Trip Report Shrouded In A Daft Disguise *COMPLETED*

Two weeks ago today, I returned home from the most surreal Disney vacation I have ever experienced.

During my last visit in February, I couldn’t have imagined having to wear a face mask and have my temperature taken before being allowed into a park. “Social distancing” wasn’t part of my vocabulary. Hand sanitizer was something I carried in a little bottle in my purse, not something in giant containers at the entrance/exit of every attraction.

No park hopping? No Fastpasses? No FIREWORKS :jawdrop: ?!! Not even on my radar screen.

Like a bolt out of the blue, the pandemic struck and life was dramatically altered. For everyone. And there is no Magic Mirror to tell us when it will be over. For me the pandemic has been a reminder to take nothing for granted ~ and that there can still be joy in the darkest days.

My name is Tuvalu and I have been a WDW annual passholder for nearly 25 years. I was raised on Disney and so were my children. The parks have always been my “escape” from real life. Could they still be an “escape” in the midst of a pandemic? After months of quarantine, I was ready to find out.

My daughter Em was my travel buddy. My husband Woody had reservations, but not for our safety. He was concerned we’d struggle with the restrictions and disappointment with all the changes. He wanted us to come back happy and wasn’t sure we would. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure we would either. After much research and due diligence, Em and I felt prepared to embark on a vacation with few expectations.

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Full disclosure ~ I‘ve wrestled with writing a report of our trip. The pandemic and subsequent events have caused much division on this Disney fan forum. I’ve always considered the trip reports section to be a “safe space” and hope it stays that way. My goal is to provide entertainment to the reader, nothing more.

With that in mind.....

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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
We turned around a discovered a “social distanced” Trolley Cavalcade....although Rabbit and Piglet seem further
apart than 6 feet.

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Like me, Woody has mixed feelings about the new color palette for Cinderella Castle.

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At least this pink is better than the Pepto Bismol pink for MK’s 25th.

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Who wants to Arty Pooh?

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We do! We do!

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Apparently no one else did!
 
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pkkurz

Well-Known Member
Thursday, August 27

Today was our second MK day and I was determined to be there for rope drop. I’m really not sure why, other than it was how I operated pre-pandemic and perhaps I was longing for some “normalcy”?

I still miss the Welcome Show atop the train station. Like the opening chapter of a book, it built anticipation and excitement of what was to come.

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Our family really misses the train also. The closure is coming up on two years with no reopening date in sight. :cry:

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In case anyone was wondering if park maps are still available ~

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I was honestly surprised to see them considering Disney has removed most paper literature from resort rooms.

Look who was standing atop the backside of train station!

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Minnie was waving just to me! (For you, @MinnieM123 😉)

A “busier” Main Street made the morning feel a little more “normal”.

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What wasn’t normal was the lack of Photopass CMs on Main Street. I really wanted a pic of us with the castle in the background. I searched the hub area until I found one PP photographer. He was near the Plaza Gardens. These shots weren’t exactly what I had in mind but will have to suffice.

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We miss the Welcome Show from atop the train station too. It just set the tone for the day. Don’t get me started about how long the Walt Disney Railroad has been down. I’m excited for The TRON Coaster, but I think there must have been a way to get the train back in Service a lot sooner than this.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
In the queue in 7 Dwarfs, I've always wondered about the colorful "gems" -- what was the purpose of that? (I realize gems are what miners would dig for.)

But as it relates to the actual indoor queue -- I've seen kids get all excited by touching all of them, but I believe the gems are stationery. (I guess what I'm trying to say is, is there something that's supposed to happen if you touch them -- like maybe one of them might be loose, and a kid gets to keep it?)

(That aside, I'm glad they have a sign discouraging touching them at this time, during covid.)
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
So glad you Arty Poohed! 😍 😍 It seems to be the @Tuvalu way!
Frustrated Jennifer Aniston GIF by Apple TV


We miss the Welcome Show from atop the train station too. It just set the tone for the day. Don’t get me started about how long the Walt Disney Railroad has been down. I’m excited for The TRON Coaster, but I think there must have been a way to get the train back in Service a lot sooner than this.
preach john stamos GIF by Fuller House

In the queue in 7 Dwarfs, I've always wondered about the colorful "gems" -- what was the purpose of that? (I realize gems are what miners would dig for.)

But as it relates to the actual indoor queue -- I've seen kids get all excited by touching all of them, but I believe the gems are stationery. (I guess what I'm trying to say is, is there something that's supposed to happen if you touch them -- like maybe one of them might be loose, and a kid gets to keep it?)

(That aside, I'm glad they have a sign discouraging touching them at this time, during covid.)
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Yum, I wish I had some of that right now.

Me too! Maybe she will share with us!
I was upset that I had to share it with Woody! I expected each of us to get our own. Nope ~ our server only brought the one I’m holding ~ and two additional plates.

As if Woody and I would divide the dessert in half and not share communally. 🙄
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
I finally got all caught up with your updates after returning from my WDW trip! The whole fiasco at Pizza Rizzo was not very magical! I have to say that while we were there last week, we mobile ordered most days for lunch and found the process to be very efficient. I think they finally figured out how the process was going to work! It's so nice that you got some great pool weather on this trip. Sorry you found yourself having to be the babysitter though at the pool. It sounds like the Dad was enjoying his "alone" time!:rolleyes: I always had to have my eyes directly on my children while at a pool too! So exciting that you got a boarding group for ROTR being that it was Woody's first time! We got one last week for the first time also and really enjoyed it even though we're not big Star Wars fans. We waited on a long line for MMRR but it was worth it as we really enjoyed it! So glad you got the perfect seat at B&C and had Matt as your server again. Your meal and ice cream sundaes looked delicious!
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Not quite, but the line moved fast.

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2 years ago, precovid, my then teenage son scolded me for playing with the jewels, "mom, do you know how many hands have been on those"?!:depressed: Hmm, you are correct son as I quickly jerked my hand back. And back in the day I didn't carry a gallon of hand sanitizer with me!

And regarding the pool thing and watching your own kids, I am with you totally.
When my daughter was 4 my friend talked me into letting her go to the pool with her kid and their babysitter. I got a really weird feeling after a neighbor said, "I'd never let my kid go to the pool with someone else". So I hop in the car and drive over and my daughter is in the pool with a too large of a life jacket while the babysitter is painting her toe nails with her back to the pool, and my daughter was spinning face down, face up and as I just got ready to jump in the life guard did. I wasn't too pleased with the sitter, who didn't see the problem. Lesson learned, thankfully, without her being harmed.
 

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