Retirement Means I'm Going to Disney! The COVID Edition

[Sydney2977]

The magic bands are awesome~ Great Job~

You reminded me to have extra masks with us in case of rain. We will - but maybe even more so.

Great pictures!

Thank you so much!

Regarding masks- I wore fabric ones and DH wore the disposable. I brought an extra cloth with me each day and he had extra disposables and we kept them in baggies to stay dry in case needed. I never needed to change mine, but DH did have a few break and he had to replace them. He said that's been the case at his work too with disposables- sometimes the straps just pop.

 

[Sydney2977]

Dinner at the Grand Floridian Café:

Our dinner reservation was for 6:00 and we arrived about 10 minutes early. I was able to check in on the MDE app and the nice hostess took our temperatures (something they will do at table service restaurants at resorts) and told us our table would soon be ready. We waited about 2 more minutes before we were escorted to our table. We'd never dined here before so I figured it was a good time to try it since we had to go to MK anyway. I liked the Victorian décor and the openness of the dining area.


It wasn't crowded and they had tables blocked off and spaced nicely. Our server Jing came out promptly and got our drinks- water with lime- while we checked out the menus. She had brought out the sheet to scan to pull up the menus on our phones. I can see them using this system going forward as it will enable restaurants to update their menus digitally without having to print new ones each time a change is made. Jing was on the spot all during our meal, refilling our glasses and making sure we had everything we needed. It was annoying having to try to communicate with masks but she was super sweet the whole time. Probably the best service of our whole trip- that's why I remembered her name.
DH ordered what I figured he would- the New York strip steak. It came with cheesy gratin potatoes and broccolini. He said this was the best steak he's had in a long time, and definitely the best of the trip. It was a generous portion too.


Another big surprise- I ordered seafood- the miso-glazed salmon. (No one else in our family really likes seafood but me, so I order it when we go out a lot.) It came with sticky rice, which I though might be bland but it was amazingly flavorful. I would have ordered the rice as a side by itself, and I am not a huge rice eater! It also had some nice crisp green beans. The salmon itself was cooked to perfection and the glazed was a wonderful finish.


We cleaned our plates because the food was so delicious but were thoroughly stuffed with no room for dessert. After Jing scanned my MB for payment we were ready to head out. I will also note that we saw CM's disinfecting each table and all chair surfaces after each party left. They really are doing a great job in my opinion. As we walked out I had to check this out- a chocolate sculpture that was so detailed and lifelike I couldn't believe it was all edible!


We both agreed that the Grand Floridian Café is on our list to come back to eat at.

 

[Junior8]

Sounds like like a great first day!

 

[Wood Nymph]

It sounds like a good first night. Dinner looks like it was a success. We have several restaurant reservations and I hope they all go as well as your meal at GF.

 

[CessnaPilot]

(Dave from Magical Trips) I really enjoy your trip reports, Sydney. And those Magic Bands! What talent. Thanks for giving us the link to DISboards.

 

[footballmouse]

OMG, your dinner looked so good. Not really looking forward to my tuna & crackers for lunch in about an hour

 

[Sydney2977]

Sounds like like a great first day!

Still got a little more to post, but yes, it was a nice first day. I'm going to try to finish it up tonight!

It sounds like a good first night. Dinner looks like it was a success. We have several restaurant reservations and I hope they all go as well as your meal at GF.

We were really pleased with all our ts meals, but this one was one of the best. Hope yours are too!

(Dave from Magical Trips) I really enjoy your trip reports, Sydney. And those Magic Bands! What talent. Thanks for giving us the link to DISboards.

Welcome Dave! Glad you made it over. You really gotta check out all the great resources on this site. Thanks for the compliment on the MB's. And I promised we waved at y'all on the way there and back!

OMG, your dinner looked so good. Not really looking forward to my tuna & crackers for lunch in about an hour
[/QUOTE}

It was spectacular! I'm glad I'm not the only one who daydreams about Disney food while eating tuna and crackers (my go to lunch as well)!

 

[MOMMYISAGENIUS]

This trip was originally supposed to take place April 19-26 to celebrate my retirement after 22 years at JCPenney (and the journey from part time sales associate to assistant store manager) on April 20 and DH's birthday on April 25. I had been planning it for a year once I made the decision to officially retire. This would be the second trip for just DH and I as all but one of our many trips have also included our two boys and twice their girlfriends too. Then COVID-19 hit and changed everything. We were originally booked at Yacht Club, then when I had to pick new dates we switched to Coronado Destino Towers (told nothing available at YC), then Beach Club (told nothing available at YC), then back to Yacht Club when those other resorts announced they wouldn't be open. After working the entire time during the pandemic (my current job is office/sales manager at a place that makes cotton candy and candy apples, and our grocery demand skyrocketed during all of this) I was so looking forward to a break, even if it meant limited offerings, things being closed, and having to wear masks I wear them at work anyway and have been since April).

Our new dates were Sept. 13-20. We originally had FP picks for the trip, had to re-make ones for the new dates, then had those cancelled when they stated there would be no FP or park hopping, and had to make park reservations for specific days. I ended up doing dining reservations four different times as well when Disney would cancel them due to changes. DH and I love pin trading and had bought a bunch back in Feb. that we were eagerly awaiting to see if we could even use. We had some new Disney shirts we were waiting to wear. The departure day finally came and I was excited, but also a little apprehensive about how everything would work out, especially since the first thing that happened did not look like a good omen...

Congratulations on your retirement. And thank your for all your hard work and dedication.

 

[CessnaPilot]

Arrival Evening:

This was going to be one of the few times we planned to drive on this trip. Usually we are the type to arrive in the Disney bubble and only take Disney transportation. I know some people complain about buses and such but we've always had good luck with all transportation for the most part. I navigated us to GF where we had a dinner reservation and once we arrived the first thing we needed to do was head to MK to activate our military tickets (DH is retired). This would be our first experience with temperature checks. There was a station for that as you went out to the monorail stop and it was quick and easy, followed by a quick security check as well. Before we knew it our monorail was pulling up.
View attachment 531535

Of course it wasn't busy at that time so we got a whole car to ourselves! You can see in the picture how there is a gray partition between the two sections of the car, and only one groupd is allowed on each bench of the car.
View attachment 531536

On the way to MK it looked like the skies would open any minute so we hoped it would hold out long enough for us to get to guest services and back. You can kind of see how they're working on that walkway from GF to MK as well.
View attachment 531537

We hit Mk right at 5:00 , there was no one in line at guest services, and the CM was super quick and efficient about getting our tickets active. There were lots of CM's around directing people but it really wasn't crowded. The entry area where everyone likes to take pictures had plenty of opportunity for pictures with no one else in the shot.
View attachment 531538


We got back on the resort monorail loop and this time had another couple in the car across from us. They were late 20's early 30's maybe, and had clearly had too much to drink! At first we thought they were just tired, and the woman was looking like she was falling asleep on the man's shoulder. But then his head started bobbing and when they tried to talk quietly to each other they were clearly slurring their speech. I've seen that at Epcot, especially during the festivals, but not at MK before! We giggled about it and hoped they didn't notice. After passing through Contemporary, TTC, and the Poly it was time to get off at GF.

We had a little time before our 6:00 dinner, so we looked around a bit. We peeked our head's in the new Enchanted Rose Lounge, where just a few people were in the main section, and it is gorgeous! The side wasn't even occupied at the time so I snapped a quick shot. It is so cute and well decorated.
View attachment 531539

We popped down to the lobby to see if they had a pin board, but the CM working there told us no, and she didn't know anywhere that was doing pin trading. So we went ahead to check in for dinner since it was just about time. One funny thing I noticed through the window was the NBA Barbershop- set up for the players staying at the regular side of GF. Clearly security was making sure no rogue guests tried to get over those blue partitions!
View attachment 531540

I see that they didn't have the pin boards, but were the cast members trading pins?

 

[luckylady]

Thanks for the link from over at MT. I always look forward to reading about your trips. Think I will plan on GFC for our first night dinner. Sounds like it was a good place to eat. Can’t wait for more.

 

[Sydney2977]

I see that they didn't have the pin boards, but were the cast members trading pins?

At this time no CM's have individual pins to trade. The only way we were able to trade is by figuring out where the pin boards were- which proved to be a challenge in some cases because CM's didn't know where they were, and there are lots of CM's now not working where they originally work- different resorts, attractions, restaurants- so they may not be familiar with these things. I will be posting where we did end up finding them though.

Thanks for the link from over at MT. I always look forward to reading about your trips. Think I will plan on GFC for our first night dinner. Sounds like it was a good place to eat. Can’t wait for more.

Welcome! Glad you came to read along. I never really read a lot about GFC and was very pleasantly surprised. Definitely give it a try! Plus now that the blue wall from the NBA is gone, the views out the windows will be much nicer!

 

[Sydney2977]

Last of Arrival Evening:

After our delicious dinner we took a little walk around GF. Since there is no one staying at the regular resort- only DVC- it was practically empty in the lobby. It really is a beautiful resort, and was especially enjoyable this evening. I had a funny flash back memory of when we had visited with the kids years ago and DS2 claimed that the large "bird cage" was for Kevin from "Up"!



We got back to the car and headed "home" to YC. It had been sprinkling a bit again but stopped by the time we got there. On a mission to find pins we went down to the Market at Ale & Compass to inquire and sure enough they had a pin board- the only one at YC! We were able to trade a few each and were super excited. They have a little bucket to put your pins in then you point to which pins you want (up to 2 per guest at each location we found during the trip) and the CM takes them off the board to give you. The CM said they sanitize them every so often and then put the new ones back on the board. It was still not too late so we took a walk over to BC. There we were told at the check in desk that BC does not have any pin boards at this time. So we walked around the lake to BW. Not only did their front desk have a pin board that we got to trade at (plus very friendly CM's like we encountered on our stay there last year) but they told us there was also pin trading at their store out on the boardwalk, The Screen Door! We headed there next and found they still have the little chest behind the check out counter in the middle of the store. We got some trades there, looked around a bit, and headed back to our room. Here's some views from around the lake that night. It love all the lights and the overall view from all around.



We got cleaned up for the night and relaxed for a bit before drifting off to sleep. We wanted to be plenty rested for our first park day. Can anybody guess which park we were headed to first?

 

[rdkeim]

A good first day! Your dinner looks very good. Nice you had time to just walk around and explore the area. Guessing your first park is HS??

 

[Wood Nymph]

Beach Club never had a pin board. The greeter would have the pins with them.

I like the suggestion that the large cage is for Kevin.

 

[disneyseniors]

Following along. Congratulations on your retirement and your WDW trip
My husband retires in one week!!! Yea! Can't wait for that and our traveling plans to start.

 

[Sydney2977]

A good first day! Your dinner looks very good. Nice you had time to just walk around and explore the area. Guessing your first park is HS??

Thanks for joining along! Not going to HS first, but you'll see soon!

Beach Club never had a pin board. The greeter would have the pins with them.

I like the suggestion that the large cage is for Kevin.

Ah, good to know about BC. We've always pin traded while resort hopping, and I forget who has boards since we also used to trade with CM's at resorts too.

 

[Sydney2977]

Following along. Congratulations on your retirement and your WDW trip
My husband retires in one week!!! Yea! Can't wait for that and our traveling plans to start.

Welcome, and congrats to your husband! I hope you get to enjoy some travel adventures together now. This is just my first retirement- DH retired from the Air Force in 2014 too, so we're both working towards our 2nd retirements now!

 

[Sydney2977]

First Park Day:
We got a pretty good night's sleep on Sunday, except it seemed our neighbor right above us kept dropping something on the floor loudly and repeatedly. It was the only night it happened, but I swear if it would have continued much longer I was going to march up stairs and find out why they were causing such a commotion! I got up about 7:00 and got ready then relaxed on the balcony while DH got ready. I picked Stitch shirt to wear while he wore his Hakuna Matata shirt.
I forgot to mention that when we stopped in at the Market at Ale & Compass the night before we had decided to purchase refillable mugs. We do end up using them a lot each trip but have so many I didn't know if we were going to, since we already had ones from last year and they don't make them resort specific anymore. But they had just put out the Halloween ones (perfect for me), and for an extra $10 you could get a nicer metal Star Wars one (which is what DH decided to get). It wasn't busy at all and we had a nice chat with the CM Chris too. Normally you have to bring your mug with you to fill up, but due to COVID restrictions, they aren't allowing guests to re-fill their drinks. Instead a CM is manning each drink station and will ask you what you'd like and put it in a paper cup for you. I ended up bringing my mug with me a lot to have to fill up with water, but DH had his Camel Bak for water. Chris told us that you don't have to have your mug, since they are giving you a paper cup anyway, and you just need to show your receipt, even suggesting that you can take a picture of it if you'd like to show that, and a CM would get your drink. DH didn't bring his mug the whole time, and CM's at every resort we visited and got a drink at were fine with just me showing my mug, or the receipt.
For breakfast I tend to like something sweet, along with coffee, while DH likes something heartier, but he doesn't like eggs. M@A&C was perfect for this. I got a giant sticky bun (totally reminded me of ones my aunt used to make) and my coffee, DH got the breakfast bowl with a Mickey waffle, tater tots, bacon, and a biscuit, and gave me the eggs. Some other guests were picking up mobile orders but we were still able to place our order with a CM. There were some tables and chairs both inside and out in the hallway, and normally I would think it would get crowded fast, but we were able to get a table for two.
After we ate we checked the pin board and met a lovely CM, whose name escapes me now, that we had a nice conversation with. We became her regulars every morning and by the third morning she was getting the board out when she saw us come in! We popped up to the room to brush teeth, grab our bags, and down to the bus stop for us. There were a bunch of people lined up leading from the bus stop back to the front door, but no telling which bus everyone was waiting for. Then we noticed only like 3 people were under the covered part of the bus stop, so we walked around through the parking lot to wait on a bench there. When the bus pulled up we were going to let the other people who had been waiting in line get on, but only three groups did and everyone else just remained in line- must be waiting for another park. So we were able to hop on and away we went!
The bus situation didn't worry me, and I actually liked it since it wasn't crowded with people right on top of you like normal. They have it sectioned off with numbers on each seat for that section number. The driver on some buses we got on would assign each party a section based on their size, but sometimes when it was just a few groups they just let you pick. There are partitions up between each section too. Before we knew it we were pulling up at our destination. Have you guessed where we're going yet?


I took this pic for my niece since she loves dragons. She actually has a year long project this year in 3rd grade where they have to design a Disney attraction- there will be all sorts of mini assignments during the year leading up to the final project. She has already come up with the idea of doing something with a dragon and Mulan. She lives in Texas and has never been to any Disney parks, but she loves all things Disney! DH and I keep saying we're just going to have her parents put her on a plane, we'll pick her up, and take her to the parks.
So this would be our first time going to a park since re-opening. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily we got through the temp checks and security screening. I was expecting huge lines and it to take forever, but it was a breeze. Then we just scanned our Magic Bands, no finger scan, and we into AK! It was about 9:15, and it still wasn't too crowded heading along the paths leading to Discovery Island. We caught a glimpse of this cute little guy sleeping!


This anteater was so cute all rolled up- we've only ever seen him walking around. We checked out some more animals while leisurely making our way to our first attraction of the day. Normally we have a plan for rides and shows, based on fast passes, so this was nice to be able to just wing it. We figured we'd hit the safari first before it got too hot and while the animals would probably be out. When we got there we were happy to see it was only listed as a 30 minute wait. With social distancing the lines definitely look like they'll take longer to get through than they actually do. There are markers about 6 feet apart for each party to wait behind. Of course there are some people who wait behind the lines and some who spread their whole party out between the lines but you can't control that. It was about 20 minutes before we got to board our safari vehicle. There are partitions set up between the spots to get on the ride and between each row of seats on the ride vehicle. Right now they are seating one party per row.


We experienced an awesome safari. It was getting warm, made more apparent by the masks, but there were tons of animals out. I'll share pics of some of my favorites.
African painted dogs lounging in the sun.


Super up close with the zebras.


We had to wait on some gnu blocking the road!


There's a new baby mandrill!


Young elephants at play.


The cheetahs were out to see for once!

 

[Sydney2977]

OK, just sharing a few more pics from the safari, since it was such a great one. The lions were up and walking around, and the rhinos were right by the road and so close to the vehicles! I ha to resist the urge to reach out and try to pet them! I think DH was happy for the masks to partially stifle my squeals of delight! I'm like a little kid when it comes to animals.




Overall it was an awesome way to start our first park day.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The timing of your post is perfect for us. We will be arriving at the YC tomorrow.

Chris told us that you don't have to have your mug, since they are giving you a paper cup anyway, and you just need to show your receipt, even suggesting that you can take a picture of it if you'd like to show that, and a CM would get your drink.

I usually buy one refillable mug every trip but was planning to skip it this time. But maybe I'll buy a Halloween mug. The information about the receipt is really good. I can pick up a drink without dragging the mug back and forth with me.

I got a giant sticky bun

We love the sticky bun.

here are partitions set up between the spots to get on the ride and between each row of seats on the ride vehicle.

This is the first picture that I've seen of the partitions they have for the safari.

The lions were up and walking around,

That is a really good picture of the lion. We have only seen them laying on the rocks.