about it. I want to see it again as soon as I can--I think I'm going to make my boyfriend go on a little day trip soon to get dinner at a MK resort then watch them from the TTC. This show was just literal magic.

Now, these crowds normally would have dampened my mood...but my mom and I were not done with our day at the Kingdom :)

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Earlier in the day after using our Seven Dwarfs FP, I found a 7:50-8:50 FastPass for Jungle Cruise. I like Jungle Cruise enough, but had never done night Jungle Cruise and figured it would be a good way to knock it out before the trip was over. Boy, am I glad we rode it! We had the most amazing skipper (we love you Skipper Molly!). She was so funny and did a very different take than our past skippers have. She was kind of like that messy friend who is just so fun to be around that you don't want to correct her chaotic ways. The nighttime was the best time to do this attraction as well. Entering the mist felt so mysterious in the darkness and the ride had a slightly more foreboding vibe to it. It also looked less fake due to the darkness and you felt so deep in the jungle. I will only ride Jungle Cruise at night now--it was that good. If you guys haven't done it before, I would highly recommend. We didn't really need the Fastpass as there was basically no one in the standby line, but we probably wouldn't have gotten Skipper Molly so I am very glad we got the Fastpass!

Sadly, the darkness and movement of the boat did not make for good photos:

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We were off the Jungle Cruise by 8:40 and made our way over to Big Thunder Mountain for one of its infamous night rides. At this point the park was a blissful ghost town which was amazing. We were seated in the last car of the train, which made for such an intense and wild ride. On some of those turning drops my mom even slid into me (the lap bar didn't come very close to her since I'm taller). The darkness and intensity of the back made the ride feel so out of control in the most gleeful way. As I mentioned earlier, this is my mom's favorite roller coaster so it was such a blast to have so much fun with her one a ride--she's usually on the sidelines. And for the icing on the cake, some small fireworks from the Once Upon a Time castle show were shot off while we rounded the big turn in the front of the ride after the third lift hill. What a magical ride--I got to experience night ride AND a fireworks on Big Thunder!

What was perhaps less magical was getting back to the resort. By the time we got off Big Thunder at 8:55 the Once Upon a Time show was ending--I got another terrible fireworks picture for y'all:

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So of course that meant that everyone who lingered (like us) left at once. We were thinking of staying for the Kiss Goodnight but we were just too tired.

One last castle picture for the day:

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I didn't realize how blurry this picture was until after I took it but here's the mass exodus of people--I can only imagine how bad it was right after Happily Ever After:

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Soon enough we made our way to the bus stop which was thankfully one of the closest ones to the gate. However our excitement was stifled when we saw the massive line that was waiting for us. I think it was the longest bus line--even worse than the values! One of those connected buses (the long one) came and picked up lots of people, but it sadly filled up pretty quickly. And we weren't even sharing with French Quarter! It was a long wait for another bus after that one left, especially for closing time. I think we waited about 20 minutes before another normal bus came. There was an audible cheer in the crowd when we saw there was a bus to Riverside. Somehow my mom and I managed to grab a seat on the bus, so enjoyed the bus ride back to Port Orleans in a comatose but happy state. We were back in the room by 10pm, which wasn't terrible. But we had to wake up early for Animal Kingdom Extra Magic Hours the next day--stay tuned!!!

Overall, I had such a wonderful day at Magic Kingdom. We experienced 16 attractions, 18 if you count fireworks and our second ride on Big Thunder. And to think the longest we waited was 35 minutes for Small World! The park was undeniably busy but I just think we had a great strategy. It never felt rushed and we had a bunch of flexibility in our day. Rides like the Liberty Belle Riverboat and the Carousel of Progress gave our day some chill moments. But we got to ride almost all of the major attractions. Next time, I might focus a little more on just my favorite ones (I can probably skip Peter Pan and Little Mermaid next time). But I think we found a good strategy for Magic Kingdom: FP in the afternoon, then rope drop what you don't have FP for and do the chill rides in the afternoon and early evening. Then sneak some more rides in right before close.

I slept VERY well and happily (ever after?) that night.

Up next: our first time at Animal Kingdom in 10 years, including Flight of Passage, a weird morning, and illness (and much better pictures)!
 


DAY 3: MARCH 2, 2020

We had a VERY early start this morning. 5am, to be precise. Maybe that was overkill, but EMH at Animal Kingdom were starting at 8am and we wanted to be at the bus stop 6:45ish so that we had a good spot for rope drop. We only waited about five minutes for a bus and were thankfully able to get a seat. We used the north depot which is the second stop on the route. You should be fine getting on the bus, if not a seat at this stop, but I would be more concerned if I used to 3rd stop (east depot) or the lobby stop. I believe the lobby stop gets dedicated MK buses in the morning, but it was always standing room only by the time we got there (and after our morning bus snafu on our MK morning we completely skipped the east and lobby stations).

We got to the park at 7:17 and were faced with a moderate crowd:

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Just ten minutes later, the crowd is no longer moderate, going well past the ticket booths. We were initially further back until they opened a new line where we were able to hop in and move up a bit:

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Just a little bit before 7:30 they started letting people into the park. You must take the left path through the Oasis. I don't think it's important to use the left tapstiles though, just find the shortest/fastest line. Here they check if you are a resort guest. Quite a few people actually weren't--I guess they were being proactive at getting to the park early and thought the park was opening very early! I feel bad for them getting behind all the resort guests for Flight of Passage when they thought they were at the park early...

At 7:33, we crossed to the bridge to Discovery Island and I got my first glimpse of the Tree of Life in ten years:

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We veered left to go to Pandora and they were stopping guests on the bridge. But as soon as we stopped walking, that rope dropped and we were walking into Pandora at 7:35:

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Wow.

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As expected, everyone was heading to Flight of Passage. The cast members formed a line of sorts and we didn't have to go too deep into Pandora before there was a definitive line for the attraction.

Luckily, we didn't have to loop too far. In this photo, we are walking towards Flight of Passage. The people on the left are looping past us towards Africa:

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Does anyone else think that protruding rock in the center kind of looks like when Rafiki holds Simba in the opening of the Lion King?

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I love the light here:

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We finally got in the actual line (as in passed under the attraction sign) at 7:45a. As expected the posted wait was 60 minutes:

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This photo is one of my favorites from the trip. Completely unedited, just gorgeous Pandora and morning lighting:

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We were in the interior part of the queue around 7:50. It really is a long queue, I would feel so helpless waiting in that queue for hours. We pretty much bypassed the laboratory room and we were in line for the link chambers at 7:53.

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And we were off the ride at 8:13.

Now for my thoughts: it was such a breathtaking attraction! Definitely in my top ten at WDW. The preshow really helps build the suspense and jogs your memory about the movie. I hadn't seen it since it came out, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything. The whole process feels so immersive, the queue is so detailed and it's so much more deeply themed than any other attraction I've done up to this point (Rise of the Resistance, see you in May). I wasn't a huuuuge fan of the 3D glasses, but I honestly didn't notice them too much once the ride got going. It felt SO realistic--the mist particularly added to the realism. It didn't feel like you were being squirted with water, it felt like you were flying through clouds of mist. I wouldn't say I felt "there" 100% of the time because I could see other riders next to me, but most parts felt so real. When we flew through the barrel of the wave I was afraid we were going to get drenched! Overall it was just such a exhilarating journey and I was speechless when it ended. CANNOT wait to do it again--even if I get a FP for it I will still rope drop it as well.

My brother's link chair restraints would not let him out automatically--a cast member had to come over and push a button to let him out:

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After we got off the ride we did some shopping in Windtraders. Normally I would say just to come back later, but considering we rode the park's most popular attraction 45 minutes before the park officially opened to everyone, we had some time to spare. My sister ended up buying two really cute stuffed banshees.

We tried to see if we could knock out Na'vi River Journey after Flight of Passage. We had a Fastpass but were hoping to change it to something else. However, it was closed so we decided to move on to Dinosaur...which was also closed (the cast members said it would be a while). It was a little frustrating to have only three rides open for EMH.

I checked the MDE app and Everest had a 25 minute wait. We had a Fastpass but it was an hour away, so we just decided to ride it and maybe ride it again with our Fastpass.

Looming in the distance:

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The above photo was taken at 8:48a. The posted wait was still 25 minutes, but we were next to board at 9a, so we only waited ten minutes.

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I was ten years old the last time I was at Animal Kingdom, and was too afraid to ride Expedition Everest at the time (I wasn't a roller coaster person until I was 11 or 12). I was really happy to ride Everest this trip and was not disappointed. It was a lot more thrilling and forceful than it looked, especially that backwards portion! In videos it just looks like a short spiral but it feels so long when you can't see where you're going. The Yeti was also pretty terrifying, even in its paralyzed state. My siblings enjoyed the ride a lot--my dad sat out due to recent (~2 weeks) gall bladder surgery. My mom, however, found the ride to be a bit too much and didn't enjoy it a bunch. I told her it's like a more intense Big Thunder and while I believe that's true, she just found it to be a little too intense.
 
Just got caught up - totally agree with you on Happily Ever After - my eyes were definitely not dry. Also love Flight of Passage - such a fantastic ride!
 
Just found your TR . Following along and looking forward to reading more about your adventures. Great start. POR is one of my favorite resorts but the bus situation is a con in my opinion .
 


Just got caught up - totally agree with you on Happily Ever After - my eyes were definitely not dry. Also love Flight of Passage - such a fantastic ride!

FOP blew me away, by far the most breathtaking ride I've ever been on!

Just found your TR . Following along and looking forward to reading more about your adventures. Great start. POR is one of my favorite resorts but the bus situation is a con in my opinion .

POR was lovely but I could definitely see how on longer trips the buses would be a bit problematic. We only had to deal with it for two days, but a week of the uncertainty and multiple stops could definitely be annoying. My next trips are at Caribbean Beach (for an EP and DHS only trip) and Pop Century (which has Skyliner + allegedly good bus service) so here's hoping to smooth transport!
 
Sorry I'm a bit behind on posting! School was super chaotic this week--classes were moved online and we were urged to go back home. I'm back in St. Pete now, so once I get some work done, I'll add more fun posts tonight :) stay healthy and safe everyone!!!
 
The Port Orleans French Quarter food court offers a selection of New Orleans inspired dishes like jambalaya and gumbo. But on this somewhat chilly day, nothing sounded more comforting than these shrimp and grits:

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This dish was SO delicious. It honestly was table service quality. The cooks in the food court cooked the shrimp, veggies and sauce fresh, so it tasted so great and was really filling. The grits were super creamy and it was definitely one of the best meals I've had in WDW (including table service)! Makes me wonder how similar the more expensive shrimp and grits at Boatwrights are...

No visit to French Quarter is complete without the beignets and they were as delicious as ever. The last time I had them they were not Mickey shaped, so that was fun! Just look at those peaks of powdered sugar!

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After dinner we meandered back to Riverside. It wasn't late at all at this point, maybe around 7pm. But we were all exhausted from waking up early and all the walking we did at Disney Springs and around the resort. So we decided to call it a night and just relaxed in the room before showers. Can I take this moment to say how much more I like the pumps of shampoo and stuff compared to the little bottles?? You can use as much as you like and it's much more practical for a family. Not to mention that the supplied products are actually quite nice!

Of course, before bed I had to watch Stacy (aka Must Do Disney) in full at least once. Such a quintessential aspect of a Disney vacation. I really wish I could be as peppy as she is!

I'd also like to point out that the Murphy fold out bed can definitely fit smaller adults in addition to children. My dad, who is about 5'6 or 7, slept relatively comfortably (he volunteered to sleep on his own due to a recent surgery). I tried the bed out too and while its a bit too small for me (I'm about six feet tall), I could have made do if need be and I've definitely slept on worse. The moral of the story is if you have a smaller adult in your party, the Murphy bed is bigger than it appears and they will likely be comfortable!

I drifted off to sleep around 9pm (which is SO early for me). But I was slumped, and the prospect of rope dropping Magic Kingdom was a nice thing to think about as I drifted off to sleep.

Up next: walking Main Street for the first time in six years, dealing with crowds, Be Our Guest, and more!
There is people peeing in those pumps!!!
 
Here's where my plans (slightly) went out the window and when I realized something was off. Our FP for Everest was coming up in about 30 minutes, but no one was really feeling riding it again, so I just cancelled that FP so I could switch it to something else. We still wanted to ride Dinosaur, but it was still closed. My mom, sister and I looked at some cute monkeys in Asia while trying to decide what to do. My dad and I also shared a Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce which may be one of my new favorite Disney snacks??

At the same time, my brother was starting to have bad stomach issues and spent a while in the bathroom. We noticed he was having odd eating habits on the trip, but never really thought anything of it until today when his GI symptoms started exacerbating. We think he picked something up from school, as he was having some mild issues even on the first day.

We decided that we wanted to see the 10:30 performance of the Up Bird Adventure show, but we still had over an hour before then. My dad said he would wait for my brother to feel better, so the rest of us decided that we wanted to do the Maharaja Jungle Trek. However, it didn't open until 10a, which was pretty disappointing. With Na'vi River Journey and Dinosaur also closed, the only things open were Flight of Passage, Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and It's Tough to be a Bug.

So we decided to come back to Maharaja later and to see It's Tough to be a Bug to blow some time before the bird show. We saw it on our first trip to Animal Kingdom and weren't crazy about it, but I was open to seeing it again.

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I keep meaning to do the Discovery Island trails. I really love all the detail in the Tree of Life but never appreciate it...

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The theatre geek in me loved the posters inside the waiting area, but especially this one. "One Singular Infestation"? Too much, too much...

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The show was reasonably entertaining. SO many screaming children, and some had to be taken out crying in the first two minutes...bless their hearts. The Hopper Audio-Animatronic was actually quite terrifying and impressive--I don't remember it being that cool! I don't feel the need to see it anytime soon, but it was a fine way to blow some time. We waited about 15 minutes for this which seemed long, but we were out a little after ten.

We got to the Up theater around 10:10 and they just started letting the standby line in. I love the marquee:

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We got seats in the raised bleacher section. There were seats near the back of the front section, but I figured our view would be better from the bleachers.

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Opinions seem mixed on this show, but I found it to be pretty enjoyable and fun. I don't think Russel and Dug really took away from the show; I can see how they give it more appeal to kids and an IP tie in that Disney loves. I like Up a lot so I wasn't complaining. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the Wilderness Explorer leader guy. To me, his character was kind of annoying and his interactions with the host of the show felt forced and cringey. I didn't get to see Flights of Wonder, but I think I would enjoy that a little more because I loved the more informative moments of the show. I know I might be in the minority on that opinion, but I am a biology major and tend to gravitate towards the ecological side of that field, so I loved this! If you can get to the show early I would definitely recommend sitting in the lower area of seating close to the stage. We had a pretty good view from the bleachers, but birds flew right over you in the lower area, which we did not experience.

My brother had to leave halfway through the show due to his stomach, so we met up with him outside the theater before we mobile ordered lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue. Last time we were in Animal Kingdom we passed up Flame Tree for Pizzafari because my family wanted pizza (I tried telling them it wasn't good to no avail), so I was looking forward to having some decent quick service in Animal Kingdom. We were considering Satu'li Canteen, but Pandora was starting to get REALLY busy so we just decided to eat at Flame Tree.

Kevin spotted! Interestingly, he was not in the show:

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I ordered the pulled pork mac n' cheese:

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I would 100% recommend Flame Tree Barbecue! My entree wasn't beautiful but was quite good. Never thought I would like Cole slaw on pasta but it somehow worked. The other barbecue items my family ordered were pretty tasty. The sampler entree is definitely shareable, my sister and mom did. We found the portions to be a bit smaller but the quality better than the barbecue place at Busch Gardens (where we have annual passes). I think I prefer Flame Tree a bit more. There's lots of seating across a few terraces.

Watch out for some hungry unexpected lunch guests!

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Spotted some lemurs on Discovery Island while looking for a bathroom:

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At this point it was almost time for our Na'vi River Journey FP, so we started heading over to Pandora.

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Took some photos for Instagram on a little bridge:

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After photos and milling around for a bit, we got in the FP line right at noon and were boarding at 12:07. The posted wait was 105 minutes...

My brother started having really severe stomach pain and issues, so my dad volunteered to go back to the resort with him after the ride. I felt bad for him, he was actually looking forward to the Animal Kingdom day and was excited to explore Pandora.

The ride was nice, not amazing. I would ride it again with minimal wait. I'm a sucker for a Disney boat ride, but I don't enjoy this a whole lot more than Gran Fiesta Tour (which is one of my lower ranking ones). I felt that there was no grand feeling so scale or size, it all felt very small and tight. One thing in particular that ruined the immersion for me as well was when you exited the final scene of the ride, you rounded a corner and were already back at the boarding area. It felt artificial if you know what I'm saying? Other boat rides have more bland endings (think the tunnel in Gran Fiesta Tour or goodbye room in Small World) that lead you into returning the platform. But going directly from the jungle to the platform felt abrupt and just further exacerbated the ride's lack of scale. On a more positive note, the shaman was just as impressive as everyone said. I tried distracting my brother and telling him about the amazing Audio-Animatronic but the stomach pain was too much and he was just not enjoying himself. The rest of my family enjoyed the ride enough but agreed we probably wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes.

Up next: the rest of our day at Animal Kingdom and a chill evening at Port Orleans!
 
We had a FastPass for Kilimanjaro Safaris at 2pm, so we still had some time before we were allowed to ride. I heard about all the yummy and unique Pandora snacks (love Disney Food Blog) so we decided to sample some of them.

I was really interested in the Night Blossom from Pongu Pongu, so I got that!

Sorry for the Instagram sticker, I was so concerned about posting this very Instagrammable drink to my story that I didn't even take a picture on my regular camera:

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LOVED this drink! It was surprisingly flavorful and tart! It did get a little too sweet as it went on but it was still so yummy. The popping boba on top were difficult to eat but it's more pretty than on the bottom, so who cares :earboy2:

My mom and sister saw a photo of Satu'li Canteen's blueberry cheesecake near the bus stop, so we mobile ordered that. Finding a seat in Satu'li Canteen was extremely difficult, but it was worth it for this tasty and unique dessert. The shiny and vibrant blue was interesting, but the flavor was quite delicate and tasty. As far as Disney desserts go, I preferred the Grey Stuff, but I'd eat this again!

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After enjoying our desserts we headed over to Africa:

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Last time we we were at Animal Kingdom, we didn't find the time to see the Festival of the Lion King show. We ended up changing our Everest FP to one for the show. We walked past the theater on the way to Kilimanjaro, and the line looked insane, so I thought we made the right choice.

When we got to the entrance to Kilimanjaro, the Fastpass line was all the way up to the entrance. I knew it was going to be a long FastPass line, but with the standby line being 100 minutes, I wasn't complaining. The wait ended up being about 25 minutes, which isn't long, but pretty long for a FP line. Someone in line said the line was slow due to animals blocking the vehicles, which is a pretty fun excuse. Nevertheless, the cast members tried prioritizing the FP line as much as they could, much to the chagrin of the guests in the standby line. There were eye rolls, sighs, and heads being shaken...

We were sat in the first row of the truck which was a nice surprise. Interestingly, the cast member was filling from back to front--we were expecting to go into the 4th row, but for some reason she told us to go to the front. Not sure if this is some procedure or if she felt like being nice--either way, we had an awesome view.

It was cooler today, so the animals were all very active. Here are some of the best pictures I took:

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Our guide said he named this animal Jason because "he's cool and looked like one"...found this amusing, my boyfriend's name is Jason :earsboy:

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Giraffes are my favorite animals <3

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The lions were resting...the male even flicked his tail like my cat does when he's resting!

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a Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce which may be one of my new favorite Disney snacks??
Easily one of my favorite snacks - I love the Simba one they have at AK!
"One Singular Infestation"? Too much, too much...
😂 This sent me!
I would 100% recommend Flame Tree Barbecue!
I really wanted to try this - but we just didn't have time this trip. Definitely on my list for next time!
On a more positive note, the shaman was just as impressive as everyone said.
I was so impressed with the Shaman!
LOVED this drink!
We really liked this drink too - not usually the biggest fan of boba - but I loved it in this drink ::yes::
My brother started having really severe stomach pain and issues,
I hope your brother started to feel better!!
 
Kilimanjaro was definitely one of the highlights of our day at Animal Kingdom, right under Flight of Passage. The ride time was great and I loved the animals.

After Kilimanjaro, we had some time before we could use our FastPass for Festival of the Lion King. We decided to take a leisurely walk on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Sadly, no gorillas were to be found today. But the aviary was pretty cool and there were a lot of other cool animals to be seen. I didn't take any photos, but it was a nice way to slow down for a bit.

Our FP for Lion King was at 2:30. We arrived at 2:25 and we were allowed in to the queue. The doors didn't open until 2:45 and they were really packing us in tightly. The number of times they told the FP line to fill in all available space...however, it was nice knowing we were guaranteed to get a seat. We ended up sitting in the back of the Elephant section:

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I heard a lot of hype for this show before the trip and I personally felt it did not live up to the hype. The large cast, costumes, and singing talent was awesome! Especially the woman singing "The Circle of Life" above. But the lack of a concrete plot and the open-ended feeling just kind of fell flat for me. I am a HUGE fan of musical theater (they're practically all I listen to and I'm doing a theater minor!) but I was just not very impressed by the show, I prefer the Nemo show more. Theme park shows are a little tricky plot development wise, but there used to be an AMAZING original musical at Busch Gardens called Katonga--look it up on Youtube if you get the chance. To me, Festival of the Lion King just felt like the songs were slapped together out of order with some "yay look it's Simba!" sprinkled in. I'm sorry if you guys are big fans of this show (many are) but I was just not wowed by the show.

After the show we were a little unsure what we were going to do. I kind of wanted to ride Everest and do the Maharaja trail, but my mom and sister were feeling a bit tired (I was too, but I had more energy in me). Dinosaur finally opened, but it was a 70 minute wait and we weren't up for that. Knowing I'd be back in WDW and DAK soon-ish I didn't have a problem heading back to the resort and having a chill evening. We got some tasty popcorn and cinnamon almonds (they always smell SO good!) on the way out of Africa and enjoyed them while overlooking the water that surrounds Discovery Island. We hesitated for a bit on Discovery Island when we saw that Dinosaur switched to a 40 minute wait, but we honestly didn't feel like walking all the way over there and kept our decision to call it...we had a VERY early start!

We were heading out of the park by 4p. One last pic of the Tree of Life! See ya soon:

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We got to the bus stop and saw a lot of people but realized it was the All-Stars line spilling out next to the Port Orleans one...this contributed to my decision to switch a future reservation from ASMu to Pop! There were still a lot of people in line for Port Orleans, but we were miraculously able to get on the first bus that came after about five minutes of waiting. We were the second to last party to board the bus so naturally we were standing.

After a quick stop at French Quarter we made it back to our resort soon enough. My brother had napped and was feeling a little better than before, but not great. We didn't feel like going too far for dinner so we just decided to eat at the Riverside Mill food court so my brother would have more time to rest.

Keeping with the theme of the afternoon my mom, sister and I decided to explore on our own after we washed up. We never really checked out the Magnolia Bend area of the resort, so we had a relaxing pre-dinner walk. It's just as lovely as the Alligator Bayou section, I wouldn't hesitate to stay in either section again.

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Eventually we head over to the main building where we meet up with my dad and brother. I ordered the cajun chicken sandwich and fries (I didn't get a good picture of it). It was average, tasty but a little dry. My mom tried the lasagna--they forgot to put the red sauce on it. I believe my brother ordered an Uncrustable--his stomach was still troubling him.

I don't remember too much from this meal but I really wasn't enjoying it. When I'm overtired I have a tendency to get anxious and sad and that's how I was feeling the whole meal. I was on the verge of tears for no reason. This typically happens to me a lot on the first day of a vacation where I have an early flight out--I remember once I was up at 4a for a trip to New Mexico. By dinner time at 7p their time I was just so anxious and feeling down. Had the same feeling for this meal--I just wasn't *there*. The exhausting MK day and the 5a wake up were probably contributing factors. I went to the bathroom just to try to calm down and feel better. At that point my brother found me and said he was looking for me because he threw up in the food court. He tried getting it in the trash can but the push to open design made it hard...I'm sorry to the cast members :( That only made my funk worse and I just needed some time to recoup.

I decided to drink some Coke (for caffeine) and sit outside in the little port area waiting for my mom to finish eating. We just chilled and talked outside near the water for a bit which was exactly the destress I needed. I was feeling mostly my normal self after a while, so we decided to head over to Ol' Man Island for the nightly campfire.

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The campfire was so wonderful and relaxing. The cast members were absolutely amazing and fun. I particularly had a great lengthy conversation with a cast member from California who was doing DCP (feel so sad knowing he along with all the other DCP CMs were sent home). That conversation and the fire just really recharged my mood and I was back to feeling content again. Really glad we went--the CM (I believe his name was Phillip) was just so nice to talk to and made me remember why I want to do DCP--hopefully applying soon!

After the campfire we just walked around the island for a little more before deciding to call it a night. We went back to the room and showered before bed and just had a really chill night.

Overall this was another great day. Nothing can replicate the high of visiting Magic Kingdom (for me), but I really enjoyed the slower paced day at Animal Kingdom. After this visit I would probably rank it as my second favorite park--the atmosphere is killer. So many different types of environments but it all feels cohesive (except for Dinoland...but we barely spent any time there). The Imagineering Story show on Disney+ really made me appreciate the theming and thought that went into creating the park.

Up next: our departure day, but with a nice fun little morning!
 
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DAY 4: MARCH 3, 2020

I was awoken by the lovely sounds of the WDW Today channel one last time for this trip. We got to "sleep in" compared to yesterday; I think I woke up around 7a.

We wanted to leave the resort around 10a, so we had some time to have a nice relaxing morning. After getting ready, my mom and I decided to have another walk around Magnolia Bend around 8.

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We still had plenty of time so we just decided to walk over to French Quarter and maybe get a snack in the food court. It was the perfect temperature, not too hot, not too cold. It made for such a nice walk down the Sassagoula.

When we got to French Quarter, we went in to the moderate busy food court. I never have had a Mickey waffle (gasp!), so I decided to get the kids meal (I wasn't too hungry).

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The waffles weren't revolutionary but still yummy. The kids meal is a good value for people who aren't big morning eaters like me. You get two little waffles, some sausage or bacon, apples or grapes (I chose apples), and a drink. For the drink you can pick between chocolate milk, juice, or a hot cocoa and coffee cup. They gave me the full size hot cocoa cup, so it was honestly a filling meal. And I got to have another cup of that Disney hot cocoa.

My mom and I started walking back to Riverside when we got a call from the rest of my family saying to hurry back so we can get some beignets on the way out. Since we were already just leaving French Quarter we just went back to the Scat Cat Lounge to get some more of those heavenly Mickey shaped delights. We got them to go in a paper bag and within five minutes of getting them the bag was already starting to get soaked with oil...at this moment I knew I was going to really need to eat healthier for the rest of break :rotfl:

After we went to the main lobby to check out, we eventually made our way back over to Alligator Bayou, which was looking just as beautiful as ever.

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I remember in one of the guidebooks I used to read when I was younger, the photo for Port Orleans Riverside was of a family crossing a bridge just like this one. Made me happy that I was finally able to stay at the resort I wanted to stay at so badly for YEARS:

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I enjoyed a beignet when I got back to the room...I couldn't resist a bite before I took the photo. The oil made the sugar more into a paste but it was still so tasty...I could really use one right now!

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After some last minute packing, I helped load our suitcases back into my dad's truck and we were off. I was pretty sad leaving Port Orleans. But I'll hopefully be able to stay there again soon. I want to try some other resorts first, but I know POR will always have a special place in my heart.

I napped on the drive home so I felt like we were back in St. Pete in no time. The hardest part was taking off the MagicBand when we got to a McDonald's to eat lunch back in St. Pete, I knew the trip was really over then :( but after McD we picked up my dogs from the sitter, which always makes the end of a trip a little easier. But that night, I spelt well, knowing I had such great few days at one of my favorite places in the world.

This pretty much wraps up my trip report. I really hope everyone enjoyed reading it and I hope I was able to convey some of the magic to you guys at home. Thank y'all, I really loved writing this and can't wait for my next trip so I can write another.
 
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Just read thIs to catch up to your current report! I would love to see the castle blanket.
It’s sad reading your report and knowing COVID is waiting in the wings. But glad you got to enjoy the days naive to what was coming!
 
Just read thIs to catch up to your current report! I would love to see the castle blanket.
It’s sad reading your report and knowing COVID is waiting in the wings. But glad you got to enjoy the days naive to what was coming!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/187267136@N07/c1701yThank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed’ I’ll start day one of my July report later today, yesterday was crazy busy with course work. And I’m on my phone on a break from work so hopefully that link works! And yes, it really was a time of naïveté, the trip was during the very brief period of time where Florida had its first 3-4 cases, but you could catch a cold from Disney and not worry that it was something more...I know because that happened to me, lol.
 
Honestly, I was worried about your brother and hoping it wasn’ t early COVID.
 

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