****Official July 2021 Thread****

[dancergirlsmom]

I hope you all get out of MCO shortly and arrive home safely. I've been in your shoes and expect to be in them again with our late afternoon flight on 7/31.

I will be there with you. Late afternoon flight in June was delayed 1 hour due to weather.

 

[RunWI1265]

We were all probably on the same flight! Chicago? We had to run to our connection but we made it!

Good luck to the three of you waiting at MCO. Not trying to be negative, but I find if I know what to expect I'm better prepared. What did you find the most challenging during your trip?

Honestly, nothing was “challenging”. It was just very different. We also had the advantage of it just being me and my husband. I definitely would have been harder if we had our kids + stroller. If you are well-versed in getting around the parks you should be okay. If using the busses, getting that first bus for RD is important. When you hop in lines take note of their length and how long it took you to get onto the ride. That way you’ll have an estimate of actual wait versus listed wait. We had 3 full days plus a 2 hour morning and got a ton accomplished. I’m happy to answer any questions!

 

[preemiemama]

We were all probably on the same flight! Chicago? We had to run to our connection but we made it!



Honestly, nothing was “challenging”. It was just very different. We also had the advantage of it just being me and my husband. I definitely would have been harder if we had our kids + stroller. If you are well-versed in getting around the parks you should be okay. If using the busses, getting that first bus for RD is important. When you hop in lines take note of their length and how long it took you to get onto the ride. That way you’ll have an estimate of actual wait versus listed wait. We had 3 full days plus a 2 hour morning and got a ton accomplished. I’m happy to answer any questions!

Nope- Raleigh. And at our gate, I was REALLY glad I wasn't going to KC since they had about a 6 hour delay! I'm impressed you managed to get a lot accomplished. I really think the crowds got us more than the lines. There were a lot of people everywhere...and at some point each day we just decided it was more frustrating to us than worth it. So we'd head back, relax and regroup and come back later and see what happened.

 

[disneylover81]

I was headed to Memphis. Ended up delayed an hour. So not too bad. I just wish when the flights are delayed the magical express would let you stay the extra time at Disney instead of sitting at MCO. The worst was on the way to WDW last week… ended up not taking a direct flight because my travel peeps both had to work half a day so we took the last flight out of Memphis that day. It had an hour layover in Chicago. Well the Memphis flight got delayed an hour. So by the time we arrived in Chicago, that flight was boarded. We basically had 7 minutes to get off the first plane, run across the entire airport and get to the second flight. I sent my daughter running to catch it. When she got there they were doing the final call before they left us. I’m so glad she can run fast! Needless to say, we were not happy with Southwest that night. They knew we were delayed and they were still going to leave us ! Lesson learned … never take a flight with an hour layover, just in case there’s a delay.

Good luck to the three of you waiting at MCO. Not trying to be negative, but I find if I know what to expect I'm better prepared. What did you find the most challenging during your trip?

 

[kylenne]

I was headed to Memphis. Ended up delayed an hour. So not too bad. I just wish when the flights are delayed the magical express would let you stay the extra time at Disney instead of sitting at MCO. The worst was on the way to WDW last week… ended up not taking a direct flight because my travel peeps both had to work half a day so we took the last flight out of Memphis that day. It had an hour layover in Chicago. Well the Memphis flight got delayed an hour. So by the time we arrived in Chicago, that flight was boarded. We basically had 7 minutes to get off the first plane, run across the entire airport and get to the second flight. I sent my daughter running to catch it. When she got there they were doing the final call before they left us. I’m so glad she can run fast! Needless to say, we were not happy with Southwest that night. They knew we were delayed and they were still going to leave us ! Lesson learned … never take a flight with an hour layover, just in case there’s a delay.

Oof, this sounds like my rotten luck on July 4th weekend only I always fly direct. I did a half day at work that Friday hoping to get some time in Epcot, my 3:20pm JetBlue flight didn't end up leaving JFK until 5:45...I got to Coronado at shortly after 9 and had just enough time to drop my stuff off at GDT and get a Lyft to Epcot for fireworks.

Meanwhile that Monday my 8:20 flight didn't leave until nearly 10...thank god I was remote that week.

 

[RunWI1265]

Nope- Raleigh. And at our gate, I was REALLY glad I wasn't going to KC since they had about a 6 hour delay! I'm impressed you managed to get a lot accomplished. I really think the crowds got us more than the lines. There were a lot of people everywhere...and at some point each day we just decided it was more frustrating to us than worth it. So we'd head back, relax and regroup and come back later and see what happened.

We were only able to accomplish a lot because we didn't have our kids. And we were just there in May so we were okay passing on some rides. Like we didn't do TT or Frozen because we rode them a handful of times with the kids. We concentrated on the rides we can't do together or that my 4yo won't do. Definitely needed to be more strategic, too. Curious, because you said you are a July vet. Was the weather we experienced normal for July? Or hotter? I don't think I've ever sweat so much haha! I did Sept and May, fully masked, 90+ degrees this July trip seemed soooo much hotter!

Side note: I was thinking about our trip. We are a FP only family. So I don't have a ton of pre-pandemic standing in line experience. So I realized I can't accurately judge the line comparison from pre-covid to now. I have no clue! Maybe this is normal??

 

[preemiemama]

We were only able to accomplish a lot because we didn't have our kids. And we were just there in May so we were okay passing on some rides. Like we didn't do TT or Frozen because we rode them a handful of times with the kids. We concentrated on the rides we can't do together or that my 4yo won't do. Definitely needed to be more strategic, too. Curious, because you said you are a July vet. Was the weather we experienced normal for July? Or hotter? I don't think I've ever sweat so much haha! I did Sept and May, fully masked, 90+ degrees this July trip seemed soooo much hotter!

Side note: I was thinking about our trip. We are a FP only family. So I don't have a ton of pre-pandemic standing in line experience. So I realized I can't accurately judge the line comparison from pre-covid to now. I have no clue! Maybe this is normal??

It was actually a bit cooler than usual- at least at the start of the trip! The last few days were about right... The sun is just so unforgiving in the summer- it is just so hot. So the temperature feels so much hotter because there's no escaping it. I was REALLY glad we had the 1 BR Villa at Jambo because we did laundry there daily from all the sweating!

I think the lines seemed longer because of how spread out they were. We typically maximize rope drop and then use our FPs, so I think between that and the crowds we were frustrated. We also spent the bulk of our time for RD at the 2 worst parks- DHS and MK. We had a little better luck at MK, except when rides broke down, but really felt frustrated with DHS. We could typically do more than 1-2 rides with low waits, and our max was 3 (MMRR, TOT and RNRC with about an hour wait total on our first morning). But then we felt we were "hanging around" waiting for ROTR because we had a BG from 50-70 and all the lines had high waits with a couple exceptions. I don't think we were alone there, either, because every time we left through the Grand Ave tunnel between Muppets and GE there were LOTS of people lining the tunnel, sitting on the ground checking their phones and just waiting around.

We did get our list of rides completed at AK (RD for FOP, Navi and Everest x2 before our 10 am breakfast at Tusker House). We also did OK with Epcot- we spent most of our time eating in restaurants or at F&W, saw EF and were able to ride Soarin and TT twice over the course of the week (along with SE, Nemo and GF in Mexico).

Like I said, the crowds got to us along with the lines. We didn't expect to accomplish as much as we had in the past, but certainly more than we did. I just really feel like they let in more people than they could handle- they needed more places to put them. CMs were visibly overwhelmed, and we always tried to be kind. They are the ones catching the heat, and they didn't cause the situation.

I don't know that we had a miserable trip, but it also wan't great. I know it's a pandemic, but they didn't have to pack people in before they had the means to handle the increased attendance. I think that's what I'm most disappointed in- it could have been better and it didn't seem like the Bobs/others in charge cared.

 

[100AcreWood]

Preemiemama, that's my concern. They're packing people in without the means to support the crowd.

 

[JennLTX]

Well, we got back this past Tuesday, and I have to say this really was my second favorite trip ever (#1 will forever be our first trip as DVC owners). Yes, it was hot as you-know-what; yes, we stood in way more lines than we ever have; yes, you can tell they need more CMs, and I saw waaaaay more Earning My Ears ribbons than I have collectively in all my trips.

That said, the boys had a BLAST running around on their own, we never had an issue with getting nosh when we wanted it (other than arguing over what exactly we were going to eat), F&W was completely amazing, and the only weather issue we had was (of course) on Blizzard Beach day, but even then it resulted in the park clearing out to the point that I plopped myself into a tube on the lazy river and NEVER. BUMPED. INTO. ANYONE. It was that empty.

All those stories about the lines moving quickly because there were no FPs? Completely true. I was shocked. I'd say maybe 10% of the posted wait times were accurate or longer, and all the rest were definitely shorter. The longest I waited in a line was 45 minutes for MMRR, and the longest the boys waited was 60 minutes for RNR. Not wonderful but not the end of the world, either. By the end of the trip we'd ridden everything we wanted to ride, including ROTR, MFSR, and FOP twice each.

So I count this as a roaring success. Hope everyone else had / is having / will have a magical time, too!!!

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Well, we got back this past Tuesday, and I have to say this really was my second favorite trip ever (#1 will forever be our first trip as DVC owners). Yes, it was hot as you-know-what; yes, we stood in way more lines than we ever have; yes, you can tell they need more CMs, and I saw waaaaay more Earning My Ears ribbons than I have collectively in all my trips.

That said, the boys had a BLAST running around on their own, we never had an issue with getting nosh when we wanted it (other than arguing over what exactly we were going to eat), F&W was completely amazing, and the only weather issue we had was (of course) on Blizzard Beach day, but even then it resulted in the park clearing out to the point that I plopped myself into a tube on the lazy river and NEVER. BUMPED. INTO. ANYONE. It was that empty.

All those stories about the lines moving quickly because there were no FPs? Completely true. I was shocked. I'd say maybe 10% of the posted wait times were accurate or longer, and all the rest were definitely shorter. The longest I waited in a line was 45 minutes for MMRR, and the longest the boys waited was 60 minutes for RNR. Not wonderful but not the end of the world, either. By the end of the trip we'd ridden everything we wanted to ride, including ROTR, MFSR, and FOP twice each.

So I count this as a roaring success. Hope everyone else had / is having / will have a magical time, too!!!

Were you at BB on the 14., too? We were so happy I had a patio.

 

[JennLTX]

Were you at BB on the 14., too? We were so happy I had a patio.

We were!!! LOVED that patio. Although we did go to the covered area to eat lunch, and when we got back there were PEOPLE in OUR PATIO. They tried to pass it off as they were first timers and didn't know. Seriously??? We had stuff there, it's clearly NOT open to the public, NICE TRY.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

We were!!! LOVED that patio. Although we did go to the covered area to eat lunch, and when we got back there were PEOPLE in OUR PATIO. They tried to pass it off as they were first timers and didn't know. Seriously??? We had stuff there, it's clearly NOT open to the public, NICE TRY.

We had patio #1. We ended up ordering food to the patio. "Morgan" brought it over. Iwas disappointed with the weather but in the end we probably did more because the park was so empty.

 

[JennLTX]

We had patio #1. We ended up ordering food to the patio. "Morgan" brought it over. Iwas disappointed with the weather but in the end we probably did more because the park was so empty.

We were in 14 and our CM, Derrick, was a DELIGHT. We'd ordered the food for the patio, then the storm started up, so he tracked us down and served it at the Lodge. I have to say, the chicken tenders platter was a DEAL and surprisingly good. We actually had an extra kid along (a friend who'd moved from Houston to Orlando), and the patio was absolutely the right move. 10/10 would do it again!!!

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

We were in 14 and our CM, Derrick, was a DELIGHT. We'd ordered the food for the patio, then the storm started up, so he tracked us down and served it at the Lodge. I have to say, the chicken tenders platter was a DEAL and surprisingly good. We actually had an extra kid along (a friend who'd moved from Houston to Orlando), and the patio was absolutely the right move. 10/10 would do it again!!!

Me, too! It was pricey but I can't imagine going back to random chairs.

 

[RunWI1265]

It was actually a bit cooler than usual- at least at the start of the trip!

This is shocking to me! I think I’m one and done with July! Haha! We were also very grateful for laundry. It was our first time in a one-bedroom. How do we ever go back to a studio!?

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

This is shocking to me! I think I’m one and done with July! Haha! We were also very grateful for laundry. It was our first time in a one-bedroom. How do we ever go back to a studio!?

The same way my DH who snores and I have inched our way over to a 2 bed when we have to work on our trips. It's hard to go back to a 1 bed.

 

[preemiemama]

This is shocking to me! I think I’m one and done with July! Haha! We were also very grateful for laundry. It was our first time in a one-bedroom. How do we ever go back to a studio!?

Ha ha, I know. We can do it but the king bed and laundry is worth the extra points. And yeah, July is not for the faint of heart heat-wise!

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We’re here now and it’s been a mixed bag. Thursday at MK was rough, that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten sick from the heat, and I’m not a July rookie. Cast member at Pecos was great about letting us slip in quickly to grab ice water to cool down and I was better. Four attractions in four hours. Only two of those were rides. Turned away three times for different ride breakdowns. We ended up leaving in the afternoon to get out of the heat.
However…. Things perked WAY up after that! We came back for a quick bite to eat at Casey’s before our fireworks cruise. It was so amazing! I felt like it wiped the stress of the day away. I highly recommend.
Friday at AK was much better. Hit Pandora, safari, FOTLK all pretty easily. You don’t need to get to the show super early, we showed up about 25 minutes early. I teared up several times, it’s so wonderful to set the performing arts again!!!
I just scored boarding group 68 for Rise today, so it’s shaping up to be a great day. We are NOT rope dropping this time because of crowds (which I know affects how many rides we can do).

 

[RunWI1265]

We’re here now and it’s been a mixed bag. Thursday at MK was rough, that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten sick from the heat, and I’m not a July rookie. Cast member at Pecos was great about letting us slip in quickly to grab ice water to cool down and I was better. Four attractions in four hours. Only two of those were rides. Turned away three times for different ride breakdowns. We ended up leaving in the afternoon to get out of the heat.
However…. Things perked WAY up after that! We came back for a quick bite to eat at Casey’s before our fireworks cruise. It was so amazing! I felt like it wiped the stress of the day away. I highly recommend.
Friday at AK was much better. Hit Pandora, safari, FOTLK all pretty easily. You don’t need to get to the show super early, we showed up about 25 minutes early. I teared up several times, it’s so wonderful to set the performing arts again!!!
I just scored boarding group 68 for Rise today, so it’s shaping up to be a great day. We are NOT rope dropping this time because of crowds (which I know affects how many rides we can do).

Good luck today at HS! Fingers crossed wait times are good to you today! Enjoy!

 

[chad_1138]

Great morning so far! Scored boarding group 29 for Rise, standing at the very front of the rope drop line for Rock n Roller Coaster, and just scored an Ohana breakfast reservation for Saturday morning before we depart!!!