Who Needs to Cruise? #Disney4Ever
- Thread starter MK2010
- Start date
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
That's super sweet of you to say. Especially since, as I look at them on this computer, they are all super small. I swear when I was at home on my laptop they were larger. Grrrr.....me and uploading pictures!
Hopefully tomorrow I'll get an update in. Yesterday was my first day back at work after having the weekend off and I'm not off again until next Tuesday. Tomorrow however, I only have to come in for a couple of hours to renew my CPR. But i count it as a work day. If i have to step foot on this campus, it counts!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
I'm baaaaack! I know! I know, its been forever since an update and y'all feel abandoned. But I honestly couldn't help it. This marks the end of an 8 day stretch at work. (Well, technically I'm on call until 6 am tomorrow, but lets think good thoughts, shall we?) And last Sunday I got sick. I was just dizzy, but it WOULD NOT go away. I went to urgent care on Wednesday. They didn't have any answers, but they did inform me that my blood sugar levels were very elevated. So, I have an appointment with my PCP in the morning. As for the dizziness, it resolved on its own, so it was probably just a random virus. Anyway, over the next 3 days, hopefully we can get through my amazing day at Animal Kingdom!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
September 12- Animal Kingdom AM
This morning the alarm went off at 6 am. David slept in. We were headed for AK this morning and didn't need to leave until about 8. I like a leisurely morning. David likes sleep. Lol. I will say, one thing about these reduced park hours, I like not HAVING to get up at the crack of dawn and rushing out the door. Of course, I feel like part of that is having our own transportation and not relying on Disney transportation. David still prefers Disney transportation.
We left the resort at 8:08 and arrived at the parking lot entrance at 8:20
We weren't too far back in the line this morning. Also, they weren't turning people away to make the loop like yesterday at Epcot. We were held in this pattern for a while though. Not too long because by 8:45 we were in the park. I took a quick restroom break and met up with Tammy and her husband Brian.
We walked straight on to Navi River journey at 8:57. That is not a technique that would work anymore as the parks continue to get busier. Here, is an interesting side note, my stock photos are missing pictures from Pandora. That is odd. We actually boarded at 9:02 and were off the ride at 9:09.
So, of course we went straight for FOP next. It took awhile to find the end of the line. It was back toward the bridge that goes to Africa. We entered the queue at 9:18 and were in the preload area by 9:41. Sivako! Not a bad wait for not having a fastpass and it wasn't our first ride of the day! After successfully linking with our avatar we completed our expedition with Alpha Centauri by 9:53.
From here we went over to ride David's favorite ride in all of Animal Kingdom....maybe all of Disney World (well, it would be his favorite until tomorrow, our Hollywood Studios day!) We were off to the regions of Tibet in hunt of a yeti! Yes, bby 10:14 we had journeyed from the land of Pandora all the way to Asia and the mountains of Tibet to catch a ride up Expedition Everest.
We boarded our train up the mountain at 10:18.
Luckily, we escaped the clutches of the Yeti once again. But it was close! We safely returned to base camp at 10:24. Our wallet also made it through the gift shop unscathed.
Next up was a first for David and I. But first, before our first, we spent some time watching these guys:
They're not quite as talented as the Tumble Monkeys over at Festival of the Lion King, but they'll do.
So up next was Kali River Rapids. Yes, I have been going to Disney for 10 years and taken like 12 trips and never ridden Kali River Rapids. Idk why. We did pause to put our ponchos on while watching the monkeys and took advantage of our stationary status to rehydrate from our water bottles. We got on Kali River Rapids at 10:29 and rode twice in a row. Well, actually, David and Tammy rode twice in a row. They just had you get off your raft and get into another waiting raft. Brian and I sat out the second go round. He has permanent issues with vertigo that give him nausea if he's not careful. I wasn't feeling 100% today and had been a little nauseous off and on all morning. So we passed the time with a water break.
We rounded out our morning with a trek through Maharajah.
The tiger was in a mood! He especially got irritated when a lady came through with her service dog.
I'm not usually a fan of the walk through look at the animal attractions. I get that Animal Kingdom isn't a glorified zoo, but honestly, animals don't really do it for me. Tammy and I had discussed before this trip however, that we really wanted to slow down and notice the details. So we did. and I have tons of pictures of........birds.
I will say, I still skipped the bat habitat. I don't care what you say. Bats are creepy and I ain't about that. I AIN'T.
After the Maharajah Jungle Trek we left Tammy and Brian as they had a lunch reservation at Yak and Yeti. We wouldn't see them again on this day.
I'm going to leave you here for today and go pick my son up from band practice. But, when I update again, BRING ON THE CHARACTER CALVACADES!
This morning the alarm went off at 6 am. David slept in. We were headed for AK this morning and didn't need to leave until about 8. I like a leisurely morning. David likes sleep. Lol. I will say, one thing about these reduced park hours, I like not HAVING to get up at the crack of dawn and rushing out the door. Of course, I feel like part of that is having our own transportation and not relying on Disney transportation. David still prefers Disney transportation.
We left the resort at 8:08 and arrived at the parking lot entrance at 8:20
We weren't too far back in the line this morning. Also, they weren't turning people away to make the loop like yesterday at Epcot. We were held in this pattern for a while though. Not too long because by 8:45 we were in the park. I took a quick restroom break and met up with Tammy and her husband Brian.
We walked straight on to Navi River journey at 8:57. That is not a technique that would work anymore as the parks continue to get busier. Here, is an interesting side note, my stock photos are missing pictures from Pandora. That is odd. We actually boarded at 9:02 and were off the ride at 9:09.
So, of course we went straight for FOP next. It took awhile to find the end of the line. It was back toward the bridge that goes to Africa. We entered the queue at 9:18 and were in the preload area by 9:41. Sivako! Not a bad wait for not having a fastpass and it wasn't our first ride of the day! After successfully linking with our avatar we completed our expedition with Alpha Centauri by 9:53.
From here we went over to ride David's favorite ride in all of Animal Kingdom....maybe all of Disney World (well, it would be his favorite until tomorrow, our Hollywood Studios day!) We were off to the regions of Tibet in hunt of a yeti! Yes, bby 10:14 we had journeyed from the land of Pandora all the way to Asia and the mountains of Tibet to catch a ride up Expedition Everest.
We boarded our train up the mountain at 10:18.
Luckily, we escaped the clutches of the Yeti once again. But it was close! We safely returned to base camp at 10:24. Our wallet also made it through the gift shop unscathed.
Next up was a first for David and I. But first, before our first, we spent some time watching these guys:
They're not quite as talented as the Tumble Monkeys over at Festival of the Lion King, but they'll do.
So up next was Kali River Rapids. Yes, I have been going to Disney for 10 years and taken like 12 trips and never ridden Kali River Rapids. Idk why. We did pause to put our ponchos on while watching the monkeys and took advantage of our stationary status to rehydrate from our water bottles. We got on Kali River Rapids at 10:29 and rode twice in a row. Well, actually, David and Tammy rode twice in a row. They just had you get off your raft and get into another waiting raft. Brian and I sat out the second go round. He has permanent issues with vertigo that give him nausea if he's not careful. I wasn't feeling 100% today and had been a little nauseous off and on all morning. So we passed the time with a water break.We rounded out our morning with a trek through Maharajah.
The tiger was in a mood! He especially got irritated when a lady came through with her service dog.
I'm not usually a fan of the walk through look at the animal attractions. I get that Animal Kingdom isn't a glorified zoo, but honestly, animals don't really do it for me. Tammy and I had discussed before this trip however, that we really wanted to slow down and notice the details. So we did. and I have tons of pictures of........birds.
I will say, I still skipped the bat habitat. I don't care what you say. Bats are creepy and I ain't about that. I AIN'T.After the Maharajah Jungle Trek we left Tammy and Brian as they had a lunch reservation at Yak and Yeti. We wouldn't see them again on this day.
I'm going to leave you here for today and go pick my son up from band practice. But, when I update again, BRING ON THE CHARACTER CALVACADES!
JWeston8716
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2017
This made me laugh. The replaceable irreplaceable paper wrist bands!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Life update...not that anyone asked. 
I went to the Dr yesterday. Mainly to get my A1C checked out. They called today and I am at a 5.7!!!! Yes, it is creeping up there, but I am not a diabetic yet!!! So, back on keto I go. I started keto a year ago on Oct 1. I lost 60 pounds. Then Covid hit and I stopped following my diet and gained 10 pounds. So not terrible, but still.
This was at the 20 Years of Dreams Event in August. Not much changed between this pic and when I started keto in October.
This was in April before Covid derailed my progress train.
Anyway, I've enjoyed having the last couple of days off. I've cleaned our my fridge, freezer, closet. Cleaned my house. And folded the laundry that's been sitting in the living room chair for two weeks! And tonight, I shall finish updating our day at AK!
I went to the Dr yesterday. Mainly to get my A1C checked out. They called today and I am at a 5.7!!!! Yes, it is creeping up there, but I am not a diabetic yet!!! So, back on keto I go. I started keto a year ago on Oct 1. I lost 60 pounds. Then Covid hit and I stopped following my diet and gained 10 pounds. So not terrible, but still.This was at the 20 Years of Dreams Event in August. Not much changed between this pic and when I started keto in October.
This was in April before Covid derailed my progress train.
Anyway, I've enjoyed having the last couple of days off. I've cleaned our my fridge, freezer, closet. Cleaned my house. And folded the laundry that's been sitting in the living room chair for two weeks! And tonight, I shall finish updating our day at AK!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Our Alright Afternoon at AK
We had just left Tammy and Brian since they had a lunch reservation at Yak and Yeti. We were headed for Satu'li Canteen. I just love this menu. We got halfway there before I remembered that we had to mobile order! Duh! This 13 month break from Disney was really throwing me off my game. I was feeling blah again too. But then this came along,
Idk why I only have this one picture because we actually saw 2 of these flotillas. One was with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto and then this one with Timon and Rafiki. But I am LOVING these character calvacades! They are so much fun and the character interaction is NEVER boring. I hope Disney keeps these FOREVER! So this was taken on the bridge from Africa to Pandora. Like, if you come out of the Festival of the Lion King theater and turn right, just keep following that path and it goes back to Pandora. I enjoy this walkway. Its never crowded and its so peaceful. i love the architecture and the sounds.
We picked up our mobile order at 11:52.
As you can see we both got the bowls. Looks like we both got the hash base, David got chicken which is the upper bowl and I got beef. These are always just so delicious. I was exhausted and glad to just sit in air conditioning for a moment and eat. however, it looks like my break didn't last very long because my notes say that we were finished at 12:03. I guess we were HUNGRY!
Now, we were headed off to a new experience for David. Somehow, he had never done the Animation Academy when it was at Hollywood Studios. So we were headed for Rafiki's Planet Watch. I was glad because I was still dragging and there was nothing hurry up and go about this. I guess on our way we ran into another Calvacade. I don't have it in my notes, but I have a picture!
Looks like this one was Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad. We arrived at the Wildlife Express Train Station at 12:26, but there was a train pulling out of the station. so we waited for the next train at 12:44. Interestingly enough, someone wasn't wearing their mask once the train got underway. The person wasn't in my car so I couldn't see what was going on, but they stopped the train and made an announcement that it wouldn't start back up until everyone was in compliance. We were probably stopped for 3 or 4 minutes!
Once we arrived at Rafiki's Planet Watch we discovered that the next Animation Class wouldn't begin until 1:45. We took our time and looked at the exhibits and then went to the outdoor theater area and people watched. well, David people watched. I took a nap. I was just feeling really bummed and frustrated and just NOT WELL. (note the time people...)
When it was drawing closer to time for the 1:45 class we made our way inside. There was already a huge line of people! That class filled up fast! We made it in and there were people who did come in at the last minute that they were able to fit in as well. they were very creative with the social distancing and how they had everything set up. Our class got to draw Terk from Tarzan.
The top drawing is mine and the bottom David's. I enjoy this activity. I think it is tons of fun and you get a free little souvenir. I wish it didn't take a whole afternoon to get over there to do it. We finished at 2:15. I like Rafiki's Planet Watch. I'd like it more if I were a local and had a few hours to kill on a random day. As it is, I feel like most Disney vacations are packed to the brim and it takes a real commitment to go over to Rafiki's.
Drawings in hand, we headed back for the train which arrived at 2:32. We were back in harambe by 2:41. we made a quick stop by the restrooms. Then, it was DOLE WHIP time!!! This is by far my favorite treat. I know many say its overrated, but it always takes my frown and turns it upside down! It was hot and muggy out with rain threatening. I didn't get pictures because our Dole Whips were melting fast! I love to sit in the little area by Harambe market and eat these. Its got a little cover and there are tables back there. Just a nice little restful spot.
Dole Whips finished we headed over for KS. I always put this as a must do on my Animal Kingdom list. Today, I just wasn't feeling it. But usually, my favorites are the hippos, the giraffes (LOVE THE GIRAFFES), and the lions. We actually got to see them all on this day. The giraffes weren't really too much into making a show though. We got in line for this at 2:57 and were boarding our safari vehicle at 3:10. Not too bad of a wait for the middle of the afternoon!
After this, I really wasn't up for any more rides. I sent David ahead to ride Expedition Everest while I stopped into Zuri's Sweet Shop. (I really can't figure out how I gained that extra weight. ) Igot one of those HUGE Mickey shaped chocolate chip cookies (that I have NO photographic evidence of, so therefore, did it really happen?) As I moseyed on over to EE to meet up with David, a HUGE downpour came! And he had our ponchos in the backpack! I huddled under an archway into the amphitheater for ROL. I still got soaked, but I wasn't the only one!There were several character calvacades out on the River...Pochohontas with (what's her racoon friends name?) as well as Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad!
David had a little bit of a wait at EE, but the nice part was,when the downpour came he was already in the covered area. We met back up and made our way back to Pandora. it wa 4:15. David went to ride FOP again while I used the restroom and found myself a little hidey hole.
This was a fabulous idea! Here are some pictures from my vantage point.
Okay, I'll stop now. You get the idea. I just love Pandora though. I think its so beautiful Usually, its crowded and hot, but at this point it was completely empty. I sent David these pictures and we played hide and seek! These were his only clues to find me!
Here I am! Comfy and Cozy! It was wonderful just lying back, having the whole area to myself and listening to the sounds of Pandora and the waterfall while taking in the breathtaking hanging mountains!
After David found me, we went for one more ride on Navi River Journey. I don't get why this ride gets so much hate. Is it worth a 45 minute wait? No. But it is so relaxing and peaceful. I just love it. I could live in there. Just imagine, those little jellyfish thingies hanging over your bed. Wouldn't that be fantastic? The Shaman to sing you to sleep every night?
We got in line for this at 4:54. The park closed at 5 so this would be our last ride of the day. I facetimed my daughter while we waited. We were on by 5:08. We strolled out of the park about 5:25. The lot was much emptier than when we had exited the day before at Epcot. The key is to definitely get in that last ride just before the park closes.
All in all, the day was alright. I didn't feel great, but that forced me to slow down and really take in details which was one of my goals for this trip.
Epilogue (aka Evening Rant)
We made it back to the resort by 5:45, changed clothes, and headed out to Disney Springs by 6:45. we found a spot in the Orange garage by 7:12. (I prefer the Lime garage, but it was full.) So, Disney Springs was busy. (That's not my complaint.) You had to wait in line to get in to any and every store. The line for World of Disney was CRAZY. (Still not my complaint.) We went in to World of Disney, The Marketplace Co Op, Basin, and Disney Style? I also checked out Ever After and Alex and Ani while David went into the Under Armour Store. Okay, here's my complaint....all of the Disney stores, have the EXACT same merch that you see at EVERY merch store in Disney. Now I know people have been making this complaint more and more throughout the years. But this go round....its the absolute truth. The same merch at World of Disney is what you'll see in MouseGears and the Emporium. the same masks that they have in World of Disney are the same ones that you'll see in Hollywood Studios. There is nothing unique about the merch shops in the parks anymore. Nor will you find something different in The Marketplace than what you saw in World of Disney. When I was down in August of 2019 I had noticed this. Therefore, I wasn't real excited or hopeful about this foray into DS. But even David, who only comes once a year or every couple of years, noticed the lack of variety. In fact, he was th eone who commented to me how much he didn't care for Disney Springs! What are your thoughts? Huge fan of the shopping? The Dining? All of it? None of it?
Well, there it is, a I promised, the rest of our day at Animal Kingdom! I will try to get a start on the next installment this weekend.
Up next:
DHS- To Rise or Not to RISE? Did we make the cut?
We had just left Tammy and Brian since they had a lunch reservation at Yak and Yeti. We were headed for Satu'li Canteen. I just love this menu. We got halfway there before I remembered that we had to mobile order! Duh! This 13 month break from Disney was really throwing me off my game. I was feeling blah again too. But then this came along,
Idk why I only have this one picture because we actually saw 2 of these flotillas. One was with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto and then this one with Timon and Rafiki. But I am LOVING these character calvacades! They are so much fun and the character interaction is NEVER boring. I hope Disney keeps these FOREVER! So this was taken on the bridge from Africa to Pandora. Like, if you come out of the Festival of the Lion King theater and turn right, just keep following that path and it goes back to Pandora. I enjoy this walkway. Its never crowded and its so peaceful. i love the architecture and the sounds.
We picked up our mobile order at 11:52.
As you can see we both got the bowls. Looks like we both got the hash base, David got chicken which is the upper bowl and I got beef. These are always just so delicious. I was exhausted and glad to just sit in air conditioning for a moment and eat. however, it looks like my break didn't last very long because my notes say that we were finished at 12:03. I guess we were HUNGRY!
Now, we were headed off to a new experience for David. Somehow, he had never done the Animation Academy when it was at Hollywood Studios. So we were headed for Rafiki's Planet Watch. I was glad because I was still dragging and there was nothing hurry up and go about this. I guess on our way we ran into another Calvacade. I don't have it in my notes, but I have a picture!
Looks like this one was Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad. We arrived at the Wildlife Express Train Station at 12:26, but there was a train pulling out of the station. so we waited for the next train at 12:44. Interestingly enough, someone wasn't wearing their mask once the train got underway. The person wasn't in my car so I couldn't see what was going on, but they stopped the train and made an announcement that it wouldn't start back up until everyone was in compliance. We were probably stopped for 3 or 4 minutes!
Once we arrived at Rafiki's Planet Watch we discovered that the next Animation Class wouldn't begin until 1:45. We took our time and looked at the exhibits and then went to the outdoor theater area and people watched. well, David people watched. I took a nap. I was just feeling really bummed and frustrated and just NOT WELL. (note the time people...)
When it was drawing closer to time for the 1:45 class we made our way inside. There was already a huge line of people! That class filled up fast! We made it in and there were people who did come in at the last minute that they were able to fit in as well. they were very creative with the social distancing and how they had everything set up. Our class got to draw Terk from Tarzan.
The top drawing is mine and the bottom David's. I enjoy this activity. I think it is tons of fun and you get a free little souvenir. I wish it didn't take a whole afternoon to get over there to do it. We finished at 2:15. I like Rafiki's Planet Watch. I'd like it more if I were a local and had a few hours to kill on a random day. As it is, I feel like most Disney vacations are packed to the brim and it takes a real commitment to go over to Rafiki's.
Drawings in hand, we headed back for the train which arrived at 2:32. We were back in harambe by 2:41. we made a quick stop by the restrooms. Then, it was DOLE WHIP time!!! This is by far my favorite treat. I know many say its overrated, but it always takes my frown and turns it upside down! It was hot and muggy out with rain threatening. I didn't get pictures because our Dole Whips were melting fast! I love to sit in the little area by Harambe market and eat these. Its got a little cover and there are tables back there. Just a nice little restful spot.
Dole Whips finished we headed over for KS. I always put this as a must do on my Animal Kingdom list. Today, I just wasn't feeling it. But usually, my favorites are the hippos, the giraffes (LOVE THE GIRAFFES), and the lions. We actually got to see them all on this day. The giraffes weren't really too much into making a show though. We got in line for this at 2:57 and were boarding our safari vehicle at 3:10. Not too bad of a wait for the middle of the afternoon!
After this, I really wasn't up for any more rides. I sent David ahead to ride Expedition Everest while I stopped into Zuri's Sweet Shop. (I really can't figure out how I gained that extra weight.
) Igot one of those HUGE Mickey shaped chocolate chip cookies (that I have NO photographic evidence of, so therefore, did it really happen?) As I moseyed on over to EE to meet up with David, a HUGE downpour came! And he had our ponchos in the backpack! I huddled under an archway into the amphitheater for ROL. I still got soaked, but I wasn't the only one!There were several character calvacades out on the River...Pochohontas with (what's her racoon friends name?) as well as Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad!David had a little bit of a wait at EE, but the nice part was,when the downpour came he was already in the covered area. We met back up and made our way back to Pandora. it wa 4:15. David went to ride FOP again while I used the restroom and found myself a little hidey hole.
This was a fabulous idea! Here are some pictures from my vantage point.
Okay, I'll stop now. You get the idea. I just love Pandora though. I think its so beautiful Usually, its crowded and hot, but at this point it was completely empty. I sent David these pictures and we played hide and seek! These were his only clues to find me!
Here I am! Comfy and Cozy! It was wonderful just lying back, having the whole area to myself and listening to the sounds of Pandora and the waterfall while taking in the breathtaking hanging mountains!
After David found me, we went for one more ride on Navi River Journey. I don't get why this ride gets so much hate. Is it worth a 45 minute wait? No. But it is so relaxing and peaceful. I just love it. I could live in there. Just imagine, those little jellyfish thingies hanging over your bed. Wouldn't that be fantastic? The Shaman to sing you to sleep every night?
We got in line for this at 4:54. The park closed at 5 so this would be our last ride of the day. I facetimed my daughter while we waited. We were on by 5:08. We strolled out of the park about 5:25. The lot was much emptier than when we had exited the day before at Epcot. The key is to definitely get in that last ride just before the park closes.
All in all, the day was alright. I didn't feel great, but that forced me to slow down and really take in details which was one of my goals for this trip.
Epilogue (aka Evening Rant)
We made it back to the resort by 5:45, changed clothes, and headed out to Disney Springs by 6:45. we found a spot in the Orange garage by 7:12. (I prefer the Lime garage, but it was full.) So, Disney Springs was busy. (That's not my complaint.) You had to wait in line to get in to any and every store. The line for World of Disney was CRAZY. (Still not my complaint.) We went in to World of Disney, The Marketplace Co Op, Basin, and Disney Style? I also checked out Ever After and Alex and Ani while David went into the Under Armour Store. Okay, here's my complaint....all of the Disney stores, have the EXACT same merch that you see at EVERY merch store in Disney. Now I know people have been making this complaint more and more throughout the years. But this go round....its the absolute truth. The same merch at World of Disney is what you'll see in MouseGears and the Emporium. the same masks that they have in World of Disney are the same ones that you'll see in Hollywood Studios. There is nothing unique about the merch shops in the parks anymore. Nor will you find something different in The Marketplace than what you saw in World of Disney. When I was down in August of 2019 I had noticed this. Therefore, I wasn't real excited or hopeful about this foray into DS. But even David, who only comes once a year or every couple of years, noticed the lack of variety. In fact, he was th eone who commented to me how much he didn't care for Disney Springs! What are your thoughts? Huge fan of the shopping? The Dining? All of it? None of it?
Well, there it is, a I promised, the rest of our day at Animal Kingdom! I will try to get a start on the next installment this weekend.
Up next:
DHS- To Rise or Not to RISE? Did we make the cut?
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Also, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who's reading! There's been 2k views! That's pretty impressive since I don't consider myself a great writer. (Now, I wonder how many of those views were from people who made it halfway through the first post and were like, "Nope, not doing this. T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E." bwahahaha)
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Sorry guys, its crazy at my house. One kid came home from college for the weekend. The oldest (who lives by himself) has Covid. Plus, of course being a nurse in the hospital....Covid. Thank heavens, I'm in the recovery room qnd don't work on the floor. But we're pretty much full. Thank heavens the FEMA nurses showed up along with nurse techs and RTs. We'd be totally screwed if not for them. Also, its Christmas Tree Day. We have a yearly tradition (23 years) of setting up our Christmas Tree on Halloween. (We don't celebrate Halloween.) So anyway, it has been BUSY. I will try to get an update this afternoon, but if not, then hopefully on Tuesday! In the meantime, Wear your mask and wash your hands! May wellness be your friend!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Day 4 DHS- Living the Life
Okay the title is terrible, but in this Covid world its all I can come up with!
We made it to the car park entrance at 9:03.
The cars were backed up, but not for long. They started letting cars through at 9:06. Of course, I would be interested to hear what the current practice is since they started the RotR drop at 7 am! Anyway, we made it into the park by 9:30.
We were in this line by 9:35.
The line didn't start moving until 9:45, but that was okay. It gave me some time to just really appreciate the detail at Disney.
Take for instance this pole, which is part of the ToT queue. Now, I don't know what your local theme park is, but I grew up going to Six Flags over Texas in Arlington. The lines weren't queues. They were just lines. We got plain old silver chains and plain old pipes. So boring and ugly. But here, EVERYTHING is part of the show.
I know with all of the layoffs and lack of live entertainment at the parks we lament how Disney isn't the same. Many are saying that they won't return because its just a bunch of rides and no different than their local amusement park. I am also sad. I find myself wondering, "IS IT worth it with so much changed." But then I look at these photos and realize, the show is still there. Maybe not as bright as it once was. It is still a FAR cry from Six Flags.
We boarded our elevator at 9:51. Afterwards, we skedaddled to the corner right in front of the ice cream stand across from the old Beauty and Beast stage. We both opened our app. My husband was watching the clock on his phone. As soon as he said, "Go!" We hit the button to join the queue. Interestingly enough, when he said, "Go" my phone still said 9:59. When I hit Join queue and it flipped to the next screen my phone read 10:00. The app had automatically selected both of us since we were both scanned into the park. My phone got us through first. We got Boarding Group 17!!! Now it you remember, my charge nurse, Tammy and her husband were also in the park that day. they had ridded Rockin Roller Coaster first and were standing in that courtyard to get their boarding group. They got boarding group 57. That's how fast these groups go.
We ran into them right after this. We were going to ride RnR and they were going to ride ToT. I was so excited about getting a boarding group that I didn't record the time we entered the line. Maybe around 10:05??? We were off the ride by 10:23 though. Afterward, we stopped for a bathroom break.
We went over to ride Star Tours and got in line about 10:38. However, Tammy came over to ride with us. I know how people feel about line jumping, so we got out of line and went to the back to get in line with Tammy. It was about 10:40 then.
The line moved quickly so it was hard to get any pictures. Brian has vertigo, from previous work injury. Between RnR and ToT he was really feeling it. So he sat this one out. We were out by 11:04.
After our trip around the galaxy on Star Tours we went over to Runaway Railway. But it was offline. For more than just cleaning! The ride was down. Before this trip, Tammy and I had both planned to try out the Ronto Wrap as a mid morning snack, since our ADR for lunch wasn't until 2:30. We decided now was the perfect time.
This would be our first expedition into Galaxy's Edge. The segue from the rest of the park into this area is amazing. I didn't take many pictures because it was rainy and I wanted to experience it! Rather than having to concentrate on framing pictures through my phone. (I take terrible pictures. Most of these are courtesy of my husband!)
It was about 11:30 when we ordered our Ronto Wrap. Once again, my mobile ordering was wonky. Tammy and Brian were able to order theirs and pick it up fairly quickly. It took several minutes for my order to process and then, I finally got the push notification that my order was ready, but the notification screen in the actual app wouldn't show up. We finally got our food. Brian and Tammy had managed to secure a table.
This was fortuitous timing. While we were enjoying this food (and it was good!) there was a downpour out on Batuu.
Again....NOT Six Flags! I was cranky at this point. (Note the time people!) Our mobile order, while the process wasn't terrible, it had been drizzling and it wasn't a smooth process either. Also, Batuu was CROWDED. Looking at the wait times on the app, it seemed like EVERYTHING had a 45+ minute wait. AND, RotR had been down all morning. I think they made it to boarding group 10 before it went down.
Okay, I'm not sure what my picture count is, so I'm going to wrap this up here and start a new post for our DHS afternoon. We got a boarding group, but will we get to ride? Or will our afternoon RUN AWAY from us?
Okay the title is terrible, but in this Covid world its all I can come up with!
We made it to the car park entrance at 9:03.
The cars were backed up, but not for long. They started letting cars through at 9:06. Of course, I would be interested to hear what the current practice is since they started the RotR drop at 7 am! Anyway, we made it into the park by 9:30.
We were in this line by 9:35.
The line didn't start moving until 9:45, but that was okay. It gave me some time to just really appreciate the detail at Disney.
Take for instance this pole, which is part of the ToT queue. Now, I don't know what your local theme park is, but I grew up going to Six Flags over Texas in Arlington. The lines weren't queues. They were just lines. We got plain old silver chains and plain old pipes. So boring and ugly. But here, EVERYTHING is part of the show.
I know with all of the layoffs and lack of live entertainment at the parks we lament how Disney isn't the same. Many are saying that they won't return because its just a bunch of rides and no different than their local amusement park. I am also sad. I find myself wondering, "IS IT worth it with so much changed." But then I look at these photos and realize, the show is still there. Maybe not as bright as it once was. It is still a FAR cry from Six Flags.
We boarded our elevator at 9:51. Afterwards, we skedaddled to the corner right in front of the ice cream stand across from the old Beauty and Beast stage. We both opened our app. My husband was watching the clock on his phone. As soon as he said, "Go!" We hit the button to join the queue. Interestingly enough, when he said, "Go" my phone still said 9:59. When I hit Join queue and it flipped to the next screen my phone read 10:00. The app had automatically selected both of us since we were both scanned into the park. My phone got us through first. We got Boarding Group 17!!! Now it you remember, my charge nurse, Tammy and her husband were also in the park that day. they had ridded Rockin Roller Coaster first and were standing in that courtyard to get their boarding group. They got boarding group 57. That's how fast these groups go.
We ran into them right after this. We were going to ride RnR and they were going to ride ToT. I was so excited about getting a boarding group that I didn't record the time we entered the line. Maybe around 10:05??? We were off the ride by 10:23 though. Afterward, we stopped for a bathroom break.
We went over to ride Star Tours and got in line about 10:38. However, Tammy came over to ride with us. I know how people feel about line jumping, so we got out of line and went to the back to get in line with Tammy. It was about 10:40 then.
The line moved quickly so it was hard to get any pictures. Brian has vertigo, from previous work injury. Between RnR and ToT he was really feeling it. So he sat this one out. We were out by 11:04.
After our trip around the galaxy on Star Tours we went over to Runaway Railway. But it was offline. For more than just cleaning! The ride was down. Before this trip, Tammy and I had both planned to try out the Ronto Wrap as a mid morning snack, since our ADR for lunch wasn't until 2:30. We decided now was the perfect time.
This would be our first expedition into Galaxy's Edge. The segue from the rest of the park into this area is amazing. I didn't take many pictures because it was rainy and I wanted to experience it! Rather than having to concentrate on framing pictures through my phone. (I take terrible pictures. Most of these are courtesy of my husband!)
It was about 11:30 when we ordered our Ronto Wrap. Once again, my mobile ordering was wonky. Tammy and Brian were able to order theirs and pick it up fairly quickly. It took several minutes for my order to process and then, I finally got the push notification that my order was ready, but the notification screen in the actual app wouldn't show up. We finally got our food. Brian and Tammy had managed to secure a table.
This was fortuitous timing. While we were enjoying this food (and it was good!) there was a downpour out on Batuu.
Again....NOT Six Flags! I was cranky at this point. (Note the time people!) Our mobile order, while the process wasn't terrible, it had been drizzling and it wasn't a smooth process either. Also, Batuu was CROWDED. Looking at the wait times on the app, it seemed like EVERYTHING had a 45+ minute wait. AND, RotR had been down all morning. I think they made it to boarding group 10 before it went down.
Okay, I'm not sure what my picture count is, so I'm going to wrap this up here and start a new post for our DHS afternoon. We got a boarding group, but will we get to ride? Or will our afternoon RUN AWAY from us?
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Day 4- DHS In a galaxy far, far away....but not to infinity!
So, I took a quick break to start some laundry, have some lunch. Then a co worker texted and said SHE AND her wife both have the COVID! They just got married last weekend so happy honeymoon to them! (They didn't even get to go anywhere! Wedding on Saturday, back at work on Monday. ) Okay, I have about an hour and a half to get the rest of this day uploaded before I need to take my daughter to the airport to go back to college.
Back to our story! We donned our ponchos and made out way out of Batuu and over to Andy's backyard...where surprise, surprise...it wasn't raining! Lol.
Once in Toy Story Land we got in line for Alien Swirling Saucers at 11:55.
I love this ride. I think its super cute. (Not worth waiting in line for Infinity and beyond though!) Has anyone else seen the picture of Baymax driving these for Christmas? I mean, its cute, but what does Baymax have to do with Toy Story???
Anyway we didn't wait long for this ride. We were on by 12:01 and off by 12:06. We took a bathroom break and snapped this quick pic
Isn't that just the cutest ever? I was a little salty that I didn't have a Toy Story mask. And there were several Alex and Ani Toy Story bracelets that I keep eyeing to go with this outfit, but I haven't pulled the trigger on buying them yet!
After our bathroom break we finished up Toy Story Land. First up, TSMM.
NOT Six Flags! Lol
Then again....poor Mr. Potato Head. So we got in line at 12:11 and were off at 12:28. I love this ride even though I always do terribly! My family never wants to ride it. Brian won this round. From here we jetted over to SDD at 12:30. It was a bit of a wait for this one. We boarded at 1306. Honestly, I don't think a 40 minute wait in the middle of the day for this ride (and no FP) is too bad. But, i was still in my cranky phase! (And Rise was STILL down!)
We split up with Brian and Tammy at this point. I'm not sure where they headed, but we went back in to Galaxy's Edge. I was able to Face Time my middle son and give him a tour of the land. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't working so we couldn't hear each other. But he got to see some things up close. David did a little browsing in a couple of the shops and stopped into a Batuu Bathroom.
Then we queued up for a turn on MFSR. And here, I will add to the plethora of pictures already available on the internet. Here's what we captured.
Those are from within the queue. Here are a few looking out over the Millennium Falcon.
Just incredible. And remember what I said earlier about just plain old pipes and ropes in line?
Well, guess you'll have to look at the next post.
So, I took a quick break to start some laundry, have some lunch. Then a co worker texted and said SHE AND her wife both have the COVID! They just got married last weekend so happy honeymoon to them! (They didn't even get to go anywhere! Wedding on Saturday, back at work on Monday.
) Okay, I have about an hour and a half to get the rest of this day uploaded before I need to take my daughter to the airport to go back to college.Back to our story! We donned our ponchos and made out way out of Batuu and over to Andy's backyard...where surprise, surprise...it wasn't raining! Lol.
Once in Toy Story Land we got in line for Alien Swirling Saucers at 11:55.
I love this ride. I think its super cute. (Not worth waiting in line for Infinity and beyond though!) Has anyone else seen the picture of Baymax driving these for Christmas? I mean, its cute, but what does Baymax have to do with Toy Story???
Anyway we didn't wait long for this ride. We were on by 12:01 and off by 12:06. We took a bathroom break and snapped this quick pic
Isn't that just the cutest ever? I was a little salty that I didn't have a Toy Story mask. And there were several Alex and Ani Toy Story bracelets that I keep eyeing to go with this outfit, but I haven't pulled the trigger on buying them yet!
After our bathroom break we finished up Toy Story Land. First up, TSMM.
NOT Six Flags! Lol
Then again....poor Mr. Potato Head. So we got in line at 12:11 and were off at 12:28. I love this ride even though I always do terribly! My family never wants to ride it. Brian won this round. From here we jetted over to SDD at 12:30. It was a bit of a wait for this one. We boarded at 1306. Honestly, I don't think a 40 minute wait in the middle of the day for this ride (and no FP) is too bad. But, i was still in my cranky phase! (And Rise was STILL down!)
We split up with Brian and Tammy at this point. I'm not sure where they headed, but we went back in to Galaxy's Edge. I was able to Face Time my middle son and give him a tour of the land. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't working so we couldn't hear each other. But he got to see some things up close. David did a little browsing in a couple of the shops and stopped into a Batuu Bathroom.
Then we queued up for a turn on MFSR. And here, I will add to the plethora of pictures already available on the internet. Here's what we captured.
Those are from within the queue. Here are a few looking out over the Millennium Falcon.
Just incredible. And remember what I said earlier about just plain old pipes and ropes in line?
Well, guess you'll have to look at the next post.
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Day 4 DHS RUN AWAY with me!
This is definitely NOT Six Flags!
And there's the money shot. With some weirdo just sitting there so no one else can slide in a take a pic. Legit, the dude just sat there the whole time we were in the room so no one else could get their pic taken in the iconic scene.
We got in line for this at 1:25. We boarded our ship at 2:03 and were off by 2:09. David was the pilot and I was a gunner. I did a terrible job, lol. First of all, I didn't realize that there were different buttons for the guns vs. the missiles. Doh! David said the ship wasn't as responsive as he expected it to be. Once we got home, Cameron said that because the other pilot (one directs the ship right and left, the other pilot up and down) was the autopilot it make the ride feel more robotic. It was a good time and I can see how much fun it would be to ride over and over. Although, others have panned this ride. Whatevs. They can't ALL be E ticket attractions peeps.
By now it was time for David's big surprise! Lunch was at Sci Fi Dine In. He loves this restaurant. Me? That's a lot of money to pay for a burger and fries. Tammy got us checked in and we met them over at the restaurant.
I guess I didn't take any pics of our lunch. We both got the Classic Burger with fries and a chocolate shake. I will say, we spent 45 minutes to an hour in here. The cool dark atmosphere was nice. And with the movies playing we didn't really talk much. It was nice to just sit and recharge.
We must have finished up about 3:15 because we went over to Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Finally! I was really excited to ride this! It looked amazing. Plus, it was ride completely dedicated to my boyfriend Mickey. (He's just with Minnie because she looks good on camera, but they're not really together. He's MINE.) We got in line at 3:23. The line looked really long, but it moved at a steady pace. Our boarding group was called at 3:38 for Rise!!!
Tammy was in line with us at MMRR. Brian had decided to call it a day and had headed back to the room. Tammy and I must have been talking because I don't have any pictures. Once you get inside the theater, the line is super cute. I wish I could've seen the preshow, but now you're just walking through that area. We punched our train ticket at 4:05 and de boarded our train at 4:10.
Side story, we were decorating for Christmas and my husband came across an old highschool scrapbook. (Along with my senior yearbook
). I had pics in there of the band trip we took to Disney over Spring Break. It was 1994 and MGM was brand new. I showed my kids Grauman's as it was back then. (Their first trip was when the hat was still up.) They weren't impressed. What's WRONG with kids these days???
Anyway, Mickey and Minnie's was everything I had hoped for. In fact, spoiler alert, I liked it more than Rise! I know, blasphemy! I'll get into the why's in a minute. But for now, we have an Empire to destroy and we must complete our rebel mission.
We hightailed it back to Batuu and scanned in to Rise at 4:15 (ish). I spammed our kids with pics from the queue. I'll spare you and only share a few.
Not Six Flags! I love how the queue ISN't just pipes or ropes and chains!
They even have little built in benches along the way. I will say, this is a loooooong queue. We finally began our adventure at 4:57. We were off the ride by 5:20.
So, the integration of technology on this ride is by far the best of any experience you will ever have. If you are a Star Wars fan, YOU MUST EXPERIENCE this for your life to be complete. So why do I like Mickey and Minnie better? Simple, you don't have to have a boarding group to experience it. It has some of the same technology. The graphics are incredible. Its classic. And its a 45 minute wait. Everyone can ride it and experience it during their day at DHS.
So after we escaped from the First order and made it back successfully to our rebel ship, we decided to explore the shops of Batuu a bit more. We didn't do the droid depot. And at the time Savi's was closed. So we just walked through the marketplace. I was underwhelmed by it. The theming was great. But I didn't like the fact that each spot was so small and only had a few merchandise offerings.
Once we finished up, we met back up with Tammy in Toy Story Land. Now, I've heard people complaining about the waits and how you shouldn't go back until FP returns. But, I was there the second week in September, in DHS, on a Saturday. By 5:35 I had ridded every ride in the park, had a midmorning snack, and a relaxing lunch. We had an hour and a half before the park closes. What can we do in an hour and a half?
Another round on TSMM. I rode with Tammy. David won. We got in line at 5:40 walked straight through and were off the ride by 5:52. From here we walked over to ToT and got in line at 6:00. There was a hold up as they had to go through a cleaning cycle. So we waited for 30 minutes. I had wanted to ride RnR, but since we hit the cleaning cycle at ToT, I had to decide, do I risk another ride on RnR and possibly miss out on MMRR? Or do I MAKE SURE that I get one more tour around the park with
Goofy?
This is definitely NOT Six Flags!
And there's the money shot. With some weirdo just sitting there so no one else can slide in a take a pic. Legit, the dude just sat there the whole time we were in the room so no one else could get their pic taken in the iconic scene.
We got in line for this at 1:25. We boarded our ship at 2:03 and were off by 2:09. David was the pilot and I was a gunner. I did a terrible job, lol. First of all, I didn't realize that there were different buttons for the guns vs. the missiles. Doh! David said the ship wasn't as responsive as he expected it to be. Once we got home, Cameron said that because the other pilot (one directs the ship right and left, the other pilot up and down) was the autopilot it make the ride feel more robotic. It was a good time and I can see how much fun it would be to ride over and over. Although, others have panned this ride. Whatevs. They can't ALL be E ticket attractions peeps.
By now it was time for David's big surprise! Lunch was at Sci Fi Dine In. He loves this restaurant. Me? That's a lot of money to pay for a burger and fries. Tammy got us checked in and we met them over at the restaurant.
I guess I didn't take any pics of our lunch. We both got the Classic Burger with fries and a chocolate shake. I will say, we spent 45 minutes to an hour in here. The cool dark atmosphere was nice. And with the movies playing we didn't really talk much. It was nice to just sit and recharge.
We must have finished up about 3:15 because we went over to Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Finally! I was really excited to ride this! It looked amazing. Plus, it was ride completely dedicated to my boyfriend Mickey. (He's just with Minnie because she looks good on camera, but they're not really together. He's MINE.) We got in line at 3:23. The line looked really long, but it moved at a steady pace. Our boarding group was called at 3:38 for Rise!!!
Tammy was in line with us at MMRR. Brian had decided to call it a day and had headed back to the room. Tammy and I must have been talking because I don't have any pictures. Once you get inside the theater, the line is super cute. I wish I could've seen the preshow, but now you're just walking through that area. We punched our train ticket at 4:05 and de boarded our train at 4:10.
Side story, we were decorating for Christmas and my husband came across an old highschool scrapbook. (Along with my senior yearbook
). I had pics in there of the band trip we took to Disney over Spring Break. It was 1994 and MGM was brand new. I showed my kids Grauman's as it was back then. (Their first trip was when the hat was still up.) They weren't impressed. What's WRONG with kids these days???Anyway, Mickey and Minnie's was everything I had hoped for. In fact, spoiler alert, I liked it more than Rise! I know, blasphemy! I'll get into the why's in a minute. But for now, we have an Empire to destroy and we must complete our rebel mission.
We hightailed it back to Batuu and scanned in to Rise at 4:15 (ish). I spammed our kids with pics from the queue. I'll spare you and only share a few.
Not Six Flags! I love how the queue ISN't just pipes or ropes and chains!
They even have little built in benches along the way. I will say, this is a loooooong queue. We finally began our adventure at 4:57. We were off the ride by 5:20.
So, the integration of technology on this ride is by far the best of any experience you will ever have. If you are a Star Wars fan, YOU MUST EXPERIENCE this for your life to be complete. So why do I like Mickey and Minnie better? Simple, you don't have to have a boarding group to experience it. It has some of the same technology. The graphics are incredible. Its classic. And its a 45 minute wait. Everyone can ride it and experience it during their day at DHS.
So after we escaped from the First order and made it back successfully to our rebel ship, we decided to explore the shops of Batuu a bit more. We didn't do the droid depot. And at the time Savi's was closed. So we just walked through the marketplace. I was underwhelmed by it. The theming was great. But I didn't like the fact that each spot was so small and only had a few merchandise offerings.
Once we finished up, we met back up with Tammy in Toy Story Land. Now, I've heard people complaining about the waits and how you shouldn't go back until FP returns. But, I was there the second week in September, in DHS, on a Saturday. By 5:35 I had ridded every ride in the park, had a midmorning snack, and a relaxing lunch. We had an hour and a half before the park closes. What can we do in an hour and a half?
Another round on TSMM. I rode with Tammy. David won. We got in line at 5:40 walked straight through and were off the ride by 5:52. From here we walked over to ToT and got in line at 6:00. There was a hold up as they had to go through a cleaning cycle. So we waited for 30 minutes. I had wanted to ride RnR, but since we hit the cleaning cycle at ToT, I had to decide, do I risk another ride on RnR and possibly miss out on MMRR? Or do I MAKE SURE that I get one more tour around the park with
Goofy?
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Day 4 DHS That's a Wrap
Okay folks, I've legit got 10 minutes to wrap this up before I have to leave for the airport.
Now, y'all all know I picked my MAN Mickey. I even snapped a pic of a pic while in the line.
We got in line for this at 6:45. They were telling peeps after we got in line that the wait was an hour +. We were completely off the ride by 7:30.
The park was closed, but we did some shopping on the way out. We finally made our way back to the car by 8:00. We were T.I.R.E.D.
And with that very short post its off to the airport I go!
Okay folks, I've legit got 10 minutes to wrap this up before I have to leave for the airport.
Now, y'all all know I picked my MAN Mickey. I even snapped a pic of a pic while in the line.
We got in line for this at 6:45. They were telling peeps after we got in line that the wait was an hour +. We were completely off the ride by 7:30.
The park was closed, but we did some shopping on the way out. We finally made our way back to the car by 8:00. We were T.I.R.E.D.
And with that very short post its off to the airport I go!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Lots of updates today, but they may be a little choppy! HAPPY VETERANS DAY! Its early here in Texas. My youngest does a fundraiser through band where he sets out flags in people's front yard. His route isn't that large, only 48 flags, but his cousin is in quarantine so I volunteered us for that route as well since I don't have work today. The second route is 68 flags. It takes longer for this holiday because usually all the leaves are down, blocking the stands for the flagpoles (which are pvc pipes placed in the ground at the edge of the yard.) Anyway, I'll get in a little update and then go help him/finish his route since he has school this morning. He and my husband have been out since 5 this morning.
Also, quick question. I watched a DFB video with AJ this morning about our Disney guilty pleasures. My guilty pleasure was for sure my AP (that I no longer have.) I also, feel guilty any time I get to take more than 1 trip in a year to Disney. My Mickey Ear collection is a guilty pleaure. Or anytime I have more than 1 TS ADR on a trip. I've been blessed to stay deluxe twice. I don't feel guilty about my Dooney and Bourke matching purse and wallet. Although, those do make me feel bougie. And I don't feel guilty about my ridiculous Disney legging collection. I wear those daily under my scrubs and they keep me WARM in the recovery room. Also, I got most of them on sale at The Character Warehouse. And I don't feel guilty about my Spirit Jersey. It makes my day brighter when I wear it to work. In fact, I need a new one. I have 3ish. One is the original Rose Gold and its still my favorite. Then I have a Run Disney one. But its a 2x. it was too big when I bought it and now its waaaaay too big. I never wear it because it swallows me and I look ridiculous. Last year I was able to snag a navy and white sweater one. I really like it. I usually only wear it during the winter. I need another one, but I don't like the sparkle ones because the fabric is super stiff and scratchy.
So in addition to my guilty pleasures, I also have a bucket list. I want to stay at Wilderness Lodge and I want a VIP "Plaid" tour. So what are your guilty pleasures/ bucket list?
Also, quick question. I watched a DFB video with AJ this morning about our Disney guilty pleasures. My guilty pleasure was for sure my AP (that I no longer have.) I also, feel guilty any time I get to take more than 1 trip in a year to Disney. My Mickey Ear collection is a guilty pleaure. Or anytime I have more than 1 TS ADR on a trip. I've been blessed to stay deluxe twice. I don't feel guilty about my Dooney and Bourke matching purse and wallet. Although, those do make me feel bougie. And I don't feel guilty about my ridiculous Disney legging collection. I wear those daily under my scrubs and they keep me WARM in the recovery room. Also, I got most of them on sale at The Character Warehouse. And I don't feel guilty about my Spirit Jersey. It makes my day brighter when I wear it to work. In fact, I need a new one. I have 3ish. One is the original Rose Gold and its still my favorite. Then I have a Run Disney one. But its a 2x. it was too big when I bought it and now its waaaaay too big. I never wear it because it swallows me and I look ridiculous. Last year I was able to snag a navy and white sweater one. I really like it. I usually only wear it during the winter. I need another one, but I don't like the sparkle ones because the fabric is super stiff and scratchy.
So in addition to my guilty pleasures, I also have a bucket list. I want to stay at Wilderness Lodge and I want a VIP "Plaid" tour. So what are your guilty pleasures/ bucket list?
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Time to Be Turning Around
We've made it to our last day. Don't be sad that its almost over. We've saved the best for last! Okay, not really because that Epcot day...but honestly the best park is and always will be Magic Kingdom! There is NOTHING that can top walking down Main Street. Unless its stopping to watch the Trolley Show or the Dapper Dans on Main Street.
We arrived at the car park entrance at 8:03. There was a sign at the monorail station notifying guests that the Magic Kingdom was open from 8:30 to 7:00 pm. We were off the monorail by 8:27. We must have been booking it because according to my noted we chose Peter Pan as our first ride of the day and boarded our ship for Neverland at 8:33.
Let's admire the stock photo's from the Peter Pan ride.
From Peter Pan we went to BTMRR. We made it into the queue at 8:44 and waited 3 minutes for the Wildest Ride in The Wilderness.
I just love the stock photos. I wish I possessed the amount of talent and passion it takes to capture this!
We were done by 8:53. We ran into Tammy and Brian who were already in line for Splash so we cheated and got in line with them. Normally, I would've felt guilty, but since they were just doing one party per log anyway, it didn't make much of a difference. We were in line at 8:54 and waited just over 15 minutes to search for the Laughing place. Unfortunately, we had to turn around. That's right. The ride broke down just before we reached the big drop.They began evacuating the ride at 9:30.I was super excited! You know, for us uber fans, being evacuated off a ride such as one of the mountains is a badge of honor!
This is where we stopped .
A little look around prior to us walking out a back way. We were off by 9:45 and received a FP for our troubles. We stopped in the merch shop. There really wasn't much there, but we picked up some Splash themed pins and stopped by the restroom.
We parted ways with Tammy and Brian who headed off towards Adventureland and we went to IASW. We were in line at 9:55 with a projected 10 minute wait. It was closer to 15 since they were cleaning every other boat. So max of 2 parties per boat, loading every other boat.
We were done with our world tour at 10:23. I mean, it is a small world after all! I wanted to try a nutella waffle from Sleepy Hollow. But holy cow, the line just to order was 45 minutes!!! So we went to Gaston's Tavern instead. It was also a pretty long line. I got in line at 10:35. David went to save us a spot over on the wall where Gaston usually meets because people were CAMPING out at the tables. I waited about 10 minutes before ordering a Cinnamon roll with extra icing.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Cinnamon Roll. When I think of Cinnamon Rolls I think of Cinnabon. This was more like Cinnamon bread with icing. But, now I know.
Up next, the land of tomorrow.
Side note:
I had planned on this going up Wednesday. However, it took 3 hours to put the flags out, 2 hours to find the dogs who escaped from the back yard while we were putting out flags. Then I picked flag boy up from school at lunch break and took him back after he had changed out of his ROTC uniform. Then it was off to the store and errand running. By that time, it was time to start picking the flags back up so we could turn them in by 6:00.
I was supposed to go back to work on Thursday, but woke up not feeling great. I went in for a Covid Test which came back positive. I don't feel too bad, but I sure am glad I don't have to work with this. (I'm the type that goes to work sick unless I can't stand up.) So anyway, I'm off until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
I would love to just bust out this last day for you guys, but 3 out of 4 of us are sick in my house and I'm the only one that seems capable of getting things done...you know trash, laundry, dishes, etc. So, be patient. I'll get there!
Wear your masks, wash your hands, avoid people, you know all the usual stuff!!!
We've made it to our last day. Don't be sad that its almost over. We've saved the best for last! Okay, not really because that Epcot day...but honestly the best park is and always will be Magic Kingdom! There is NOTHING that can top walking down Main Street. Unless its stopping to watch the Trolley Show or the Dapper Dans on Main Street.
We arrived at the car park entrance at 8:03. There was a sign at the monorail station notifying guests that the Magic Kingdom was open from 8:30 to 7:00 pm. We were off the monorail by 8:27. We must have been booking it because according to my noted we chose Peter Pan as our first ride of the day and boarded our ship for Neverland at 8:33.
Let's admire the stock photo's from the Peter Pan ride.
From Peter Pan we went to BTMRR. We made it into the queue at 8:44 and waited 3 minutes for the Wildest Ride in The Wilderness.
I just love the stock photos. I wish I possessed the amount of talent and passion it takes to capture this!
We were done by 8:53. We ran into Tammy and Brian who were already in line for Splash so we cheated and got in line with them. Normally, I would've felt guilty, but since they were just doing one party per log anyway, it didn't make much of a difference. We were in line at 8:54 and waited just over 15 minutes to search for the Laughing place. Unfortunately, we had to turn around. That's right. The ride broke down just before we reached the big drop.They began evacuating the ride at 9:30.I was super excited! You know, for us uber fans, being evacuated off a ride such as one of the mountains is a badge of honor!
This is where we stopped .
A little look around prior to us walking out a back way. We were off by 9:45 and received a FP for our troubles. We stopped in the merch shop. There really wasn't much there, but we picked up some Splash themed pins and stopped by the restroom.
We parted ways with Tammy and Brian who headed off towards Adventureland and we went to IASW. We were in line at 9:55 with a projected 10 minute wait. It was closer to 15 since they were cleaning every other boat. So max of 2 parties per boat, loading every other boat.
We were done with our world tour at 10:23. I mean, it is a small world after all! I wanted to try a nutella waffle from Sleepy Hollow. But holy cow, the line just to order was 45 minutes!!! So we went to Gaston's Tavern instead. It was also a pretty long line. I got in line at 10:35. David went to save us a spot over on the wall where Gaston usually meets because people were CAMPING out at the tables. I waited about 10 minutes before ordering a Cinnamon roll with extra icing.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Cinnamon Roll. When I think of Cinnamon Rolls I think of Cinnabon. This was more like Cinnamon bread with icing. But, now I know.
Up next, the land of tomorrow.
Side note:
I had planned on this going up Wednesday. However, it took 3 hours to put the flags out, 2 hours to find the dogs who escaped from the back yard while we were putting out flags. Then I picked flag boy up from school at lunch break and took him back after he had changed out of his ROTC uniform. Then it was off to the store and errand running. By that time, it was time to start picking the flags back up so we could turn them in by 6:00.
I was supposed to go back to work on Thursday, but woke up not feeling great. I went in for a Covid Test which came back positive. I don't feel too bad, but I sure am glad I don't have to work with this. (I'm the type that goes to work sick unless I can't stand up.) So anyway, I'm off until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
I would love to just bust out this last day for you guys, but 3 out of 4 of us are sick in my house and I'm the only one that seems capable of getting things done...you know trash, laundry, dishes, etc. So, be patient. I'll get there!
Wear your masks, wash your hands, avoid people, you know all the usual stuff!!!
Tink0812
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
Hello, fellow nurse here! Our trip was originally scheduled as a cruise in September then we moved it to a December cruise (it was going to be our first cruise). Then we cancelled the cruise and converted to a Disney trip in October. Thennnn we changed it for a final time and will get to go to WDW in 3 weeks. Hopefully this trip will happen as here in Illinois COVID numbers are rapidly increasing and our hospital is bursting at the seams. Thank you for sharing the details of your trip report! Hope you are feeling better!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Tink0812 that is fabulous!!!!! Our hospital numbers are crazy too! When was the last time you were at Disney? Where are you staying? Does this trip have a specific goal? (I.e. how many rides can we rude, how many new details can we notice, we're just here for the decorations, etc.) It's a shame its not that first cruise, but hopefully this will be a great trip!
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Entering the Land of Tomorrow
So, it was nearly 11 am on our last day in Disney at the BESTEST EVER Disney park, MK! I love the theming of Tomorrowland. I love the Astro Orbiter up on top of the Lunching Pad especially at night. (Not a big fan of the actual Astro Orbiter ride.) Not a fan of Tomorrowland Speedway. And did you know, I've been going to Disneyworld regularly since 2009, but didn't actually ride PeopleMover until 2018????? Also, one of my all time favorite attractions is Carousel of Progress. If I could only pick one ride to chain myself to in order to prevent its demolition it would either be CoP or Tiki Room.
However, at 11 am on this morning we were headed for Space Mountain!
The line here was looooooong. So many switchbacks and loop arounds. We got in line at 1104. We waited 30 minutes before CMs announced overhead that they would be evacuating Space.
Note the time, people.....yep I was already cranky. Added to this, the family behind us was LOUD and did not believe in social distancing. Just a few parties behind them was a HUGE party of 20+ (looked like a big extended family vacay to WDW, maybe?) Masks off, eating in line, kids running back and forth within their group. They didn't believe in social distancing either. I don't like crowds. I didn't like them pre- Covid, I don't like them now. I'm a fan of the social distancing ques. I vote we keep them after Covid to keep peeps outta my grill.
Now, we had made it all the way to the interior of the ride, to the switchbacks, just before they split you to either track A or B. This is a very crowded point of the ride. Thank goodness they had plexiglass up between the switchbacks, but I still felt like I was in a cattle shoot. We continued to wait, I was dreading the evacuation from this point because it was going to be a looooooong walk back. Nothing was moving though. We didn't see them evacuating anyone. We were all just standing. They got things back on line and the ride resumed! We didn't have to wait too much longer after they got things going again. But it was 11:54 before we got in our Space vehicle. I like to ride in the very front seat of the very front car. I'm old. This ride is jerky. Cut me some slack. That's not where I ended up, but at least it wasn't the very back. The ride was, of course, fun. We got off at 11:58. Pretty much a solid hour for Space Mountain. That definitely added to my crankiness.
I looked around for a bit and decided since we were there we should get in line for Buzz. I don't remember what the listed wait time was. 45 minutes maybe? I thought that would be good timing to place our lunch order, ride Buzz, then have lunch at Cosmic Rays.
Things didn't go quite as planned. We got in line at 12:04, but after 10 minutes of not moving AT ALL we got out of line. I was CRANKY. At 12:20 we attempted to mobile order from Cosmic Rays. However, it wouldn't let us ACTUALLY order until 12:30. So, I took pictures and David found us a lovely table to comandeer at the Lunching pad until we could get in to Cosmic Rays.
Our food was ready at 12:40. Cosmic Rays was crazy crowded. There were ZERO tables to sit and listen to Sonny Eclipse. (Which is honestly the only reason why I ever go in to that place.) I ran into Tammy in there. Brian was hunting a table for them as well.
It was 12:50 when we finally sat down to eat. David got the burger and I got the Chili Dog. It was terrible. However, the real reason we were here was for the Smores thingy. (Those are the squares pictured above the Chili Dog and to the left of the fries.) And I also wanted to try the Cheshire Cat Tail. The Cat Tail was okay. The Smores squares were GOOD. Plus, check out this view:
Well.......I'm not certain THAT was our exact view. We had a clear shot of the castle while we ate. It was wonderful just to sit and watch. It definitely helped my mood. (Once we got back David, per my request, dumped all the pictures we took between the two of us into one file, selected the ones we wanted to keep, and edited them.) I remember taking a picture of the castle from our table inside Cosmic Rays, but this doesn't seem exactly right.
After lunch, I was feeling much better. After all, if sitting and filling your belly full of yummy goodness while taking in the beautiful view of a fairy tale castle can't put you in a better mood, what can? I made David take this pic with me:
Then it was off to the BESTEST ATTRACTION EVERRRR.
We ran into Tammy and Brian for this one a well. We got in line at 1:15. We had to WAIT 25 minutes! What kind of world is this that you have to WAIT for CoP? Crazy. Looking around Tommorowland as we waited all of the lines were nuts. Crazy long. Hour plus waits for everything. We finished with CoP at 2 pm. Tammy and Brian headed off and we moseyed out of Tomorrowland.
So, it was nearly 11 am on our last day in Disney at the BESTEST EVER Disney park, MK! I love the theming of Tomorrowland. I love the Astro Orbiter up on top of the Lunching Pad especially at night. (Not a big fan of the actual Astro Orbiter ride.) Not a fan of Tomorrowland Speedway. And did you know, I've been going to Disneyworld regularly since 2009, but didn't actually ride PeopleMover until 2018????? Also, one of my all time favorite attractions is Carousel of Progress. If I could only pick one ride to chain myself to in order to prevent its demolition it would either be CoP or Tiki Room.
However, at 11 am on this morning we were headed for Space Mountain!
The line here was looooooong. So many switchbacks and loop arounds. We got in line at 1104. We waited 30 minutes before CMs announced overhead that they would be evacuating Space.
Note the time, people.....yep I was already cranky. Added to this, the family behind us was LOUD and did not believe in social distancing. Just a few parties behind them was a HUGE party of 20+ (looked like a big extended family vacay to WDW, maybe?) Masks off, eating in line, kids running back and forth within their group. They didn't believe in social distancing either. I don't like crowds. I didn't like them pre- Covid, I don't like them now. I'm a fan of the social distancing ques. I vote we keep them after Covid to keep peeps outta my grill.
Now, we had made it all the way to the interior of the ride, to the switchbacks, just before they split you to either track A or B. This is a very crowded point of the ride. Thank goodness they had plexiglass up between the switchbacks, but I still felt like I was in a cattle shoot. We continued to wait, I was dreading the evacuation from this point because it was going to be a looooooong walk back. Nothing was moving though. We didn't see them evacuating anyone. We were all just standing. They got things back on line and the ride resumed! We didn't have to wait too much longer after they got things going again. But it was 11:54 before we got in our Space vehicle. I like to ride in the very front seat of the very front car. I'm old. This ride is jerky. Cut me some slack. That's not where I ended up, but at least it wasn't the very back. The ride was, of course, fun. We got off at 11:58. Pretty much a solid hour for Space Mountain. That definitely added to my crankiness.
I looked around for a bit and decided since we were there we should get in line for Buzz. I don't remember what the listed wait time was. 45 minutes maybe? I thought that would be good timing to place our lunch order, ride Buzz, then have lunch at Cosmic Rays.
Things didn't go quite as planned. We got in line at 12:04, but after 10 minutes of not moving AT ALL we got out of line. I was CRANKY. At 12:20 we attempted to mobile order from Cosmic Rays. However, it wouldn't let us ACTUALLY order until 12:30. So, I took pictures and David found us a lovely table to comandeer at the Lunching pad until we could get in to Cosmic Rays.
Our food was ready at 12:40. Cosmic Rays was crazy crowded. There were ZERO tables to sit and listen to Sonny Eclipse. (Which is honestly the only reason why I ever go in to that place.) I ran into Tammy in there. Brian was hunting a table for them as well.
It was 12:50 when we finally sat down to eat. David got the burger and I got the Chili Dog. It was terrible. However, the real reason we were here was for the Smores thingy. (Those are the squares pictured above the Chili Dog and to the left of the fries.) And I also wanted to try the Cheshire Cat Tail. The Cat Tail was okay. The Smores squares were GOOD. Plus, check out this view:
Well.......I'm not certain THAT was our exact view. We had a clear shot of the castle while we ate. It was wonderful just to sit and watch. It definitely helped my mood. (Once we got back David, per my request, dumped all the pictures we took between the two of us into one file, selected the ones we wanted to keep, and edited them.) I remember taking a picture of the castle from our table inside Cosmic Rays, but this doesn't seem exactly right.
After lunch, I was feeling much better. After all, if sitting and filling your belly full of yummy goodness while taking in the beautiful view of a fairy tale castle can't put you in a better mood, what can? I made David take this pic with me:
Then it was off to the BESTEST ATTRACTION EVERRRR.
We ran into Tammy and Brian for this one a well. We got in line at 1:15. We had to WAIT 25 minutes! What kind of world is this that you have to WAIT for CoP? Crazy. Looking around Tommorowland as we waited all of the lines were nuts. Crazy long. Hour plus waits for everything. We finished with CoP at 2 pm. Tammy and Brian headed off and we moseyed out of Tomorrowland.
MK2010
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
Mine carts and Bateaux
We made our way to 7DMT. There was a posted wait time of 50 minutes. It was a long looking line. But everything had a line equally as long. So, it was gonna be a game of wait here or wait there. In we hopped. It was 2:10. I passed the time in line taking in the details. I like the lightposts here. Of course all of the little in line games were sectioned off. David took this photo of me in line.
The wait wasn't that bad. We boarded our Mine Train at 2:45. So it was only at 35 minute wait! We were done at 2:50 and were ready for Adventure.
We cut through the hub to head into Adventureland.
Just passing through folks. Nothing to see. Just a castle.
We headed straight for Tiki Room. But the current show was running and the next show was full. They offered to let us wait for the following show. We decided to skip it for now and use our FP from earlier on POTC.
It was 3 pm when we scanned in our MB. We only had a 5 minute wait. And since the Disney photopass photographers are obviously a huge fan of this ride, enjoy!
I enjoy this ride. I'm glad that they changed the auction scene. Mainly because human trafficking is still a HUGE problem. I like the character of Red. I don't like the new scene. It doesn't make any sense. Now, for those of you who aren't a fan of the change in any way shape or form. I can agree with that too. Having the original scene opens the door for conversations about human trafficking. The more aware we all are of our past the more we can work to NOT repeat it. And honestly, as fun as Pirate's is, does anyone REALLY want to return to the days of true pirates ruling the high seas?
Okay, now, that I have COMPLETELY ruined this whole post. I'll leave you on that note! Haha. I'm on Day 4 of Covid. I feel okay, just REALLY tired. I have a few other things I need to get done and I'm seeing a nap in my short term future.
We made our way to 7DMT. There was a posted wait time of 50 minutes. It was a long looking line. But everything had a line equally as long. So, it was gonna be a game of wait here or wait there. In we hopped. It was 2:10. I passed the time in line taking in the details. I like the lightposts here. Of course all of the little in line games were sectioned off. David took this photo of me in line.
The wait wasn't that bad. We boarded our Mine Train at 2:45. So it was only at 35 minute wait! We were done at 2:50 and were ready for Adventure.
We cut through the hub to head into Adventureland.
Just passing through folks. Nothing to see. Just a castle.
We headed straight for Tiki Room. But the current show was running and the next show was full. They offered to let us wait for the following show. We decided to skip it for now and use our FP from earlier on POTC.
It was 3 pm when we scanned in our MB. We only had a 5 minute wait. And since the Disney photopass photographers are obviously a huge fan of this ride, enjoy!
I enjoy this ride. I'm glad that they changed the auction scene. Mainly because human trafficking is still a HUGE problem. I like the character of Red. I don't like the new scene. It doesn't make any sense. Now, for those of you who aren't a fan of the change in any way shape or form. I can agree with that too. Having the original scene opens the door for conversations about human trafficking. The more aware we all are of our past the more we can work to NOT repeat it. And honestly, as fun as Pirate's is, does anyone REALLY want to return to the days of true pirates ruling the high seas?
Okay, now, that I have COMPLETELY ruined this whole post. I'll leave you on that note! Haha. I'm on Day 4 of Covid. I feel okay, just REALLY tired. I have a few other things I need to get done and I'm seeing a nap in my short term future.
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