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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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

I can't remember who said it in their TR but I agree that PP photographers were nonexistent on Main Street. We told J to stop so we could take his picture.
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Then I told E I would take both of theirs.
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Then J said that he would take mine & his mom's!! There was a CM standing nearby who must have overheard J b/c she told him she was impressed with him offering to take our picture!!
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Castle selfie!!
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We asked J what he wanted to ride first & he said the Speedway so we headed there. No purple wall pictures....
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We headed into an empty Tomorrowland.
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Where are all the strollers?
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It's hard to tell in this picture but J has a gray hair. E pointed it out to me as we were in our short line & J wanted to see it so I took a picture.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

J wanted to ride with E so I went solo.
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J was cruising along pretty good.....
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.....then this happened.
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The car needed a jump.
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After a few minutes they were good to go!!
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We went to the tea cups next. We were so confused as to where to park the stroller b/c we didn't see any & couldn't remember where to park it!! We asked a CM & she told us where!!
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This selfie is courtesy of E--we all know selfies are my weakness!!
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J did his best to spin as fast as he could!!
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We decided to take a spin on everyone's favorite elephant next!!
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I really like this store(the smell more than anything!!) & was disappointed that it was closed.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

Check out that wait time!!
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J wanted to ride with me this time!!
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There was no one in front of us.
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See the two girls behind us? Besides us 3 they were the only other ones on the ride!!
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We decided to pay Ariel a visit next. J said he didn't want to go on but he did. I think he doesn't care for Ursula.
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BTW--we had only been there less than an hour & were heading on our 4th attraction!!
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I know it's blurry but he's my favorite!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

E wanted to go in Bonjour Village Gifts but unfortunately it was closed.
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The was a PP photographer with no one in line so we got a few pictures.
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Then we found another one with no line so we got a few more!! This has to be a record for us b/c we next to never stop for pictures!!
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We decided to go on the carousel next. At least there were a few strollers there so we knew where to park it. I will say it was nice to be able to come back to your stroller & not have to hunt for it b/c there wasn't anybody there moving them around!!
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This was so funny. If my foot would go over the line J would correct me!! It was so cute that many times I did it on purpose & he corrected me every single time. He would get my attention then point to the line!!:hilarious:
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This may have been the longest line we waited in the whole trip!! I felt so bad for the CM working. He was the only one!! There was no one else with him. I'm sure it wouldn't have been near as long as it was but he was totally by himself. I felt bad for him.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

We probably waited about 15 minutes in line.
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There's the lone ranger!!
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As usual, I struggled with the selfie!!
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So E took one!!
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Then we got this favorite in!!
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Then it was time to head for lunch!! 6 attractions in 1 1/2 hours wasn't too bad IMO!!
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We walked through the castle.
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And headed out to Main Street!!
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slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
You're not kidding:( I was used to being able to take off pretty much when I wanted to(don't get me wrong I did work a ton though). Now I have someone telling me when I'm working which I'm fine with but I don't really want to put in any special requests & I'm salary so I really have to work my 5 days a week. It wouldn't be fair to ask for an extra day.

At least you get your October Trip! Teachers are kind of in the same boat. I can't really take off except for school breaks (and it's soo crowded). I've taken a week off in the middle of the school year before so I'm sure I will do it again at some point. This year, we are going for Thanksgiving week and hoping it isn't as crowded as usual.

Then J said that he would take mine & his mom's!! There was a CM standing nearby who must have overheard J b/c she told him she was impressed with him offering to take our picture!!

He's got Skills!! 😍 :geek: :facepalm:

I really like this store(the smell more than anything!!) & was disappointed that it was closed.

I thought the Big Top was a "relaxation station?" Man, I'd be bummed about Bonjour Village, too! Maybe they don't make enough money on the store to justify it being open? Love the Chip magic shot!
 

donaldtoo

Well-Known Member
The
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH

J wanted to ride with E so I went solo.
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J was cruising along pretty good.....
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.....then this happened.
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The car needed a jump.
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After a few minutes they were good to go!!
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We went to the tea cups next. We were so confused as to where to park the stroller b/c we didn't see any & couldn't remember where to park it!! We asked a CM & she told us where!!
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This selfie is courtesy of E--we all know selfies are my weakness!!
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J did his best to spin as fast as he could!!
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We decided to take a spin on everyone's favorite elephant next!!
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I really like this store(the smell more than anything!!) & was disappointed that it was closed.
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The CMs coming to the rescue on the Speedway reminds me of my first job in high school at a local go-kart track...hard work, especially with all the drunks on the weekends 🤪;), but, it was a dream job for me at that age, as most of my friends were workin’ fast food, etc., jobs in HS...!!! :)

And, WOW...the lack of crowds in y’all’s pics is both startling and awesome... that makes for some seriously-good distancing, and I’d feel very safe there under those circumstances. So glad y’all got to experience that...!!! :)
 

dave&di

Well-Known Member
hat's great to hear!! Not about the surgery of course but that it got you through!! I hope your surgery went well & you're all healed up!!
I'm trying to post more frequently but I'm struggling. I now work goofy shifts & they change every week so I'm usually exhausted before I go & when I come home from work!! But, my next trip is in 44 days & my goal is always to have a TR finished before I go on the next!!
Thank you again for reading!!
All well with the surgery, thanks 😁. I hope your job is going well. It’s a shame things change, hopefully it‘ll all slot into place. Another trip in 44 days! 👏👏👏👏. Post at your leisure, it should be fun for you too! 😍
 

Piglet_the_brave

Well-Known Member
I can't believe that path was that close to us & we never noticed it. I didn't know that you could walk to Old Key West from there but that sounds like fun esp to check out what options they have there. How far is the walk from the Treehouses to OKW?
It’s about a mile from the Treehouses to Hospitality House. It’s a lovely peaceful walk along the river, but only open during daylight hours. We really like Olivia’s Cafe, and we walked over there for breakfast on our last trip.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My career is in architecture, so I had to comment on the fun Mickey obelisk in your first pic of this post...LUV it...!!!!! 😍
Also, I understand your love of POR, although we haven’t stayed there since our first two family trips in July of ‘01 and ‘03. We have 3 (now adult) children, so we stayed in the rooms with the trundle beds. Such a GREAT resort, and awesome memories...!!!!! :happy:
On subsequent trips, POR has been just a little more than we wanted to spend, but, we have visited, and hope to stay there sometime relatively soon again...!!! :)
Glad you liked it!!
It's such a great resort!! I really miss it!! Hopefully we both will be staying there sometime soon!!
What has E done differently - changed her hairstyle? Whatever it is, it suits her.

You said J noticed the castle, but what was his opinion?
She had highlights put in. I told her what you said & she was surprised that someone who doesn't "know" her would notice!! 🤣

He didn't give one. He made a comment that the colors were different & that was it!!
At least you get your October Trip! Teachers are kind of in the same boat. I can't really take off except for school breaks (and it's soo crowded). I've taken a week off in the middle of the school year before so I'm sure I will do it again at some point. This year, we are going for Thanksgiving week and hoping it isn't as crowded as usual.
I'm thrilled & glad I was upfront about it. I know what you mean b/c of R. Hopefully it won't be as crowded for you this year!!
I thought the Big Top was a "relaxation station?" Man, I'd be bummed about Bonjour Village, too! Maybe they don't make enough money on the store to justify it being open? Love the Chip magic shot!
Maybe it is now but it wasn't when we were there. Actually, I don't believe I saw any relaxation stations at any of the parks. Thanks!!
The CMs coming to the rescue on the Speedway reminds me of my first job in high school at a local go-kart track...hard work, especially with all the drunks on the weekends 🤪;), but, it was a dream job for me at that age, as most of my friends were workin’ fast food, etc., jobs in HS...!!! :)

And, WOW...the lack of crowds in y’all’s pics is both startling and awesome... that makes for some seriously-good distancing, and I’d feel very safe there under those circumstances. So glad y’all got to experience that...!!! :)
Drunks in go-karts--doesn't sound like a good combination!!

I felt very safe & even though it felt weird for it to be that empty it was nice. You could accomplish a lot in a short amount of time!!
All well with the surgery, thanks 😁. I hope your job is going well. It’s a shame things change, hopefully it‘ll all slot into place. Another trip in 44 days! 👏👏👏👏. Post at your leisure, it should be fun for you too! 😍
Glad to hear that!! It's going well but it's tiring!! These are a lot of fun & I really enjoy doing them!!
It’s about a mile from the Treehouses to Hospitality House. It’s a lovely peaceful walk along the river, but only open during daylight hours. We really like Olivia’s Cafe, and we walked over there for breakfast on our last trip.
Thanks--that's great to know!! It sounds like it's not much further than it would be to get to the main building at Saratoga Springs from the Treehouses. Plus, the food wasn't the greatest at Saratoga Springs.
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
We're going to be arriving at WDW on October 27th for five days and staying at BWV and I think I saw you posted earlier that you will be there that day also!!! I hope I run into you at the parks one of the days that we're there. I can't get over how many rides you got on already at the MK! Just reading about how emotional you felt driving by POR Riverside made me feel emotional too! I haven't been back since our last trip in February and I have a feeling that I'm going to be teary eyed when we arrived at the resort! Looking forward to reading about the rest of your day.
 

Sulley_1313

Active Member
Thank you very much & welcome!! Hey, let's face it, who likes to work any day?🤣 We never did either but I'm glad we tried it. We're huge fans of POR & it reminded us of that quite a bit. We're actually staying there again in October also!!

Thanks! I definitely prefer a more laid back resort, so it sounds like SSR may fit the bill. My mom and I will be there the last week of October!
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
Just because @riverside didn't see them doesn't mean they weren't there. ;)

Fear not, @slipperalwaysfits you'll be able to take mask breaks. If you can't find a relaxation station (and each park has more than one) just ask a CM for the closest location.

Thank you @Tuvalu I'm going to need those Relaxation stations to get my Epcot drink on and my popcorn on!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
That is so weird and frustrating! I was counting on those stations for a quick mask break!
Just because @riverside didn't see them doesn't mean they weren't there. ;)

Fear not, @slipperalwaysfits you'll be able to take mask breaks. If you can't find a relaxation station (and each park has more than one) just ask a CM for the closest location.
As @Tuvalu said they are there. Here's the thing with me---I definitely get tired wearing the masks but I don't think about taking them off. Therefore, I probably didn't notice/pay attention to them. I'm used to wearing them b/c the company I work for requires it--actually so does our state government. I guess I'm just used to wearing it for a 9 hour shift every day so it didn't bother me that much to keep it on--even in the heat. But, with that being said, I looked forward to every meal we had to be in AC & have the opportunity to take it off!!
We're going to be arriving at WDW on October 27th for five days and staying at BWV and I think I saw you posted earlier that you will be there that day also!!! I hope I run into you at the parks one of the days that we're there. I can't get over how many rides you got on already at the MK! Just reading about how emotional you felt driving by POR Riverside made me feel emotional too! I haven't been back since our last trip in February and I have a feeling that I'm going to be teary eyed when we arrived at the resort! Looking forward to reading about the rest of your day.
Oh heck no--absolutely not--nothing about us running into each other in the parks!! We WILL meet up!! We can't be there the same time & not make it happen!! I'll message you our plans & we'll make it work!! I would be thrilled!!

We got so much done & I'm so grateful for that!! We had a great trip & I was so happy to be there!! Driving by POR definitely hit me hard. I haven't stayed there since November. When we went in January we stopped by there twice & I'm glad we did. Never did I think I would be going this long without being "home".
Thanks! I definitely prefer a more laid back resort, so it sounds like SSR may fit the bill. My mom and I will be there the last week of October!
Oh yeah!! Another meet up that HAS to happen!! We're there Oct 27th-Nov 3rd!! Counting on it!!
It is big but laid back--to me POR is the same!! I hope you enjoy it but you'll be able to tell me your thoughts when we meet in person!!;)
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
As @Tuvalu said they are there. Here's the thing with me---I definitely get tired wearing the masks but I don't think about taking them off. Therefore, I probably didn't notice/pay attention to them. I'm used to wearing them b/c the company I work for requires it--actually so does our state government. I guess I'm just used to wearing it for a 9 hour shift every day so it didn't bother me that much to keep it on--even in the heat. But, with that being said, I looked forward to every meal we had to be in AC & have the opportunity to take it off!!

Oh heck no--absolutely not--nothing about us running into each other in the parks!! We WILL meet up!! We can't be there the same time & not make it happen!! I'll message you our plans & we'll make it work!! I would be thrilled!!

We got so much done & I'm so grateful for that!! We had a great trip & I was so happy to be there!! Driving by POR definitely hit me hard. I haven't stayed there since November. When we went in January we stopped by there twice & I'm glad we did. Never did I think I would be going this long without being "home".

Oh yeah!! Another meet up that HAS to happen!! We're there Oct 27th-Nov 3rd!! Counting on it!!
It is big but laid back--to me POR is the same!! I hope you enjoy it but you'll be able to tell me your thoughts when we meet in person!!;)
YAY!!! I'll look forward to arranging a meet up!!! :)
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
I lost my quote while reading the rest of the thread, but would so love to meet up since our trips don’t miss each other this time. Working on pre trip report, just so little time these days. :-/
I will shoot you a message with plans I have so far, as far as parks.

I noticed E’s hair too. I think it so suits her. Love it!

I have been practicing, wearing masks longer, just so I can get used to it. Have both cloth and disposable, and I agree, I can breathe better in a disposable. My whole thought process, being so claustrophobic and not really having to wear a mask here, was going when it is cooler. Late 40s and hot and a mask don’t work well for me. Lol.

I feel ya, on the tearing up passing your home resort. I am tied to Coronado like you are Riverside. ❤️
 

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