Trip Report Completed: March 5-14, 2020: Our Return to WDW and the "Hips and Elbows People, Hips and Elbows!" edition

Hello everyone! It has been one month since we made our return to Walt Disney World, it was 593 days since we had been there. We hadn't been without Disney trips, we were annual passholders of Disneyland during that time. More info in my pre-trip report. Needless to say we were were excited to return. I was a little apprehensive for a few reasons: 1. what if I didn't like WDW as much any more after being away so long and maybe I had fallen too much in love with Disneyland. 2. I was slightly worried about this corona virus thing (maybe I should have been more worried), but I was hopeful we would get through the trip without having to think about it.

In case you don't want to go back to my pre-trip report let me give you a few more details:

Who: Amy and Brad (my husband)
Resort: Pop Century



Let's begin:

March 5, 2020

We had an early morning flight, it is a pain getting up at 3 am but we do like getting to our destination early and being able to spend a lot of our day at our vacation destination. Plus we were early birds so it wasn't too bad. Luckily there wasn't a snow storm and our flight out of Minneapolis was on schedule!

Not much was open so early but Caribou coffee!
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Coming up more of our journey and lots of fun, food and beer!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Thursday March 12, 2020

We made it to Norway! We had meandered a bit so we weren't in the front of the pack but we quickly got on the attractions.
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Yoo hoo!
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My mom used to make me stand in front of this for a picture every time we went. So the tradition continues! My mom was very proud of her Norwegian heritage so Norway was her favorite pavilion.
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As you can see it was quite busy at the moment!
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Troll!
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Channeling his inner Viking.
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I just read a book partially set in Norway....a lot of great culture there!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
What was the book? I’m always on the lookout for a good book. Unless it is scary, I don’t like scary things.
Not scary. It's part of a series. It's the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. It's kind of historical fiction mixed with some mythology and some romance. The book is based on the constellation the Pleiades and Pa Salt has adopted 6 girls, each of whom are named after one of the stars in the constellation. When he dies, he leaves each girl a letter and some clues about her origin, should she choose to look. The 7th sister is a mystery as he never brought her home. The one partially set in Norway is the 2nd book, The Storm Sister. I'm almost finished with the 3rd book now.
 

krisri18

Well-Known Member
Thursday March 12, 2020

We made it to Norway! We had meandered a bit so we weren't in the front of the pack but we quickly got on the attractions.
View attachment 473856

Yoo hoo!
View attachment 473857

View attachment 473858

My mom used to make me stand in front of this for a picture every time we went. So the tradition continues! My mom was very proud of her Norwegian heritage so Norway was her favorite pavilion.
View attachment 473859

As you can see it was quite busy at the moment!
View attachment 473860

View attachment 473861

Troll!
View attachment 473862

Channeling his inner Viking.
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View attachment 473864
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Love that Patrick shirt! I got P the same one!
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
I've always wanted a cool monorail shot like this and I was happy to have good timing today.

All your photos are great. I also have one really good monorail shot from a previous F&G Festival. As you mentioned above, it's all about TIMING to get the perfect shot with the background. I took quite a few that day and luckily, one came out perfect.

A few pictures of merch. I thought it was cute but not a purchase.

I love that Minnie shirt! :inlove: Ha! Actually, the merchandise from the 2020 F&G looks really nice. Too bad with COVID-19 and people not going to the parks, it's all probably boxed up in a warehouse some place, or they've already sent it out to the outlets, perhaps.
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Monday March 9

After Gorilla Falls it was time for our Flights of Passage fast pass. We were both a little nervous for this ride. Not because of the ride itself, I've been on it quite a few times and like it. Although the smell emitted during the ride makes me a little nauseous, I never get motion sick on rides but I am sensitive to smells. Anyway, Brad has not been able to ride this attraction. He has tried twice, once the back thing wouldn't lock and then the second time it wouldn't lock around his legs. Very frustrating for him and yes he felt embarrassment when he had to walk out of those rooms. It always put a little cloud over him the rest of the day. But this time he was coming to this attraction at least 80 pounds lighter. He was still nervous that he wouldn't fit and be embarrassed again. I knew how hard he had been working and I was 100% sure he would be fine now, but I knew if for some reason those restraints wouldn't lock he would feel like had failed somehow when clearly he had been working so hard.
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And the pre-show...
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Ummm yeah, Sivako! The moment of truth came after this and Brad was able to ride!!!! With plenty of room in those restraints to spare!
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When the ride was done we needed to get a picture of him in the attraction. On the way out, I asked him how he enjoyed it and he said, "It was pretty good, I could ride it again sometime!" He does get a little motion sick and he left feeling a bit queasy. He did admit it was very well done and because it actually did feel like flying that's why he felt a little ill. He appreciated the beauty and detail and agreed with me that the smell was a little to sickeningly sweet.
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Awesome! Great for Brad!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
ALL CAUGHT UP!

Observations;

Brad is a natural with a light-saber. The force seems to be strong with him.

Thanks for the photos and reviews of Rise of the Resistance and Mickey's Runaway. Makes me excited!

I've noticed a big jump in your photography skills. The way you are composing and framing images are terrific!
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
Whew!!! I just finished the whole report in 2 days!!!! I neglected housework for it:) I don't know why I didn't catch the TR at the beginning??? It was a breath of fresh air being able to go along with you guys on your trip before covid.

My husband and I were at WDW from 2/17 to 3/4/20, so we left the day before you arrived! Our weather was kind of cool most of the time but still not Minnesota winter!

I wanted to mention your trip to Bok Tower. I have a very old photo of the singing tower in my bedroom and I always wondered where it came from! It was in my sister in laws estate when she passed. I took it because it was intriguing and mysterious. The grounds are definitely not like you showed in your photos. It is that brownish color with pink/reds brushed over or on the photo? I know I;m explaining it all wrong, but it looks very old. I was going to mail it to the Bok Tower park because I think they might want this photo that shows the area before all the gardens, etc. It looks like a beautiful place to visit, so I added it to our bucket list.

I always get the mickey waffles for breakfast too. I miss them now!
We fly out of Mpls/StPaul airport too, and always get the early flight out after our connector.

I really enjoyed seeing Brad and his light saber. It looked like he was having a great time. And, can't forget to mention your Cinderella "light saber", too funny.

Thanks for a wonderful trip report. Here's hoping we can all visit our happy place again soon. We might go to Disneyland next year, then WDW following. It will be my first trip ever to Disneyland and I can't wait:)
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Was mostly everyone seated except for these few people in the front?!

That, is a magnificent frameable photo!

Thanks for the compliment on the photo! I really got lucky with that shot.

And yeah the people near the front stayed standing probably because of the shrubs in front of the them, but those people standing didn't hinder our view.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Love that Patrick shirt! I got P the same one!

We are people with great taste!!

All your photos are great. I also have one really good monorail shot from a previous F&G Festival. As you mentioned above, it's all about TIMING to get the perfect shot with the background. I took quite a few that day and luckily, one came out perfect.



I love that Minnie shirt! :inlove: Ha! Actually, the merchandise from the 2020 F&G looks really nice. Too bad with COVID-19 and people not going to the parks, it's all probably boxed up in a warehouse some place, or they've already sent it out to the outlets, perhaps.

Thanks for the photo compliment. I did like a lot of the merchandise from F&G and you are probably right most of the merch will probably end up at the outlets. I think the Villains party merch will probably end up at the outlets too, doesn't look like they will be having more of those this year either.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
ALL CAUGHT UP!

Observations;

Brad is a natural with a light-saber. The force seems to be strong with him.

Thanks for the photos and reviews of Rise of the Resistance and Mickey's Runaway. Makes me excited!

I've noticed a big jump in your photography skills. The way you are composing and framing images are terrific!

The force is indeed strong with Brad! :hilarious::)

Rise and Mickey's are both exciting. Are you still planning on your trip this summer? It's been awhile for you guys, we all need some more of your awesome photos and magic beer stories!

Thanks for the compliment on the photos. I didn't even take my regular camera this time, it is all iPhone 11 pictures. Sometimes I missed my regular camera but not the extra weight in my bag! I'm just trying to take my time a little more and that seems to help.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Whew!!! I just finished the whole report in 2 days!!!! I neglected housework for it:) I don't know why I didn't catch the TR at the beginning??? It was a breath of fresh air being able to go along with you guys on your trip before covid.

My husband and I were at WDW from 2/17 to 3/4/20, so we left the day before you arrived! Our weather was kind of cool most of the time but still not Minnesota winter!

I wanted to mention your trip to Bok Tower. I have a very old photo of the singing tower in my bedroom and I always wondered where it came from! It was in my sister in laws estate when she passed. I took it because it was intriguing and mysterious. The grounds are definitely not like you showed in your photos. It is that brownish color with pink/reds brushed over or on the photo? I know I;m explaining it all wrong, but it looks very old. I was going to mail it to the Bok Tower park because I think they might want this photo that shows the area before all the gardens, etc. It looks like a beautiful place to visit, so I added it to our bucket list.

I always get the mickey waffles for breakfast too. I miss them now!
We fly out of Mpls/StPaul airport too, and always get the early flight out after our connector.

I really enjoyed seeing Brad and his light saber. It looked like he was having a great time. And, can't forget to mention your Cinderella "light saber", too funny.

Thanks for a wonderful trip report. Here's hoping we can all visit our happy place again soon. We might go to Disneyland next year, then WDW following. It will be my first trip ever to Disneyland and I can't wait:)

Thanks for catching up! I still have a few more days to of the trip to share. We had some cool days too at the start but it wasn't like being here! Bok Tower was fun, we often go to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum so we enjoy gardens. Interesting about that photo, I'm sure they would be interested in seeing it as well.

Have you every ordered the waffle mix that Disney uses for your use at home? I got a Mickey waffle maker for Christmas a few years ago and that's the mix we buy and it is almost as good as eating them at Disney. Oh and we did have fun with our light sabers too! As we were taking our walk today Brad said that he might take his light saber outside tonight and play with it a little and make the neighbor kids jealous!:joyfull:

I'm sure you will enjoy Disneyland and if you have any Disneyland questions I'm happy to help with anything.
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
Thanks for catching up! I still have a few more days to of the trip to share. We had some cool days too at the start but it wasn't like being here! Bok Tower was fun, we often go to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum so we enjoy gardens. Interesting about that photo, I'm sure they would be interested in seeing it as well.

Have you every ordered the waffle mix that Disney uses for your use at home? I got a Mickey waffle maker for Christmas a few years ago and that's the mix we buy and it is almost as good as eating them at Disney. Oh and we did have fun with our light sabers too! As we were taking our walk today Brad said that he might take his light saber outside tonight and play with it a little and make the neighbor kids jealous!:joyfull:

I'm sure you will enjoy Disneyland and if you have any Disneyland questions I'm happy to help with anything.

No, I haven't tried the Disney waffle mix; I didn't even know about it. I will have to get a mickey waffle maker and the mix. Yum, it makes me hungry just talking about it. Thanks! for the info.
I know we will have a lot of questions about Disneyland. We were supposed to go this year but with covid that has changed to next year. My husband also wanted to work another year before retiring, so.... It will be my first time to California and Disneyland, and I can't wait. My husband lived in CAlifornia for a few years when he was very young, and visited Disneyland once. So he doesn't remember anything about it! I will get in touch when we set up our plans. :)
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Sorry for the delay in my new posts on the report. It was our last week of school and it was strange to wrap it up virtually. I was busy tracking down kids trying to get them to turn in work. Anyway, grades are turned in and it is time to work on finishing this report. I left off at Epcot

Thursday March 12, 2020
It was time to head into World Showcase for some lunch at the Flower and Garden booths we got a few of the favorites that we had eaten that week and a few we hadn't tried yet.

First stop Fleur de Lys for some more Blanc beer for me.
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The La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose l’Orange Vodka, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice for Brad.
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We also got the duck (Canard Confit à l’Orange: Braised Duck Confit à l’Orange with Mashed Sweet Potatoes ) which was good. I like duck but not sweet potatoes but it all worked well together. And another onion tart, yum!
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I guess I did get a picture of the coming summer 2020 sign.
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I miss the trees.
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Brad didn't want anything from the Florida Fresh booth, but I did.
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I got the beer flight and the key lime pie. It was all very good. Here are the beers (copied from Disney Food Blog):
  • Tampa Bay Brewing Company Twisted Strawberry Fest Fruit Ale, Tampa, FL
  • Big Top Brewing Company Conch Republic Key Lime Wheat, Sarasota, FL
  • First Magnitude Brewing Co. Monarch Milk Stout, Gainesville, FL
My sister is not a beer fan at all but she was really interested in the Strawberry Ale, her trip was planned for April. She finally asked me a couple weeks ago if I had tried the Strawberry ale and how it was. A little guilty when I told her I had and even worse when I told her it was delicious. I am not a strawberry fan but it was freakin' good! I thought the key lime would be my favorite beer since I had tasted one by a different brewery there a few years ago but nope, it was the strawberry.
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Brad wanted the cauliflower from Taste of Marrakesh and he also got the chicken kebab so we met up at a nice shady table (because it was hot today!) at the Morocco quick service. The chicken was good but he loved the cauliflower.
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Close up on the beer
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ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Thursday March 12, 2020

We were still hungry and I was bummed that the beef udon wasn't on the menu for the Japan Flower and Garden booth this year. But I heard beef udon was on the menu at Katusra Grill, so we decided to share it. It was really good and I have recreated a version of it at home since our trip. It is really pretty in that area of the Japan pavilion too, it was a nice break.
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We both wanted to see the Voices of Liberty again so we headed over to America.
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While waiting for the Voices of Liberty I checked out the display of Native Americans. The display is really well done and gives a nice glimpse into the culture of some of the tribes.
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Beautiful work on the clothes and other objects.
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ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Thursday March 12, 2020

I took some time to admire the paintings again. And I spent a little more time examining my favorite which is the one of the immigrants.
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Brad had been able to secure a bench for us and it was nice to sit, relax, and enjoy the Voices of Liberty.
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This is probably my 3rd favorite in painting in the American Adventure.
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After the Voices we continued our journey around World Showcase.
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ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Thursday March 12, 2020

Of course we took a walk on the Romantic Road and enjoyed the little trains. I like how they put the Flower and Garden banners in the train village too.
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This bird house display thing was by Italy.
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We stopped at the Bauernmarket in Germany again and instead of the pretzel we got the potato pancake topped with ham. It was good, it needed salt really badly though.
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We both seriously considered this Orange Bird print shirt, neither of us got it though.
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Love the pandas in China.
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Chinese Zodiac display
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