I'm going to Disney World? - A May 2021 Trip Report

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Your trip seems like a nice balance between relaxing and park touring.

Sorry there have been some frustrations. Hopefully the number of guests, the cast members, and the attractions finds a better balance soon.

The Beauty and the Beast theater temporarily had a band playing last summer, but that was discontinued, which is a shame.

I know I sounded negative, but my mindset is that I’ll be back in September so it doesn’t really matter. I know it would have been a much bigger deal if this was a once in a lifetime thing.

I remember them, but I think the Grand Floridian band got caught up in one of their cuts.

 

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Day 6: Magic Kingdom / Epcot



Man… Talk about a night and day difference. Magic Kingdom may have had just asmany people, maybe even more so, but there was just so much more to do and things to do.



I got on the first bus and I was able to get into the park really early. SDMT wasn’t open yet, so I was able to do Peter Pan, Thunder Mountain, Pirates and Splash Mountain done really early. Before lunch I was able to get so much done.



For lunch I decided to eat at the Tomorrowland Terrace only because I don’t know the last time I’ve eaten at the Tomorrowland Terrace.I got the trio. The chicken was pretty good, the shrimp was decent, but the fish was kind of disgusting.

As it started to get busy, I decided to head back to the resort for a nap.



I stopped by the cafe and bought a dessert. It was calling to me and I think it may have been the best desert I’ve ever had on property. It was just perfect.



I think I’ve found a new appreciation for Epcot. I’ve always liked it, but it’s always been my least favorite of the four parks. It was just so relaxing.







…Then they activated the Epcot Stargate and it was time for me to leave.

 

[kclark9830]

All caught up! I actually think your idea for HS entertainment in the big theaters is a great idea. I hope they come up with some fixes in the next 2 weeks! The Riviera rooms look lovely. Would love to stay there someday, for sure.

 

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Day 7: DHS 2 / Riviera Resort Day / Epcot



I couldn’t change my Park Pass, so I started my day at DHS. I was also able to get one of those hard to get park Oga’s reservations.

At 7 am I tried to get a boarding group for ride, but they were all gone by the time it hit 7 am on the dot. Rise didn’t open with the park and by the time it hit 1 pm, I tried again, but I got a push notification that it wasn’t opening at all today.



For breakfast I had the blueberry pancakes at Primo Piatto, which is the quick service at Riviera. It was actually really, really good and the bacon was actually very good as well. I felt it was really worth the price.



I got to the park early and rode a couple of things. My reservation to Oga’s was really early, so I went there not long after the official Rooe Drop. It’s still socially distant, but not nearly as socially distant as it was in July or September of last year. It was still pretty cool.



The park got really busy, really quick, so I decided to turn it into a resort day.



Riviera is a really pretty resort. I took a tour of their two bedroom and three bedroom villas. I took a lot of video for a review I’m planning to do, but I forgot to take any photos. The rooms were both absolutely stunning, the three bedroom especially. The three bedroom is huge! They have 12 chairs in the dining room, which is kind of crazy to me. I just can’t imagine going on vacation with that many people.



For lunch, I had a bacon burger at the resort quick service. They accidentally put cheese on it, so they had to do it again. I don’t like to make a fuss, but I really don’t like cheese on my burger.

They were really nice about it and gave me some banana bread, which was also really good. I was expecting a normal quick service burger, but it was better than that. I ordered mine medium rare, soI think that really helped. They also cook their stuff to order, so while it may take a little longer I think it’s worth it.

I



I lounged a bit by the pool and decided to head over to Epcot for dinner. I really like Regal Eagle.

 

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Day 7-2: Epcot Part 2




I didn’t really mean to close out the park, but it was just a really nice night.





After the park closed, I got to see the next Epcot band have their rehearsal, which was kind of cool. Epcot was really busy, but it didn’t feel overly crowded to me.



Getting back on the Skyliner was another issue entirely and it was worse than the night before. It took me 45 minutes to an hour just to get on the Skyliner. I just blamed myself for being too lazy to drive, but just keep that in mind if you’re staying at a Skyliner resort.

Until they increase capacity on the Skyliner, it’s going to suck.





On the plus side, if I wasn’t stuck in line I wouldn’t have gotten to see some fireworks testing and I wouldn’t have known about it when I got to my room.

 

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Day 8: Magic Kingdom / Chefs de France



Magic Kingdom was pretty good. I got on one of the first busses of the day, so I was able to ride a lot of stuff before the crowds got really bad.



However, the weather was good so I didn’t mind it all that much. I got to see the progress on Tron too. I always think that they’re close and 6 months later it’s still being worked on. One day I’ll be able to ride it.



It took me a couple of tries, but I maxed out at Buzz. I guess I’m just a bit out of practice, but I made it. I stayed a little longer than I was expecting, but I was able to get back to the resort before my dinner reservation.







Chef’s de France at Epcot is so good! The French onion soup is enough for me to be an entire meal. The steak was perfectly cooked. I like mine cooked rare and that’s exactly what I got. The desert was pretty good too. Last time I was there I got the creme brûlée. I probably should of got that again, but it was still pretty good.

I was very happy that it was a nice and relaxed meal. They didn’t try to kick ya out of there, so that was really appreciated.

After dinner I went back to the resort to hang out and reflect. Skyliner issues aside, I really love Riviera. I kind of wish I had more points, but with the resale restrictions I was only willing to get 200 points.

I ended up deciding to extend my stay. I have 4 more park passes and an AP, so I might as well use them.

Tomorrow I check out and I head on over to Animal Kingdom. Sadly I wasn’t able to find a resort on site that I liked, so I’ll be staying offsite.

 

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Day 9: From Riviera, to Animal Kingdom, to Off-Site



I really enjoyed my stay at the Riviera, but it was time to go.



Overall, it was a pretty good day. I was able to do a quickly do a lot early on before it got really busy.



It did get really busy in the middle part of the day, like crazy busy, but it never felt overly crowded. The lines were crazy long at times, but they moved super quick.



The park did die out a lot later in the day. I was able to walk on Everest a few times before I made FOP my last ride if the night. I had a really good time.



Sometimes you never quite know what you’re going to get when you get a room of the app. I was worried that it was going to be a big step down, but I was really impressed! they even have a water slide!

The room is actually bigger than the room at Rivira and includes a much bigger fridge with a dedicated freezer, dishwasher, microwave and mini-stovetop. No oven, but I don’t want to cook on vacation.

I just booked it because it looked nice and it was a suite. It’s not as nice as the Riviera, but I think it’s really good for $120 a night.

I didn’t realize that it was a Hilton property. It’s in a brand new development that’s not finished yet. It looks like they’re finishing up painting the interior now.

I suspect it’s going to be much more than $120 a night when it’s done.

 

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Day 10: Epcot



Today I'll be opening up and closing down Epcot. At this point, I'm just like why not. I only have a few days left before I go home.



Weather wise, it was a pretty nice day. I was able to do a few things before it got really busy, but with Epcot I never felt really cramped. There's just a lot of places to go and escape the biggest part of the crowds.



For lunch, I had Regal Eagle again. It's just really good. The only downside is that they give you way too much food. I kind of wish there was an option for half the food. Maybe I should think about ordering off the kids menu? Anyway, it's hard to complain. The food was really good and I sadly ate it all.





Speaking of eating too much, I also had the ice cream from the French pavilion. I got of scoop of caramel and a scoop of vanilla and it was all really good. Too good.



By the middle of the day, it got really hot, so I spent some time in the DVC lounge to cool off. I'm glad that it's still there even though they always seem to threaten to take it away. They actually had a waiting list today, but it wasn't that bad. It was only 10 minutes.



There was also a new show / presentation called Growing the Future for the flower and garden festival this year. It was an about 10 minute long corporate presentation about photosynthesis along with a short pitch for their latest industrial product. I thought it was cute, but the only problem is that they were doing it in direct sunlight, so not many people took part.



I really do like the butterfly house that they do for flower and garden. I don't really understand why it's not a year-round thing. I can't imagine it would be too big of expense and it seems like people like it.



For dinner I got the quick service in the China pavilion. I know that they often get a bad wrap, so I wanted to check it out for myself. You know what, I actually really enjoyed my meal. The orange chicken had a bit of a honey flavoring to it and it was quite good. The sit down restaurant is closed, but it was extra seating for the quick service so I took advantage of it. Hopefully more restaurants come back to Epcot soon!



I also got to see Latin Ambition tonight. They're the special band that was playing over the weekend and I think they did a really good job. They'll be back July 2nd-July 5th, so if you're in Epcot during that time I think they're worth seeing.

Overall, I had a pretty good day at Epcot. The weather was nice. The crowds were large, but they were never overwhelming. By the end of the night everything was pretty much a walk-on. My last ride of the night was Soarin' and I got a middle seat, which was really nice. Actually, most of the theater was empty, so a few cast members got to ride too,

 

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Day 11: Disney's Hollywood Studios



DHS... My Nemesis. I woke up at 6:30 am to give myself plenty of time to get ready to try my luck at a boarding group.

At 7am... No luck. This makes me 0-5 for Rise of the Resistance. I have one more shot at 1pm. Then I'll have to wait until September to try my luck again.



DHS was pretty crowded, but maybe it felt a little less so? Maybe it's just my imagination or maybe it's because they seem to be increasing capacity on attractions.



I got to see the Frozen Sing-a-Long today! They were loading every row with only one seat between groups, so that made it much easier to get in to see the show. It was a really good show and everyone did a wonderful job.



Lines were still very, very long, but they weren't as bad as they looked. I did get to go backstage to get on Smuggler's Run, so that was kind of cool. The biggest bummer of Smuggler's Run is that it seems that single riders have to be engineers right now. So that really sucks, especially when there's plexiglass right in front of your face. It's still a fun ride, it's just not what it should be.



Am I the only one who actually likes the blue milk? Maybe I am, but I like it. It's a shame that the cups are so small. They're really expensive given that it's such a cheap drink. It would have been nice if they were a little bit bigger.



For lunch I wanted to go to either Docking Bay 7 or Woody's Lunchbox, but they were sold out for an early lunch by the time I tried to put in a mobile order. I had some chicken strips at Rosie's Cafe instead, which weren't bad. They weren't exactly great, but they weren't terrible either. They were just fine.

Normally I would have left by now since it was getting hot, but I had one more chance to get onto Rise of the Resistance.

 

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Day 11-2: Disney’s Hollywood Studios



Woo! I finally got a boarding group after six attempts!

I had like an hour before I had to head over there, so I went on an attraction. By the time I got off my boarding group got called. so I started to head over. However, by the time I got there Rise was shut down.



I’m sure that they don’t want me to ride, so I decided to get a green milk. The green isn’t nearly as good as the blue. In fact, I don’t really like it much at all.

I asked and they said that they’d let me enter late since my group was called, so I decided to hang out and check more stuff out to see if it comes back online soon.





I do like the mini-parades and I hope they stick around once things move back to normal.



It was getting pretty hot, so I decided to get a Sunday. It was pretty good and by the time I finished, Rise was back up so U decided to head on over again to see if I could actually get in this time.

It was a pretty good time and I was glad to make it onto Rise. I’m glad that they started removing some of the Covid stuff, but I’ll be really happy once all of the plastic stuff finally goes away. I made it onto the front row, so it didn’t really impact me all that much, but it’s still distracting.



By the time I got off, it was about time for dinner, so I went to Woody’s Lunch Box and got a toasted cheese. I know it’s really popular and it was pretty good, but it’s still just a toasted cheese and tater tots. I kind of think that I should have gotten more tots, but it was still good.

After I finished I decided that it was hot and no other attraction could beat Rise, so I decided to just end the day a little early.

I went back to the hotel and had a nice relaxing night and went to bed early.

Tomorrow is my last Magic Kingdom day until September and I start my long journey back home.

 

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Day 12: Magic Kingdom



Today is my last day at Disney World. For some reason I thought that they opened at 9am, so I got off to a little bit of a late start. I got to the parking lot around 8am, so I wasn’t the first in the park.



The good thing about being a little late is that it was much easier to get in the park. I figured out my mistake by the time I got there. I was still able to ride quite a bit in the early hours and I probably did need the extra sleep. Today was really just a bonus day, so I wasn’t worried about it.



For lunch I had a giant hotdog at Cosmic Rays. It was actually pretty good. The only problem with it was that the hot dog is way too big and way too much food. It would be nice if they sold stuff in more sensible portions. I mean, I still ate it, but I’m not looking forward to stepping on the scale when I get home.



Anyway, I still got a Peter Pan Float. It was good.



I went over to Tom Sawyer Island and Chip and Dale made an appearance on the water. I had a nice relaxing walk around the island. The only negative is that it took quite a while to get back due the social distancing restrictions for the boat. The line wasn’t nearly as long going over.



Overall it’s been a pretty good and relaxing day.



I finally got my Dole Whip, so that made me happy.



For dinner I got a corn dog at Sleepy Hallow, which was actually a lot better than it looked. The chips were pretty bad. They didn’t really taste like anything.



Captain Jack Sparrow made an appearance today! I’ve stayed a bit longer than I planned to, mainly because I wanted to ride Space Mountain before I left and it was closed for most of the day. After I saw Jack, I went over to Space Mountain for my last ride of the trip.



Overall, I had a pretty good day. Space Mountain was still fun and I’m glad that I stayed to do it before I called it a day.

Getting onto the boat to get to the parking lot took quite a while. Normally I have my last day at Animal Kingdom, so I’m not really used to it taking so long to get to my car. I think the next time I should try to avoid Magic Kingdom for my departure day or hop to another park for the second half of the day.

I was able to get to Valdosta, Georgia before I had to stop for the night. Tomorrow it’s going to be a long drive home.

 

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Day 13: The Drive Home



I’m not quite sure how I booked the same hotel that I booked the last time I was driving home, but I did. I guess the place just looks a whole lot better on the outside than it does on the inside.

It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t exactly great either. The bed was comfortable and really that’s all that matters. I wouldn’t recommend it for an extended stay, but it got the job done.

The close to 800 mile drive back home wasn’t really all that bad. Getting through Atlanta sucked, but for the most part it was fine. My car was giving me fits while I was in Disney (all the maintenance lights turned on for some reason), but it all cleared up for the drive home. I guess I’ll need to figure out what’s wrong when I get back.

I pretty much did a straight shot back home. I didn’t stop to see anything and I limited my number if stops to the absolute minimum. As a result I got home a little before 9pm, which wasn’t bad at all.

The cats made sure that I knew they weren’t happy about the whole situation, but the reports from the cat sitter is that they did just fine. We watched some Disney Plus before it was time for bed.

Overall, not a bad day and I can’t wait to do it again in September.

 

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Post-Trip



I know that I kind of killed my diet while I was on vacation, so I gained 5 pounds. Which isn’t that bad and I kind of expected it. On the plus side, I walked well over 100 miles during my trip and I kept up with my weight training while I was on the trip.



I brought my own dumbbells to Riviera, so I was able to keep up with that aspect of my life and I used the gym at the offsite Hilton hotel. My big problem is that I normally only do 1 park meal a day, but I ate more than that. I kind of forgot to bring aluminum foil for my sandwiches.



I ate a few more snacks than I should, but I should hopefully drop the weight within the month or so.



I got my car checked and all I needed was a new battery and a coil. I was kind of hoping to buy a new one in the next six months to a year, but with the shortages on everything I may just hold off on it for a while longer.

The CRV has been a pretty good car with very minimal issues for me.



I need to call member services to renew my Annual Pass. I wish they made it easier, but if that’s what I have to do to get my DVC discount I guess that’s what I have to do.



Finally, I cancelled Dish and signed up for a gym. There’s only so much I can do in my home gym, so I’m pretty excited about it. They have a pool, so I should get back into swimming again. I also really like the indoor track and run 3-4 miles every time I go.

 

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Conclusions, Park Rankings



I really did enjoy my trip to Disney World. It’s where I like to go for vacation and I had a pretty good time. It’s still not what it used to be, but I’m hopeful that it will see a return to form very soon.

I’d say it’s important to manage your expectations if you’re going to go. I know many of us plan very hard for that perfect Disney vacation, but that’s just not going to happen right now. There’s just too many unknowns and many of the things that I love aren’t available right now.

I’d say go in with an open mind and just try to relax.

Disney’s Riviera Resort was great and I’m glad to be a DVC owner there. The resort itself is really pretty and I love all of the amenities. Hopefully I’ll be able to get into Topolino’s in September. The Skyliner situation was bad, but hopefully that should

My celebrity sighting was kind of weird. I’m still not sure who the young lady is or what she does, but all I know is that she likes very large bows and has a tall girlfriend. Honestly, I thought the girlfriend was the celebrity.

Park Rankings

1) Magic Kingdom: I’d say that Magic Kingdom is the best right now and it’s probably closest to being back to normal. There were heavy crowds, but the lines were mostly manageable. There was also lots of places to get snacks and I like the mini parades. However, there is a lack of good quick service options.

2) Animal Kingdom: I wasn’t quite sure what to put in the number two spot, but I gave the edge to Animal Kingdom. It may be because it’s my favorite park and it may be because of the animals, but it’s still a really good time. Some of the lines can get pretty nuts, but that seemed to be only during certain points if the day. It also has really good food.

3) Epcot: I almost put this at number 2, but the park is still a bit of a construction zone. It still did better than it had any right to given the situation, but it has the best food and entertainment in Disney World right now. The Skyliner also really sucked this trip, so that didn’t help either.

4) Disney’s Hollywood Studios: What’s crazy is that DHS is the most complete park right now, but it’s also the worst. The postage stamp park is great in normal times, but the restrictions made the crowds pretty unbearable. It’s also nearly impossible to get a boarding group for Rise. This park is probably best for the first two hours and last three hours. Hopefully entertainment and stuff comes back soon because they desperately need it.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading my trip report. I had a good time. I am learning how to make YouTube videos, so I may post a few dining reviews and stuff as I complete them.

I’ll be back in Disney World in September.

 

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Sunshine Seasons Dining Review

I'm still learning how to make videos on my Macintosh, so I'm sorry if it's not the greatest quality. This is my first dining review that I've ever done.

 

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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart - Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Inside the Festival Center at the Cider House Booth

 

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Flavor Full Kitchen - Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

I try the Cookie Butter Worms and Dirt non-alcoholic drink at the Flavor Full Kitchen booth.

 

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Disney's Riviera Resort Review

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

My celebrity sighting was kind of weird. I’m still not sure who the young lady is or what she does, but all I know is that she likes very large bows and has a tall girlfriend. Honestly, I thought the girlfriend was the celebrity.

Park Rankings

1) Magic Kingdom: I’d say that Magic Kingdom is the best right now and it’s probably closest to being back to normal. There were heavy crowds, but the lines were mostly manageable. There was also lots of places to get snacks and I like the mini parades. However, there is a lack of good quick service options.

2) Animal Kingdom: I wasn’t quite sure what to put in the number two spot, but I gave the edge to Animal Kingdom. It may be because it’s my favorite park and it may be because of the animals, but it’s still a really good time. Some of the lines can get pretty nuts, but that seemed to be only during certain points if the day. It also has really good food.

3) Epcot: I almost put this at number 2, but the park is still a bit of a construction zone. It still did better than it had any right to given the situation, but it has the best food and entertainment in Disney World right now. The Skyliner also really sucked this trip, so that didn’t help either.

4) Disney’s Hollywood Studios: What’s crazy is that DHS is the most complete park right now, but it’s also the worst. The postage stamp park is great in normal times, but the restrictions made the crowds pretty unbearable. It’s also nearly impossible to get a boarding group for Rise. This park is probably best for the first two hours and last three hours. Hopefully entertainment and stuff comes back soon because they desperately need it.

I wonder if the celebrity was JoJo Siwa.

I sometimes attempt to rank the parks and am not very successful with that activity. They all have their pros and cons!

 

[cajunfan]

I wonder if the celebrity was JoJo Siwa.

Was thinking the same thing....