Trip Report A New Hope, A New Day *COMPLETED*

That’s not a Star Wars reference.

Longtime readers of my trip reports know Star Wars isn’t my thing (although I immensely enjoy Rise of the Resistance.)

Fireworks are my thing. Like a moth to a flame, I am instinctively drawn to bursts of brilliant sparkles and colors in the sky. Just ask my family how quickly I’ve stopped whatever I’m doing to find the source of nighttime booms! I have serious fireworks FOMO.

Disney fireworks....especially Magic Kingdom fireworks....always flood me with nostalgia, happy memories and hope. After a long pandemic year, I know I am not alone in my yearning for hope of better days ahead.

Every step we take
Brings a new hope
A new day

The return of Disney fireworks, for me, is a sign that things are improving. Hooray!!

But there won’t be any pyro on my upcoming trip. And that’s ok. This vacation was booked with the assumption there would be no nighttime entertainment. (However when rumors began to suggest fireworks in July…..well let’s just say there might be another reservation in MDE for us.)

Who’s us?

Mother/daughter travel buddies, Tuvalu and Em. We last visited together in early April. We were there the day the mask mandate was dropped for stationary pictures.

Today the mask mandate for all those vaccinated has been suspended and we couldn’t be happier! We won’t have to be shrouded in a daft disguise again this summer!

I am not planning to do a full live report but may post a daily update. I’ll fill in the details when our vacation is over.

T-minus 3 days.
June 19 - 26, 2021
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Will any other Magicians make an appearance? Stay tuned.

 

[Songbird76]

Original Figment was my favorite ride on our first trip to Epcot. Epcot is still my favorite park, mostly because of nostalgia, though I do love World Showcase. But I loved World of Motion and Spaceship Earth. Horizons creeped me out a little, but Epcot was just so much fun! I miss those original rides and experiences.

Your food pics are making me hungry.

 

[Tuvalu]

Original Figment was my favorite ride on our first trip to Epcot. Epcot is still my favorite park, mostly because of nostalgia, though I do love World Showcase. But I loved World of Motion and Spaceship Earth. Horizons creeped me out a little, but Epcot was just so much fun! I miss those original rides and experiences.

Your food pics are making me hungry.

World of Motion was my #1 fave and Horizons #2.
Original Epcot was truly a unique place!

 

[MinnieM123]

World of Motion was my #1 fave and Horizons #2.
Original Epcot was truly a unique place!

You accidentally reversed the order:

#1 Horizons
#2 World of Motion

No charge for my correction above -- it's complimentary, today.

 

[Tuvalu]

You accidentally reversed the order:

#1 Horizons
#2 World of Motion

No charge for my correction -- complimentary, today.

I won’t fight you over that. Both could be switched IMO.

 

[Songbird76]

World of Motion was my #1 fave and Horizons #2.
Original Epcot was truly a unique place!

I loved horizons except for the one scene....I think it was a class going on an underwater fieldtrip. That scared my 8 or 9 year old self, and I was terrified that was going to come to fruition when I was still in school and I'd have to don scuba gear and swim with sharks and whales and all sorts of predatory water creatures, or that my oxygen tank wouldn't work or would run out and I'd drown. I really have no other memories of that attraction other than that scene. Imagination was my favorite, then Motion and SSE.

 

[lindawdw]

World of Motion was my #1 fave and Horizons #2.
Original Epcot was truly a unique place!

I totally agree Tuvalu!!! World of Motion was such an incredible ride and so many Disney fans always mention Horizons as their favorite but WOM holds a special place in my heart! Epcot was truly an interesting place filled with storylines of the past back in the day!

 

[Tuvalu]

I loved horizons except for the one scene....I think it was a class going on an underwater fieldtrip. That scared my 8 or 9 year old self, and I was terrified that was going to come to fruition when I was still in school and I'd have to don scuba gear and swim with sharks and whales and all sorts of predatory water creatures, or that my oxygen tank wouldn't work or would run out and I'd drown. I really have no other memories of that attraction other than that scene.

Funny you should mention that particular scene.
My son rode Horizons for the first time just a couple weeks shy of his 3rd birthday. He was transfixed by the kids in their wet suits and exclaimed, “Look Mommy, there I am!”
He would say the same thing each time we rode it for the next few years.
Thanks for the memory jog, @Songbird76.

 

[Tuvalu]

Day Five, con’t

After our Regal Eagle dinner we made our way back to Future World.

You never know when your last ride on SSE will be your last (assuming this attraction eventually does go down for refurbishment). We didn’t want to miss an opportunity.

Another artsy pic for ya.

Capturing garlic bulb hat man was a must.

Em’s expression on the cartoon video was hilarious and worth sharing!

While we enjoyed our time travels we had no desire to jump back in the queue for another ride (or 5 @tonystark!)

 

[Tuvalu]

The Epcot monorail had recently reopened since pre-pandemic and we decided it would be fun to ride it.

Apparently I thought fly-by parking lot pictures were important.

Em and I intended to transfer to the express line when we arrived at the TTC but both the express and resort monorails were down. The CMs were sending everyone to the ferry.

(Unintentional artsy pic)

Sunset on the Seven Seas Lagoon.

 

[Tuvalu]

When Em and I got off the ferry we went straight to the bus depot. HEA was due to begin in about 40 minutes.

This was the bus parked in the WL gate.

The sign should have “Shirley Status” since that’s what Em and I had back to the Lodge!

Would we be affected by this tomorrow?

I had time for a short call with Woody before it was time for this:

Em and I retired while watching the Olympic Women’s Team Gymnastics competition.

 

[MinnieM123]

Would we be affected by this tomorrow?

How much do you wanna bet that there will be (some) guests who think it's a new "attraction" at WL?! (Cue the strobe lights!)

 

[Rista1313]

Yes, you had me so worried!

 

[Songbird76]

Funny you should mention that particular scene.
My son rode Horizons for the first time just a couple weeks shy of his 3rd birthday. He was transfixed by the kids in their wet suits and exclaimed, “Look Mommy, there I am!”
He would say the same thing each time we rode it for the next few years.
Thanks for the memory jog, @Songbird76.

Isn't it interesting that what freaks one kid out is a complete draw for another? I just went and watched a ride through on youtube and I don't know why that scene freaked me out so much. I think just the idea of being underwater and having no escape if something happened. And how do they prevent buildings underwater from flooding every time you go in or out?

 

[Songbird76]

When Em and I got off the ferry we went straight to the bus depot. HEA was due to begin in about 40 minutes.

This was the bus parked in the WL gate.

View attachment 586122

The sign should have “Shirley Status” since that’s what Em and I had back to the Lodge!

View attachment 586121

Would we be affected by this tomorrow?

View attachment 586123

I had time for a short call with Woody before it was time for this:

View attachment 586124

Em and I retired while watching the Olympic Women’s Team Gymnastics competition.

Oh my!!! I looked every time we took a bus on our last trip and never saw one of those magical moment buses. I assumed they'd stopped doing that. How lucky you are!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Yes, you had me so worried!

Isn't it interesting that what freaks one kid out is a complete draw for another? I just went and watched a ride through on youtube and I don't know why that scene freaked me out so much. I think just the idea of being underwater and having no escape if something happened.

But look how sweet the seal is with my son the little boy.

 

[Tiggerish]

Em’s expression on the cartoon video was hilarious and worth sharing!

I have to say, so is yours!! It's 180° from Em's.

 

[Laurenciaa]

Had to think of you @Tuvalu today! Sat on the MPB in Disneyland Paris today!

 

[Tuvalu]

Had to think of you @Tuvalu today! Sat on the MPB in Disneyland Paris today!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, July 28 ~ Day Six

Our last day had arrived and we had yet to rope drop Magic Kingdom.

Calm down, Rogelio. We would never end a vacay without rope dropping MK.

Our friends knew we were coming and welcomed us from atop the train station.

Yes, Mickey is waving at us!

Donald too!

What time did we arrive? As Em would say, “without the clock how will we know what time it is?!!”

Good thing I encouraged her to move on. Otherwise she would have remained in that holding position for another five weeks! On September 2 this beauty was finally returned to her rightful location.

(Astute observers will have noted Em’s Apple Watch in the photo above. So she could have known the time if she wanted to. “This watch can tell time!” was the fourth or fifth selling feature of the device by a tech geek salesman in the store. )

According to the time stamp, she took my picture at 8:51 am.

The castle clock can no longer provide that information. At least not until the 50th celebration is over.

 

[cgersic]

LOVE your dress!!!