Trip Report “It’s Pinnie the Pooh!!” November 2020 trip

Hi everyone! We got back this past Sunday from our quick trip and it already feels like it was forever ago....too soon to go back? All of our pre-trip details are in my pre-trip report...I finally just learned how to post a gif in these reports so you will not find a link to it here My husband, our 3 year old daughter, and myself were there November 5th through 8th. We stayed at Art of Animation and spent two days in the parks. Lets get this show on the road to find out what rides Ryleigh loved and didn’t love....how were the crowds....did frozen open in time for our Epcot day...was eating hard....and most importantly, did my husband get his egg roll???

Thursday, November 5th
We got up around 7:15 which was fun after I didn’t finish packing until after midnight. My own fault I know Ryleigh was bursting with excitement which only made me more excited. We had breakfast, packed up the car, and was on the road to the airport by 8:20.

We got to the airport around 8:45. I learned a week or so before that you can pre-pay for your parking and it gives you a discount. We took our checked bags into the airport to drop off first. There was no issues with a wait or weight. We went back to grab our carry-ons and the stroller from the car and we were on our way to TSA.

There was no wait and no drills like our 2018 trip. We made it to our gate around 9:20 which gave us about an hour to hang out.

Our flight was right at lunch time but it was too early to do lunch so we opted for a few snacks to hold us over. (spoiler alert - this plan would come back to bite us in the butt a few hours later.) We did a potty trip before we boarded. This is where I played my first round of “Don’t touch that” in the bathroom. We potty trained Ryleigh during quarantine (only took 3 days ) so she hasn’t had much experience with public bathrooms yet. I sprayed down the toilet with my travel Lysol, put her travel seat down, and she went. Then it was my turn and she insisted on trying to touch everything. The sounds from our stall were “Don’t touch that!” “Can I touch this” “No that has germs too.” “Can I touch this?” “No....don’t touch the floor!!!” We played this game every bathroom trip during the trip. We started boarding around 10:30 and took off on time at 11. Lesson learned....the $8 Southwest WiFi does not work for streaming. I watched The Notebook from their free movies and Ryleigh watched the new trolls, colored, and looked out the window.

We landed on time around 1:00. Ryleigh LOVED the landing!

 

[Songbird76]

I’m back! I had a super wonderful surprise Magician meet up today! Our local Disney store is one of the ones closing So a trip or two was necessary this last week. We arrived at the mall this morning to a HUGE line to get in. While walking towards the end of the line, I recognized some faces in line. I stopped and whispered to my husband “I’m pretty sure I know those people in line. They’re my imaginary friends” (that’s what he refers to the people I talk about from the forums ) He told me to go over and say hi but I’m suuuuuper not outgoing. I figured this was a pretty crazy thing to see someone from these forums not in one of the parks so I mustered up my courage and walked over. My super awkward opening line - “Hi, I think I know you from the internet“ I’m glad I did because I got to spend my time waiting in line and shopping in the store with none other than @riverside , @MickeyCB , and her husband!
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It was a great time and it made my last time at our local Disney store not so sad! I figured my meetup was a sign that it was time to dig my notes out and finish this bad boy. Before we begin, let me introduce you to the reason I’ve neglected this site since my last post. Apparently I felt life was a little too boring....meet Rosa!
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Now let’s get back to our wonderful experience at Epcot...

Ok, that may be THE. CUTEST. PUPPY I have ever seen.

 

[Disstevefan1]

We exited Arendelle and their gift shop (managed to escape with only an Elsa light up spinner that was on sale for $10 #parentingwin) to the masses. We managed to catch a princess cavalcade and it was the cutest watching Ryleigh blow them kisses.
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But holy people Epcot! Now I know that we took the risk of being around people when we booked our trip but at this point, I was truly uncomfortable. The food booth lines zigzagged and ended by the next booth. You would think that those lines mixed with the 3 main rides all having wait times over an hour, there wouldn’t be many people left to wander around. But it was shoulder to shoulder walking around.
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And here begins my “eating in Disney is hard” experience....It was getting to be lunch time but there were no booths in sight that could be touched. I suggested going to the festival building right past Canada because I knew they had Mac n cheese. We squished our way through people and were releived to see there was no line to get into the building. That would be because EVERYONE was already in there. I know George was looking forward to the food offerings so I committed to making something work here. I suggested he get into the first line (which was long) while I went to the Mac n cheese booth that was 2 booths over. Except the Mac n cheese booth line zigzagged a few times in front of it and snaked all the way to where George was in line at the other booth. NO THANK YOU. Trying to stay calm because it was uncomfortable crowded in there, I suggested we mobile ordered for Sunshine Seasons. I quickly ordered and we started squishing through people to make it over to the Land. We passed the food booth with the waffles on the side path with only 2 people in line so we figured we might as take advantage. I left George in line while I went ahead to the Land to park the stroller. Upon arrival, I noticed there was a line to get into the building. I approached one of the CMs directing traffic, showed them my mobile order, and asked how this would work. He told me when it was ready and our whole party was there, that he would let me through to the door. Easy enough. I parked the stroller and George appeared with two waffles with chocolate and whipped cream. (And an entire cup of hard cider in his belly because he couldn’t carry everything so he chugged it right then and there ) My phone alerted me that our food was ready. I approached the CM I had already talked to and he let us go up to the door past the outside line. Going smooth right? That ends at the door. Another man was having a slight disagreement with the CM at the door and she walked away so we walked in the door to find ANOTHER LINE! It stretched from the door clear to the escalator. I stayed in the line because I’m a rule follower and didn’t know where to go. I knew surely they weren’t going to make us wait in this huge line when our food was ready and waiting. I sent George to the next CM to see where we needed to go. Apparently I was very mistaken. We INDEED had to wait in this enormous line. George said he explained that our food was ready and he was told that it didn't matter and we had to wait in the line with people who were waiting to get down to Soarin. How does this even make sense??? He asked how we would go about getting our money back for an order that would surely be cold by the time we got there. “You’ll still have to wait in this line because they will only be able to give you a refund down there” My cool was officially lost

In what world was this a good plan?? Why did they let you mobile order if you would have to wait in line?? WHY IS IT SO FREAKING HARD TO EAT IN DISNEY?!?! Between the crowds and this nonsense, I discreetly had a meltdown while we were in this stupid line. Un-Disneylike words were used....A LOT. We couldn’t even eat our waffles because Disney doesn’t want you eating in line. After a 10 minute wait, we were finally permitted on the escalator where we descended to our cold food. We were way past lunchtime at this point and we just needed to eat. I took our food and found a table. I knew the CMs directing traffic inside Sunshine Seasons weren‘t the ones to take it up with. They had no control over how things were run. We ate our lukewarm food. I had a bacon cheeseburger, Ryleigh had cheese pizza, and George had a pulled pork sandwich of some kind I think. We also got the strawberry shortcake and plant based dirt pudding....plant based Oreos just taste weird. I cooled off while eating. George and I both decided that a trip to guest services might be the best idea. Not because we wanted something in return for the experience but because how will they know that the plan they currently have in place might not be the best one. I wanted to check if this was protocol with everything. We had a reservation for the Garden Grill later and I didn’t want to be late because I had to wait in line with the people riding Soarin. George also laughed and told me he had been getting ready to thank me for staying calm through all the nonsense right before I lost my cool. He said he overhead wives in line yelling at their husbands out of frustration and he was thankful I was doing my best to keep calm. And then I didn’t

And that folks is how I came to agree with @Darstarr - EATING IN DISNEY IS HARD!

Very sorry to hear of all your issues! Ironically this is very similar to the experience we had on a November weekend at EPCOT in 2019. Pandemic or not, you’re right, it can get mobbed at EPCOT on the weekend.