Here Now & Just Back WDW Reopening Experiences Including Park Hopping

[vinmar4]

We will be at DHS the same day, except our party of 6 is half adults/half small children. Fun!

I hope you guys have a great day!

 

[Jules123]

We had a fantastic day at AK today. We purchased Genie+ and also a ILL for FOP. We were at the gates around 6:55 and headed straight to FOP at rope drop. We rode FOP x2, KS, Navi x2, Dinosaur, FOTLK, ITTBAB, walked the trails, had breakfast at Tusker House, and played in the Boneyard. We only waited in standby lines for FOP (15 minutes) and Navi (5 minutes). We were done with all that by 3:30. Loved loved loved Genie+ there!

 

[dwonderz]

I just returned from my first solo trip to Disney (2/27-3/2) and stayed 3 nights at the Dolphin. It was definitely the busiest I’ve ever seen at the end of February/beginning of March (usually it slows a little bit in the last bit of Feb) and I think there were lots of people who had postponed travel going now. Some of my thoughts (not necessarily anything new - just reinforcing a lot of what others share)...

Rope drop rope drop rope drop!! If you can do it/don’t want to deal with G+ this is a great way to avoid the crowds. Getting there around 45 minutes before early entry (sometimes 30 minutes) seemed to be the sweet spot. Rope dropping was especially helpful in AK - with expedition everest down the crowds elsewhere are higher. Kilimanjaro Safaris had a 60 min wait within 30 minutes of regular park opening.

Keep an eye out for opening tapstile lanes. At both MK and AK the line I was standing in split into 2 lines right before they let people start tapping in. It’s pretty much a free for all when that happens - so keep an eye out!

Ride during the fireworks. I did Big Thunder (2x), Haunted Mansion, and Space in the last hour of MK being open. Big Thunder was a literal walk-on while the fireworks were happening (and it’s so cool seeing them from the ride).

Genie+ was a bit of a miss for me. I attempted G+ on 2 different days to try “stacking” for my evening park and it was tough. I didn’t quite have the rhythm of drop times/refreshing/etc. and pretty much only used it for about 4 rides across 2 days. It was also insanely busy and rides were gone by 10am both days. I think it could be a great tool if you really know how to use it - I just didn’t have the best understanding.

Extra Evening Hours were fantastic! The timing of my trip only worked out for me to attend Epcot’s and I managed to ride Soarin, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, and Nemo in under an hour. Definitely could have also done Remy or Frozen - but I was exhausted from rope dropping AK and so I only stayed for an hour. As others have mentioned - the first 15-20 minutes the lines are still pretty long bc guests are still clearing out.

Mask usage was minimal to none. I wore mine indoors bc it’s what I’m comfortable with (just to provide context) and I felt safe!

Mears Connect was easy but also slow. I used the standard Mears Connect service to get to/from the Dolphin. Coming from the airport it took almost 1.5 hours and we made stops at Art of Animation, Pop Century, the Swan Reserve, and finally the Dolphin. I would probably pay for an Uber next time. On the way back I was the last stop before the airport and there were only 3 other people (not families - people!!) on my whole coach. As a solo traveler - it was cheaper than an Uber - but if I was traveling with family I would definitely go with an Uber/etc.

The Dolphin was great! The location is amazing and the pool complex is fabulous. The room was definitely showing some wear and could stand a refresh. You could request daily housekeeping (it was typically done between 2pm and 5pm) and the Marriott App also had a section where you could request toiletries/towels/etc. The on-site Cabanas restaurant at the pool was great (loved the fish tacos) - I found Picabu (quick service ) and Fuel (grab & go), however, to be pretty mediocre.

Finally - if you’re thinking of going solo but are nervous - I would say go for it! I was definitely nervous about being there the whole time by myself - but it was great! If you want to spend the trip meeting new people - I’m sure you could! Or if you’re like me and wanted to spend it quietly - it’s also very possible!

 

[Jules123]

We did great with Genie+ yesterday at AK but I was not as optimistic that we would have good luck at HS today but it actually wasn’t too bad. We snagged SDD for the afternoon and ROTR at 7am. Rope dropped MMRR, then headed straight over to TOT and then RnRC and were able to do all 3 by 10:00. We managed to get additional passes for MFSR, TSM and Star Tours later in the day. ROTR was down when it was our ILL time but we were told we could come back anytime today and use it when the ride was back open. The longest line we waited in was for Alien Swirling Saucers and it was about an hour. We could have gotten a LL for it for later in the day but we had other plans at that time.

 

[armerida]

We did great with Genie+ yesterday at AK but I was not as optimistic that we would have good luck at HS today but it actually wasn’t too bad. We snagged SDD for the afternoon and ROTR at 7am. Rope dropped MMRR, then headed straight over to TOT and then RnRC and were able to do all 3 by 10:00. We managed to get additional passes for MFSR, TSM and Star Tours later in the day. ROTR was down when it was our ILL time but we were told we could come back anytime today and use it when the ride was back open. The longest line we waited in was for Alien Swirling Saucers and it was about an hour. We could have gotten a LL for it for later in the day but we had other plans at that time.

Did you have resort early entry? Or what time did you arrive/when did rides officially open to knock out MMRR, ToT, and RnRC by 10?

 

[Jules123]

Did you have resort early entry? Or what time did you arrive/when did rides officially open to knock out MMRR, ToT, and RnRC by 10?

Yes we had early entry. We were at the gates by 7:36. Got into line at MMRR and they opened the ride at 8:16.

 

[amyeb]

Just returned from a 5 day visit. Two adults, have not been since pre-Covid. Stayed at the Dolphin. I'm a huge planner, studied the Disboards for tips, "practiced" and watched MDE for weeks to get a sense of wait times. It all worked out pretty well for us, and we had a great time, but wow! It's a lot of work to use ILL and Genie+. Here's some thoughts that will maybe help some others:

Dolphin Resort: First time here. Usually stay at AKL. We loved being able to walk to 2 parks. We had great weather but I imagine the walk to HS in the middle of the day in the summer might be pretty painful. Really no shade and it's probably a 3/4 mile walk. Hotel was a good value compared to the price of the 3 Disney resorts in that area, but it's definitely generic and has a convention vibe. I found I did miss the theming of a Disney Resort and feeling like I was fully in the Disney bubble. Bus to AK was quick. You are dropped off in a weird spot but it's close to the entrance. We walked to the Boardwalk to get the MK bus to avoid the TTC. I would stay here again.

Dolphin Resort Dining: The quick service Fuel was great. They open at 6am instead of 7am like the ones in the Disney resorts and they have Mickey waffles which were way better than the ones I got at Beach Club Marketplace. Fuel gives you 3 waffles that are warm and topped with powered sugar. At the Beach Club, got the kids version, which was 2 waffles and a yogurt and grapes, but the waffles were cold and no powdered sugar. We loved Shula's bar for drinks. And our dinner at bluezoo was our best meal of the trip.

Meals: We like sit down lunches at the parks. Did San Angel Inn, Skipper Canteen, Nomad Lounge and Hollywood Brown Derby. All were good. We also did Space 220 for dinner. I'm glad we went but I probably wouldn't go again. The food was fine - not bad, not great. You are locked into the price fix and I don't always want that much food. It's like the space version of Coral Reef. For me, the novelty of the atmosphere wore off after 10 minutes. Reservations overall were way harder to get for this trip than I have ever seen. We mobile ordered some snack and that worked well.

IT Issues: Yep, we had them. Reservation stayed linked, even after check in, but then dropped when we were trying to book Genie+. Later in the week I kept getting logged out of MDE. Have your reservation number and MDE password ready for sure. We found we had the least issues when we shut all apps about 6:50am then opened MDE back up. We'd play around with it, make sure the hotel was still linked, check the tip board and our plans. Also would go in and book a random restaurant reservation for a few days out. This requires a credit card so it was a good check to make sure MDE had that right. (we'd just cancel the reservation later). Doing all this assured things seemed to work at 7am.

Genie +: Used 3 days. Doing the 7am thing every day is stressful and I am not a fan. Definitely had to watch the times when booking. Often it would change from what time first showed and then what showed on the next screen. Don't give up if you miss the big rides at 7am. We always saw more times come up around 7:10am, and often early ones. It was like they would "sell out" but then fully repopulate. Refresh is your friend. Agree that it's not needed at AK and Epcot. It's a must at HS but it's really hard to get more than 3. 7am is your only hope for SDD if you want that. At 11 you can get what you want, and with lots of refreshing we could get the times we wanted, but by 1pm it was really hard to get any of the big rides. TSM was still possible with enough refreshing. After that, forget it. Really late times would pop up on occasion, but that timing wouldn't work for us.

ILL: We got RoTR, FoP and Remy. We aren't willing to wait in lines longer than 30-40 minutes so we choose to buy these.

Rope Drop: Got to AK at 6:50 for a 7:30am entry. We did Navi since we got a ILL for FoP. Then headed to Safari (doesn't open until 8am), then Dino. At MK we arrived an hour before opening and started with SM. We were close the the front but there were lots of ride loading issues and we burned almost 25 minutes here. Headed to BTMRR and roped dropped that. Rode it twice with a 15 minute wait, then Splash with a 30 minute wait. At HS we were there an hour before opening. We started with ToT, then RNRRC, then TSM. Rise was down at opening so other lines did build quicker than I think they would have.

Overall: It was crowded but not wall to wall people. With ILL, Genie+, rope drop and deluxe evening hours we were able to ride everything and never waited more than 30 minutes. But Genie+ stinks. Everyday starts with stress, you are always having to set timers on your phone to remind you when to book next, always staring at your phone to refresh. And it's mentally draining always trying to calculate what times you can take, based on all your other plans. I really miss being able to book 3 in advance like Fastpass. I don't like how if you don't pay extra, you will wait in 90-150 minute lines. And how much work the whole system is. We had a good time, and we'll go back in a couple of years but there is a lot right now to not like about Disney.

 

[amyeb]

Did you have resort early entry? Or what time did you arrive/when did rides officially open to knock out MMRR, ToT, and RnRC by 10?

We did have early entry. So park opened for early entry at 8:30. We were at the gates at 7:30. We were probably 40 people from the front of the ToT line. They let us on right at 8:30. Went from there to Rock n Roll. Line said 30 but it was not even 20. (Again, I think this line build quicker b/c Rise was down and everyone had to go elsewhere). We then went to Toy Story. Line said 40 but it was maybe 25. Not many people are using LL returns that early so the standby lines move fast. Then we had our ILL for Slinky. We didn't ride the Falcon but if we had wanted to I would have done this same plan and used the 11am Genie+ time to get a Falcon. I think with enough refreshing you could have gotten it.

 

[TigerLaw]

Just returned from a 5 day visit. Two adults, have not been since pre-Covid. Stayed at the Dolphin. I'm a huge planner, studied the Disboards for tips, "practiced" and watched MDE for weeks to get a sense of wait times. It all worked out pretty well for us, and we had a great time, but wow! It's a lot of work to use ILL and Genie+. Here's some thoughts that will maybe help some others:

Dolphin Resort: First time here. Usually stay at AKL. We loved being able to walk to 2 parks. We had great weather but I imagine the walk to HS in the middle of the day in the summer might be pretty painful. Really no shade and it's probably a 3/4 mile walk. Hotel was a good value compared to the price of the 3 Disney resorts in that area, but it's definitely generic and has a convention vibe. I found I did miss the theming of a Disney Resort and feeling like I was fully in the Disney bubble. Bus to AK was quick. You are dropped off in a weird spot but it's close to the entrance. We walked to the Boardwalk to get the MK bus to avoid the TTC. I would stay here again.

Dolphin Resort Dining: The quick service Fuel was great. They open at 6am instead of 7am like the ones in the Disney resorts and they have Mickey waffles which were way better than the ones I got at Beach Club Marketplace. Fuel gives you 3 waffles that are warm and topped with powered sugar. At the Beach Club, got the kids version, which was 2 waffles and a yogurt and grapes, but the waffles were cold and no powdered sugar. We loved Shula's bar for drinks. And our dinner at bluezoo was our best meal of the trip.

Meals: We like sit down lunches at the parks. Did San Angel Inn, Skipper Canteen, Nomad Lounge and Hollywood Brown Derby. All were good. We also did Space 220 for dinner. I'm glad we went but I probably wouldn't go again. The food was fine - not bad, not great. You are locked into the price fix and I don't always want that much food. It's like the space version of Coral Reef. For me, the novelty of the atmosphere wore off after 10 minutes. Reservations overall were way harder to get for this trip than I have ever seen. We mobile ordered some snack and that worked well.

IT Issues: Yep, we had them. Reservation stayed linked, even after check in, but then dropped when we were trying to book Genie+. Later in the week I kept getting logged out of MDE. Have your reservation number and MDE password ready for sure. We found we had the least issues when we shut all apps about 6:50am then opened MDE back up. We'd play around with it, make sure the hotel was still linked, check the tip board and our plans. Also would go in and book a random restaurant reservation for a few days out. This requires a credit card so it was a good check to make sure MDE had that right. (we'd just cancel the reservation later). Doing all this assured things seemed to work at 7am.

Genie +: Used 3 days. Doing the 7am thing every day is stressful and I am not a fan. Definitely had to watch the times when booking. Often it would change from what time first showed and then what showed on the next screen. Don't give up if you miss the big rides at 7am. We always saw more times come up around 7:10am, and often early ones. It was like they would "sell out" but then fully repopulate. Refresh is your friend. Agree that it's not needed at AK and Epcot. It's a must at HS but it's really hard to get more than 3. 7am is your only hope for SDD if you want that. At 11 you can get what you want, and with lots of refreshing we could get the times we wanted, but by 1pm it was really hard to get any of the big rides. TSM was still possible with enough refreshing. After that, forget it. Really late times would pop up on occasion, but that timing wouldn't work for us.

ILL: We got RoTR, FoP and Remy. We aren't willing to wait in lines longer than 30-40 minutes so we choose to buy these.

Rope Drop: Got to AK at 6:50 for a 7:30am entry. We did Navi since we got a ILL for FoP. Then headed to Safari (doesn't open until 8am), then Dino. At MK we arrived an hour before opening and started with SM. We were close the the front but there were lots of ride loading issues and we burned almost 25 minutes here. Headed to BTMRR and roped dropped that. Rode it twice with a 15 minute wait, then Splash with a 30 minute wait. At HS we were there an hour before opening. We started with ToT, then RNRRC, then TSM. Rise was down at opening so other lines did build quicker than I think they would have.

Overall: It was crowded but not wall to wall people. With ILL, Genie+, rope drop and deluxe evening hours we were able to ride everything and never waited more than 30 minutes. But Genie+ stinks. Everyday starts with stress, you are always having to set timers on your phone to remind you when to book next, always staring at your phone to refresh. And it's mentally draining always trying to calculate what times you can take, based on all your other plans. I really miss being able to book 3 in advance like Fastpass. I don't like how if you don't pay extra, you will wait in 90-150 minute lines. And how much work the whole system is. We had a good time, and we'll go back in a couple of years but there is a lot right now to not like about Disney.

Thanks for the recap! When you did early entry at DHS, what time did RnRC and Tower open up? Was it any earlier than The stated EE open time? What was the timing from when you got there until your first ride like?

 

[amyeb]

Thanks for the recap! When you did early entry at DHS, what time did RnRC and Tower open up? Was it any earlier than The stated EE open time? What was the timing from when you got there until your first ride like?

I think they let us into the Park a little before 8am. They had 2 lines going at the end of Sunset Blvd; ToT was on the right, RnR on the left. They were single file so MUCH nicer than the RoTR mob. They did not let us enter the actual que until right at 8:30am and you had to walk through a really long one. We were pretty close to the front and were off the ride a 8:45. Walked quickly to RnR.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We also did Space 220 for dinner. I'm glad we went but I probably wouldn't go again. The food was fine - not bad, not great. You are locked into the price fix and I don't always want that much food. It's like the space version of Coral Reef. For me, the novelty of the atmosphere wore off after 10 minutes.

We did Space 220 lounge instead of dinner and I also thought it was similar to Coral Reef but without the fish. It was definitely a one and done for us. The trip to the restaurant was the best part.

 

[HydroGuy]

IT Issues: Yep, we had them. Reservation stayed linked, even after check in, but then dropped when we were trying to book Genie+. Later in the week I kept getting logged out of MDE. Have your reservation number and MDE password ready for sure. We found we had the least issues when we shut all apps about 6:50am then opened MDE back up. We'd play around with it, make sure the hotel was still linked, check the tip board and our plans. Also would go in and book a random restaurant reservation for a few days out. This requires a credit card so it was a good check to make sure MDE had that right. (we'd just cancel the reservation later). Doing all this assured things seemed to work at 7am.

These are great tips to work around the IT issues! Thanks!

 

[amyeb]

We did Space 220 lounge instead of dinner and I also thought it was similar to Coral Reef but without the fish. It was definitely a one and done for us. The trip to the restaurant was the best part.

Agree on the "trip" to space part of the experience! We too had a reservation for the lounge but they put us at a regular table. I did make sure they would still let us order off the lounge menu before I agreed. Didn't end up mattering, all 4 of us ordered the price fix after all. At least 1/4 of the tables were empty while we were there - must be a staffing issue, as demand seems pretty high.

 

[amyeb]

These are great tips to work around the IT issues! Thanks!

The restaurant reservation thing may be coincidence but we were having all kinds of issues the first 2 mornings but then once we started really playing around with the app, going into all the screens and booking a restaurant before 7am it all worked great and we got super early times for SDD, Rise and FoP. Also, go in and edit your selections each time before you want to book something so it "pins" that ride to the top of your screen. When you pull down to refresh it stays on the top and you can book much quicker.

 

[HydroGuy]

The restaurant reservation thing may be coincidence but we were having all kinds of issues the first 2 mornings but then once we started really playing around with the app, going into all the screens and booking a restaurant before 7am it all worked great and we got super early times for SDD, Rise and FoP. Also, go in and edit your selections each time before you want to book something so it "pins" that ride to the top of your screen. When you pull down to refresh it stays on the top and you can book much quicker.

Since I will also be staying at the Dolphin, I am curious if you used the Dolphin WiFi at 7AM or did you turn that off and use your cell-phone data? Were you in the hotel or outside by 7AM?

 

[Isabelle12345]

We are back from a wonderful week in Orlando, with 3 park days (MK on Feb 25, Epcot/HS on Feb 28, AK/Epcot on March 1st)
We stayed onsite for those nights to get the perks of booking ILLs Early and for ETPE
I will recap our Genie+ Usage in a different post, but I just wanted to mention that we bought ILLs for 7DMT, Remy, Rise and FOP
Every morning I clicked on a time and would get to the screen where I had to confirm the payment method, and all 3 days I was unable to book anything (it told me None were available)
I refreshed until it came back and on all 3 days at exactly 7:17 I was able to get the exact time I was aiming for and many time slots were available, and they weren’t as quick to modifie times as earlier when I booked regularLLs
I was able to book
- MK day: 7DMT at 12:40-13:40 (clicked on 10:30-11:30 but time changed when I booked) at 7:17
- Epcot/HS day: booked Rise for 4:00-5:00 (we were hopping there in the PM) at 7:17 and then Remy for 9:05-10:05 at 7:19
- Animal Kingdom/Epcot day: booked Fop for 8:05-9:05 at 7:17 and then Remy for 6:15-7:15 at 7:19 (part of our group were staying offside and were not able to do Remy, so we bought this ILL for them to use)

So don’t give up if you don’t get what you want at 7:00!

 

[SwanVT2]

We are sitting in the airport and waiting for our flight back to Upstate NY. We have been here all week. Stayed at Swan and I have to say the boats and walk to HS and EPCOT was well worth what we paid. Since we have a 17DD, it was great when she wanted to sleep in and stay at the pool and the wife and I wanted to rope drop or just stroll. Overall, after 14 years of WDW we are done, with DD graduating and just not a big fan of the parks like she was when she was younger it’s a good time for us exit. We had a great run of old style Fastpasses and rope drop strategies for the past 14 years that you cannot do today. I spoke to so many families who were getting the crap kicked out of them by LL and ILL and scheduling and paying and being on their phones and rides being down and so on and so forth. I don’t want to be one of those “Im never going back” people, but man, for the money spent and what you get, it’s a hard pill to swallow. The “still” good: Disney Springs is great. Garden Grill is great! Tusker House is great! Kona Cafe is great! Beaches and Crème was great! All still exceed expectations. ROTR is still unbelievable and worth the ILL price! The “meh”: Sci-Fi dine in food really went downhill. Disney friendliness (cast, managers, etc.) really blah…it’s like night and day. The cleanliness of parks and bathrooms…yikes! For those of us who remember it was difficult to find a straw rapper on the ground before a cast member swooped in and scooped it up, no more. Remy? Um, it was nice, but short and not our bag of fun. EPCOTS's Harmonious...Jeesh!? What was that mess? Saw Illuminations over 30x and 1x Harmonious was TOO many for us...and had two surveys during my stay asking me how we liked Harmonious...Disney must be nervous about this one, with good reason! Same thing goes for Enchantment at MK, my gosh, are they TRYING to make any connections to anything? another mess that we were "one and done" with. You follow Wishes with Happily Ever After..ok, tough , but I get that, but you follow Happily Ever After with this train wreck...another Disney mistake. The “bad”: ride break down…everywhere, everyday, often, and brings incredible frustration. It was absolutely ridiculous. At rope drop, at our Deluxe Resort 2 hour late night, rides being down really had an effect on our touring and experiences. And speaking of the “perk” of being a deluxe guest with 2 extra hours…it truly ends up being about 45 minutes…absolutely not worth the extra to stay at a deluxe in our opinion. Overall, we had a beautiful weather week, some great meals, a great time at Disney Springs and the Swan Resort, but our park experiences were something we are happy to say we have no need to experience again.

We are to the stage of just going from VT in February for pool time and dining at DS and much more enjoy Discovery Cove or Sea World. DD and I went to AK this year and that was nice but she is not going to stand in long lines.

 

[UpstateMick]

We are to the stage of just going from VT in February for pool time and dining at DS and much more enjoy Discovery Cove or Sea World. DD and I went to AK this year and that was nice but she is not going to stand in long lines.

I hear you! That is going to be our plan going forward. We had a great time at Disney Springs shopping and eating and just enjoying the Disney atmosphere. We are at a MUCH cheaper place no more park tickets (3-5 day hoppers with Genie+ and ILL broke the proverbial bank)

 

[maggnanimouse]

Today was day 1 of my first solo trip to WDW, and I had a very long, yet successful day. Given that I'm alone, I had the opportunity to take VERY detailed notes on the day. Hopefully someone finds this helpful, as seeing the specific times people are on and off rides/ transportation has helped me vizualize what I might be able to accomplish in a day.

Again, I'm a solo adult willing to pony up for G+, and 2 ILLs a day, so keep that in mind.

Here's how my day went!

-My redeye from the west coast landed at MCO at 5:15 AM. I didn't check a bag, so I went straight to the ride share pickup for a Lyft.
-I arrived at Pop Century, dropped my bags, and went straight to the Skyliner station. There were maybe 4 groups in front of me when I got in line at 6:35AM. (This also includes a wrong turn or two by my Lyft driver which ended up in us driving through the parking lot for Galactic Starcruiser on the way. Looked a little underwhelming from what little I could see in the dark ).
-The Skyliner opened it's gates at 6:48 AM, but didn't start loading until 7:00 on the dot.
-While literally walking onto the Skyliner I was able to score a Frozen LL for 8:45AM, a Remy ILL for 10:10AM, and a FOP ILL for 7:05 PM. (I chose an evening FOP on purpose, they didn't disappear that quickly).
-There was no line whatsoever at the CBR hub, and I had my own cabin all the way to EPCOT, where I arrived at 7:20. There were maybe 50 people in line ahead of me.
-They started letting people tap in to the park at 7:38AM, and I went straight to Remy. Remy was a walk on, and I was on and off by 7:55AM.
-I then took what I learned to be the long way to Frozen, walking in the Morocco direction. This was pretty awesome, because I leisurely strolled through the World Showcase, and there wasn't a soul around me. I've never seen a virtually empty world showcase before. And I mean seriously strolled. I have short legs to begin with, and when I'm alone, I don't attempt to hoof it.
-When I got to Frozen at 8:12AM, the posted wait time was 25 minutes, but I was on the boat in 5. After that, I got some breakfast at Kringla and waited for my Frozen LL return time. I tapped in at 8:40, so I can confirm that 5 minute grace period beforehand is still intact. After tapping in at the second post, I booked a MMRR LL for 2:00 PM. I was off Frozen the second time at 8:53.
-I continued along the World Showcase, and rode the 3 Caballeros at 9:00. When I say this was a walk on, I mean there was not another person in the line, or on any boats that I could see in front or behind me.
-Then I hit up the Test Track single rider line, which was a walk on. I was off TT at 9:22.
-I don't usually do Mission Space, but since it was right there and only have a 10 minute posted wait, I figured I might as well give it a go at 9:26AM. This ended up being a walk on. And let me tell you, I was smacked in the face by the concept that my body is aging. I hadn't done Mission Space since I was a teenager, and it really hits different at 30. I was off Mission Space at 9:40.
-Next up was Spaceship Earth. By this point I could tell the park was starting to get crowded pretty quickly, with people pouring in the front entrance. The posted wait was 5 minutes, and was an actual 10 minute wait, and I could see it was continuing to build behind me. I was off SE at 10:18.
- Then I had some poutine and a lavender martini from the Refreshment Port (breakfast of champions).
- I booked a 2:25 RnRC LL at 11AM, and immediately tapped into my Remy ILL. Didn't note what time I was off the ride, but I can't have spent more than 5 minutes in the LL line.
- By this point, wait times were really starting to build, and I had ridden most of what I was hoping to. So I got an orange slushy from France, and people watched on a bench. At this point, my only goal was to secure some frushi and a violet sake, and wait for my room at Pop to be ready.
-I got the room ready notification at 12:25, but figured it was pointless to go all the way back to Pop when I had a lightning lane at 2:00. So I planned to maybe do some shopping at DHS before my LL. At 1:00PM, I booked a Navi River Journey LL for 6:15PM
-Right as the Skyliner was making its heart pounding descent into the DHS station, I realized I'd goofed and confused Disneyland's 1:00 PM park hopping time with WDW's. So I sat on a bench in the sun for an hour waiting to get into DHS, and ended up with a nose Rudolph would be proud of.
-By this point, I was pretty gassed, after having only gotten about 1 hour of sleep on the plane. So my only goal was to do both lightning lanes.
-At 2;00, I went straight to MMRR, and was off the ride by 2:25.
-Then I backtracked to RnRC, and tapped in at 2:33. I was off by 2:58. I think this ride has fallen from "must do" status for me. For some reason, trying to get through the preshow doors and into the fence area really grinds my gears. I totally understand wanting to keep your group together, but people get pushy and it gets on my nerves. And also, it gives me a headache now that never used to happen when I was younger lol
- I finally took the Skyliner that had me back at Pop Century for a power nap at 3:20.
-I then headed to Animal Kingdom. I have to say, I don't necessarily trust the "Bus Times" listed on the MDE app. It said the next bus to AK was going to depart at 5:55, but when I got to the bus stop at 5:40, there was a bus waiting that left almost immediately. (Not that I'm complaining about that.)
- When I got to AK, I went straight to Mr. Kamal's for some fries. They were NOT good. They're a must-have for me every trip, but I supposed I've always had them early in the day when they are fresh and crisp. Do not have them near the end of the day. Lesson learned.
- I then headed to Pandora and tapped into my NJR LL at 6:20, and was off within 10 minutes.
- I placed a mobile order at Satuli Canteen for dinner, and got myself a Rum Blossom in the meantime.
- I tapped into my FOP ILL at 7:15. I know that this is a relatively slow loading ride, but it seemed to take a really long time tonight. I wasn't off the ride until 7:51.
-I had intended to end my night with a late night showing of ITTBAB, for an injection of pure nostalgia into the veins, but I missed it by about a minute.
-There was a Pop bus waiting at the bus stop at 8:07, and only about 5 other people on it.

Now I'm back at Pop, writing this absolute monster of a report, and only slightly delirious!

So I suppose my takeaway is that having combined rope drop, G+, and ILL, I was able to accomplish a majority of the rides in Epcot (including Remy 2x and FEA 2x) by noon, 2 big rides in DHS, and 2 big rides in AK. Especially since my trip is only 2.5 days, I feel fine about having paid the extra to make that happen.

My expecations for tomorrow's DHS rope dropping are significantly lower as compared to today. Then again, I was pleasantly surprised with today's outcome, having been watching wait times for the last few week or so. So...who knows?!

 

[Miffy]

Here right now. At 7:35 a.m., as I'm typing this, there are still ILL$ available for RotR.