Trip Report Clappy Clap.....Welcome Back!! The Many "World Firsts" TR

Hello all & welcome!! I'm so happy to finally be able to do another TR!! It feels like forever since my last one--probably b/c it has been(at least that's the way I feel)!! So, I don't want to dwell on the negative b/c let's face it, we've all had a crappy year. 2020 has not been kind to us. But, along with the obvious I had 3 relatives pass within 3 months of each other. Then I knew I was losing my job of almost 28 years in July. We had a Disney trip booked in May that never happened. E rescheduled for June(I couldn't b/c of work) but we all know what happened there--access denied. I knew I wouldn't be able to go until August so she & J booked for then. Since I no longer had an existing reservation she figured she would add me on to her's. Little did we know that nothing would be that simple....

I'll fill you in on the drama as we go along....

WHEN: Tuesday, August 11th - Tuesday, August 18th

WHERE: Saratoga Springs(Spoiler--we really ended up enjoying our stay there. Of course, it's not our beloved Riverside but we agreed it had kind of the same "vibe". Being on the Sassagoula kind of helped with that also.)
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THE DRAMA THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT:

E & J may have had a reservation but there was no room at the inn for me. E purposely got a 1 bedroom villa & thought it would be easy to add me to the reservation. Yeah, that wasn't happening. They were not accepting any modifications to existing reservations. It was getting down to the wire. She was able to make park reservations & I still couldn't be added on. Finally, all's well that ends well. After many weeks of trying she was able to add me on & I was able to get the same parks. Never fear though, as a few of my magic friends know I had a "Plan B" ready as a backup but fortunately didn't have to go that route.
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Then there were the many flight changes Southwest kept imposing on us. Here was one they did for me that was particularly scary. What happened to Pittsburgh to Orlando? :oops: They had my return flight correct but that didn't mean anything b/c it didn't look like I'd be making it there to begin with!!
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The loss of my job was weighing on me all year(I've known since January). Here's my desk during my final days.
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The reason for the dates was I knew I would be done with my job by then. I figured I'd take a few weeks off. One week to get situated then the next week to go to Disney. After that I would come back and search for work. Sounds like the perfect plan, right?
While still employed the new company taking over was encouraging us to apply. I did but didn't think it would really go anywhere for a number of reasons. Lo & behold they made me an offer on July 30th & asked me if I could give them an answer the next day. They were planning on reopening the store August 16th--while I would be away!! I broke the news that I would be away then. The company was very receptive to it when I explained why I had planned it the way I did. I also figured I should totally come clean & mentioned that I had an October trip booked also!! At this point I thought for sure they wouldn't want me. I called the next day & accepted their offer. Originally the plan was that I would start on the 19th when I got back. They called me on the 1st & asked me to start on the 3rd so I could get some training time in before I went away. I was fine with it & did it but was scrambling to pack etc.

I'm happy to be back in the place I've worked all my life that is so much a part of me. I'm still learning to do things the way the new company does them but overall I'm happy with the way things are going.

E & family were very sweet to give me a good luck present when I started my new(old:hilarious:) job.
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With not much time to pack I made sure to do it early. I actually packed 6 days before the trip. That's amazing for me!!
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I also made sure to bring a large supply of masks. They would get gross in a hurry!!
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THE TITLE: I have to start out by giving credit to @Rista1313!! I got the "Clappy Clap" part from a comment she had made in my last TR. So many magicians loved the saying & I thought it was quite catchy. The "Welcome Back" part is b/c I truly felt like we were really welcomed back by the CM's. They seemed genuinely happy to have guests there. Also, that song had been in my mind for quite some time. Has anyone seen the Applebee's commercial with that song in it? The first time I saw it I had tears in my eyes. It's very fitting & says a lot with little words. And, there were many "World Firsts" you'll see as we go along!!

WHO: I'm sure you've figured it out by now but we're back to the "same old" crew!! My sister E, my nephew J & myself, Patti!!
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No, I don't really care for pictures of my backside but I did think this was a neat picture--minus the castle colors. I'm still not a fan!!:cautious:


To all my friends out there reading, "Welcome Back"!!
 
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Songbird76

Well-Known Member
MONDAY, AUGUST 17TH

We hadn't paid Buzz a visit this trip so we went there next.
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I had a lovely score as I always do!! I just don't do well with this one.
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We hadn't paid John & the gang a visit yet either so that was next!!
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Gotta say, this was in a sad state of affairs. Only parts of the music were working. It was actually kind of creepy. You could hear John singing but no one else. It made it hard to get into the show.
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I just remembered this now when I looked at this picture. See the bruise on E's leg? About a week before we left(so keep in mind that bruise is now 2 weeks old in this picture) she was hit by a car. She was at the grocery store(& had to throw it in that it was at my new employer's--not the location I work at but another one) & had returned the cart. Walking back to the car some lady was backing out of her spot, didn't see her & backed right into her. She was & is ok but was quite sore for awhile. Not only her leg but she also had other bruises & her stomach hurt also. Fortunately, her husband was already in the car with J. If the woman didn't see E she surely would not have seen J.
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J decided that he wanted to ride Astro Orbiter b/c he had never been on it. God, what kind of monster have we created?? E refused b/c she said that just looking at it makes her sick. I was only on it once. I took my nephew, C on many years ago & said that was one time too many. Those rockets are hard to get into & I feel like I'm going to fall out of it. But, J was on a roll with all these "firsts" so I took one for the team!!
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It was a 30 minute wait!! What!! That was the longest wait we had the whole trip. Now my anxiety was getting the best of me!!
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Did E ever go to the doctor after the car accident? Did the woman pay for her medical bills? That bruise looks awful and who knows what caused the stomach pain!

Did J buy you a lego set for going on Astro Orbiter with him?
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
J decided that he wanted to ride Astro Orbiter b/c he had never been on it. God, what kind of monster have we created?? E refused b/c she said that just looking at it makes her sick. I was only on it once. I took my nephew, C on many years ago & said that was one time too many. Those rockets are hard to get into & I feel like I'm going to fall out of it.

You are definitely braver than me 😉

All I remember is worrying that we’d both fall out!

1985: First and only time I ever rode on that scary thing!! :jawdrop:

It was my first visit to WDW. My mother and I thought that ride looked like fun, so we went on it. Never been so scared on a ride before -- it wasn't the height or the spinning that unnerved me, it was the inward fairly deep slant of the rocket, which felt even more intensified due to the height off the ground! (And at that time they just had a very loose, useless waist strap--don't know if that's the same restraint? now or not), but I really felt like I was going to fall OUT of the stupid thing, and I was holding on to the sides of the rocket for life!!!

Yup, NEVER AGAIN.
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
You're a great Aunt for going on Astro Orbiter with J! I love the Smores cookies at The Confectionary Shop too Patti! I've seen Vloggers all over WDW in the last few years on my trips. I actually ran into one with his family who are from Great Britain and introduced myself since I used to comment on his videos all the time. He was a really nice guy as was his family. :) E's bruise looked so big on her leg. :( I hope she's alright and doesn't have any lingering complications. Parking lots are scary places these days as there are just too many people not paying attention when pulling out!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You were saved by the torrential rainstorm for sure but I did feel bad for J. :( I'm glad to see that you finally got him on at some point. :) The Halloween decorations in the shops and around MK are my favorite things to see this time of year. It really puts me in the spirit!:) It saddened me about the COP not working properly because it's one attraction that harkens back to Walt Disney and it should be maintained for his legacy! I think you made the right move about switching resorts from Poly to SS with everything closed the way it is over there! I've never had drinks at the Tambu Lounge in all the years that we've been going to Disney World. Sounds like they've limited the drink menu too.
I'm glad we did finally get on for his sake!!
I love the Halloween decorations also!! I like them more than the Christmas ones!!
I'm hoping it's working properly next week. That was a weird experience.
I'm glad we did also. The treehouses look fun!!
I'm hearing that another magician had an Island Sunset here recently. Hopefully it's back on the menu!!
And that’s exactly why you are Aunt of the decade! I think I might have negotiated for Pirates after that (even if the ride had to wait for the next trip).
Great idea!! Darn, if only I would have thought about it then!!
That is Michael Kay, a vlogger. People either love him or hate him. His content has declined since moving to FL. YMMV
Thank you!! I figured he had to be. Are you in the love or hate category? 🤣
Phew finally caught up on the remaining pages and again I’ve forgotten most of my comments but hit the like button so many times!

Hope J and your sister are both doing ok following their injuries. J is a trooper so I’m sure a couple of staples after he did all those rides was a breeze for him. (Or that’s probably what you told him anyway)

in some ways the parks look amazing with low crowds but then other things are sad (Shops closed, queues to enter, masks etc) I think I’d rather everything was normal right now, (but quieter) are we allowed to have both?

I see they announced the opening of an all stars hotel for Feb 2021 - I am praying for an opening date for our beloved POR soon. I will be so much happier when something is published to know we have hope. I may have teared up seeing the photos too. So sorry re Bob. In all the times we’ve gone we’ve never watched his show as we’re normally out at a park taking in every second of the parks. We’ve walked past a few times when we’ve come back early and seen everyone having a fun time. He is a part of the furniture so maybe they will bring him back at some point along with several other cast members who have lost jobs - it’s so sad.

I was in some way relieved to go home after all our drama during our Aug 2019 trip and really wish that when we were talking about a trip for maybe Feb this year that we had just booked it and gone - that’s one lesson from Covid - don’t put anything you want to do off. Just go with it and enjoy life - things can change in an instant........
They're both doing good, thanks!! J's staples come out on Monday--less than 24 hours before we leave!!

Having both would be nice!! It was pretty sad though.

Yes--having a date would give hope to such a bummer situation. So sorry you never saw his show. Thank goodness for youtube though!! Hopefully they bring him(& so many others) back sooner than later.

Yes life can change in an instant. I guess I'm naive. I never would have thought this would go on this long. Then again, we've never really gone through anything like this so what do I really know.
The spray you want is called Weather Proof made by Big Sexy Hair. It is awesome. I have fine straight hair that I like to curl. It falls immediately when I go out in humid weather. My son got married in the middle of July in Missouri. The humidity was really high. This spray (applied after I had used hair spray) kept my hair looking great for over 12 hours. I bring it on everyOne trip!
Wow--that's amazing!! I was going to get it the other day & I didn't. I'm off tomorrow so I'm definitely going to pick it up!! Thanks!!
Did E ever go to the doctor after the car accident? Did the woman pay for her medical bills? That bruise looks awful and who knows what caused the stomach pain!
She did not. The woman felt bad & offered her information but she said she was ok. Her arm was bruised also & I'm sure her abdominal area hurt from the impact. To think that bruise was 2 weeks old in that picture!!
Did J buy you a lego set for going on Astro Orbiter with him?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I initially read your comment about 4 hours ago & I'm still laughing from it!!
That's a good one!!
1985: First and only time I ever rode on that scary thing!! :jawdrop:

It was my first visit to WDW. My mother and I thought that ride looked like fun, so we went on it. Never been so scared on a ride before -- it wasn't the height or the spinning that unnerved me, it was the inward fairly deep slant of the rocket, which felt even more intensified due to the height off the ground! (And at that time they just had a very loose, useless waist strap--don't know if that's the same restraint? now or not), but I really felt like I was going to fall OUT of the stupid thing, and I was holding on to the sides of the rocket for life!!!

Yup, NEVER AGAIN.
Still the same old restraint(if that's what you would call it!!🤣)
We all know I'm afraid of heights but feeling like I'm going to fall out of it bothers me more than the heights!! That's saying a lot!!

After that first time I always said never again myself. J should consider himself lucky;)
You're a great Aunt for going on Astro Orbiter with J! I love the Smores cookies at The Confectionary Shop too Patti! I've seen Vloggers all over WDW in the last few years on my trips. I actually ran into one with his family who are from Great Britain and introduced myself since I used to comment on his videos all the time. He was a really nice guy as was his family. :) E's bruise looked so big on her leg. :( I hope she's alright and doesn't have any lingering complications. Parking lots are scary places these days as there are just too many people not paying attention when pulling out!
I'm afraid I'll have to go on again next week!!

That Smores cookie is the best!!

That's pretty cool that you ran into him!!

No lingering issues--thank goodness. It was pretty big. The lady said that she never saw her. Thank goodness she was just backing out & going slow!!
I thought the same thing! I stood there until one group left and the next showed up and was smiling and waving like a little kid! Loved every second of it and I'm so glad they are doing it!
It is really neat!! I'm glad we got to see it!!
J is seriously on a roll!!! Super brave to ride Astro-Orbiter, I may or may not have told my kids that it was "broken" every time they wanted to ride ...
🤣🤣🤣
You are very wise.....
Whew! Neither of my kids has ever had the urge to ride it. They are both afraid of heights.
Count your blessings!!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH

Thanks to Southwest & their ever changing flight times we were being picked up by the TE at 7:20 so I was up at 5 to get ready. Of course, I had the "ever so outdated" must do's on one last time!!
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It was a very quiet walk to the TE spot.
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I thought about how happy we were with the resort. A good substitute for POR!!
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We were the only ones being picked up.
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Until next time!!
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Why is the TE never late??
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We were at the airport in no time at all & even with checking our bags in we made it to security relatively quickly.
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It was consoling to see this!! Especially now b/c we're down to 4!!
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I had "forgot" that I bought these for J at some point during the trip so I gave them to him.
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It was an uneventful flight home with me watching one of my favorites.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I held true to my Lego promise & went to Target when I got home to purchase this.
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The next day I was back to work at my old/new job!!
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I received this text from E a few days later!! 🤣
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So, that wraps up this TR. Sad as it was to see so many changes it was absolutely great to be back!! I'm not thrilled for the reason for the lack of crowds but it was nice to experience WDW with them being so low. J doing so many "world firsts" was so exciting!! I'm seriously hoping to be able to get a boarding group for RotR b/c I know he would love it🤞

Thank you all for reading, following & commenting!! As I always say that's what makes doing these TR's so much fun!! I'm looking forward to our next trip & also looking forward to sharing it with you!! See ya real soon!!😘
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
I'm so glad that another TR is right around the bend and that I will finally get to meet up with you in person soon!!! I'll text on 10/27 to figure out when and where the magic will happen for our meet. :) Safe travels and thanks again for writing such an entertaining TR. :)
 

LadyBelle

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Are you in the love or hate category?
Started out in the love category (blame in on the Disney Blues), now it's strong dislike and no longer watch.

I received this text from E a few days later!!

I can't tell you how many times my sister went looking for that popcorn bucket. {psst - we found it at the popcorn cart near the castle by Tomorrowland if it's still there}
 

Captain Barbossa

Well-Known Member
Enjoyed your TR! It’d been too long since your last one! And I too was impressed by all of J’s “world firsts”. He should definitely be proud of himself. (Btw, I hope his staples removal goes well)

Hope y’all have safe travels down (I assume it’s the three of y’all again?) and have fun!
 

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