Trip Report COMPLETED- I Couldn't Love You, but Here's $0.25 in Souvenirs- Celebrating 10 Years of Kid Trips to Disney

We began our adventures early on the morning of February 5th. Just before 7am CT, we had my vehicle loaded up and ready to go. I’m not sure how we did it, but we managed some room for the dog so we could drop her off for boarding (aka Camp!) on our way out of town. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. She gets comfortable in the strangest positions...

I haven’t set foot in my office since March 16, 2020, so I have no idea what rush hour really looks like these days or if Fridays are still lighter traffic days...but it was a breeze getting out of Houston.

I have no pictures for you until shortly after Lafayette, LA. I was driving up until this point, but after a series of urgent texts from my boss, we decided to stop and switch drivers. I’m not a big fan of critical conference calls at the start of my vacation, but these days, I’m thankful to be gainfully employed. After I got off the phone, I took a few pics as we were driving through the Atchafalaya.

It’s probably for the best that I wasn’t taking pics prior to this. Everything around Lake Charles, not too far west of this area, is still showing a lot of damage and tarps from the 2020 hurricane season, so it's pretty depressing. I also hate driving over the Mississippi in Baton Rouge, so I was pretty happy to have David at the wheel.

Speaking of David (and everyone else), if you want all of the details, please take a look at my PTR. https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/family-return-to-wdw-take-2.971452/

Now, if it looks rainy and gloomy...it’s because it was. We were at the leading edge of a front that was moving east. The rain stayed with us for a good portion of the drive.

In light of everything Covid, we didn’t stop at any of our usual lunch spots. I packed a small cooler full of lunch stuff and we stopped at the Mississippi welcome center to eat. Unfortunately, it was really chilly, so we ate in the car. That didn’t stop a ton of pigeons from surrounding us in hopes that we’d drop some crumbs on the way to the trash.

I was aiming for Tallahassee for the night. That’s usually where we wind up when we make good time, but we’d left so early that we were in Tallahassee by dinner time...even with losing an hour when crossing into the Eastern time zone. We didn't even have traffic with the tunnel in Mobile! Not sure why we decided on Whataburger when we have tons of them at home and this one was way off the highway, but we went a bit out of our way to eat at this one for who knows what reason. At least it had a nice little drive-in area to park and eat.

Somewhere in between Pensacola and Tallahassee, we also developed a bit of a car problem…

Somehow, my front sensor got blocked, which in turn disabled all of my front end safety features...as well as my cruise control. I’d had this happen once before, but it quickly corrected itself. This time, it wasn’t going away. The rest of the trip both to Disney and back would be done without cruise control. I felt like I’d jumped back in time to my first car!

We could have stopped for the night at this point. It was late enough that it wouldn’t have been crazy, but it was early enough that we felt the need to push on. So, I booked a hotel in Gainesville and we kept driving. I lived in Gainesville for several years in the early to mid 90s, so it always feels a bit strange to go back, but it was the best option for the night. It took a little bit of time to get all of our stuff upstairs, but by driving a bit farther this evening, we could all relax a bit and sleep in a little the next morning. And silly...we could be silly.

We slept in a little on February 6th. I think it was around 9am when we went downstairs to grab some breakfast to bring back to the room. It was mainly just some cereal, fruit and hard boiled eggs. We couldn’t sit around too long, because we remembered that I forgot to get cash. I couldn’t remember if the toll plazas had switched to toll by plate (they had) and I’d need some cash for tips upon arrival at WDW. So, we waved good-bye to the LaQuinta…

And headed to Publix…

I didn’t spend a lot of time in there, but it was really strange, because this was the Publix we’d shop at when we lived in Gainesville. It just happened to be the closest to the hotel. It also was in the same shopping center as a restaurant I used to work at for a couple of years...so a real trip down memory lane.

With cash in hand (and an extra stick of deodorant purchased so I could get cash back), we were on our way to WDW. I also got some time to call and set up an appointment to get my vehicle in the shop when we got home (more on that later).

David was driving, so I was actually able to take a few pics on my phone when we arrived.

This was also his choice of arrival music. I still don’t get it, but he’s got a pretty fun Idina Menzel impersonation. I regret not taking video, but I was taking pictures.

I’m sure most of us have experienced this, but between my phone, the MDE app, and our magic bands, they knew that we were on property. I immediately got notification that our room wasn’t ready, so I wasn’t expecting much upon arrival.

After getting a multitude of welcome homes from the security booth attendant (Kendall had all kinds of questions about this practice), a very nice guy with bell services helped with our luggage (who looked kind of funny at the big air mattress I had in the mix) and a woman, who magically knew it was me, told me she’d messaged housekeeping to put a rush on our room. So, all there was left to do at this point was park and figure out what to do with ourselves while we waited. Since I’d canceled our B&C ADR, we didn’t have any place to be until 5pm...and it was 11:48am. Hey, I told Disney we’d be showing up around noon.

Coming up...managing the wait, first impressions on our room, and an evening in Disney Springs.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Your pictures are great! I have so many comments to make, but I keep forgetting them. Lol!

Our first day at DHS, Lance got us boarding group 2 or 3; our second day I got us group 5. Nice to have a cool attraction so early in the day!

Oga's: OMG!!! I was so on the fence about getting this ADR - worried about the waste of time and expense and were the drinks going to be good. I forgot about the standing, too. We were not happy since we had already been walking for practically two days. We were sure it was going to be a one-and-done thing. But it was one of the highlights of my trip. Yes, our Son the Younger got that same drink as Kendall did. It's funny y'all talked about the dry ice. I was in Longhorn Band in the mid to late 80s, and we have a story about dry ice burning skin - big broohaha. I would do Oga's again in a heartbeat.

Oh, no! We really thought SDD was pretty smooth. It was MF:SR that we won't do again. That hurt our backs. OK, maybe we will just to walk through the Falcon again, but we didn't during our trip.

ToT: we all love that attraction! Unfortunately, many of the shafts were shut down while we were there and had long waits every. single. time.

We have a love/hate relationship with RRC. We love it so much, but it is awful on my and Lance's backs. The backrest is SO hard, and we jerk around SO much. I have to twist my torso to make it as comfortable as possible. But, the lines move very quickly, it was hard to say no.

We started off each day together (except for EPCOT), but the boys quickly departed for their fun on their own. They're 16 and 14, so it was nice for them and us. EPCOT - Lance and I went to Frozen first. Glad we did because the line just kept growing all day.

Thank you! That happens to me all the time with TRs!

I was really relieved to get an early boarding group. I was worried we'd get something close to our lunch ADR and we'd have to make some difficult choices.

I liked Oga's when I went last year, but I think the crowd at normal occupancy levels was a bit of a turn off. It was definitely a big hit with everyone this trip. Not sure if Kendall will ever go near anything again that involves dry ice, but I could definitely add in your band story for the future should she ever become more fearless.

I think it's just certain movements that cause issues. I was pain free going into the trip and had been pain free for a little while, so I think something in the ride just got to me. It wasn't too bad with SDD, but I'd notice it a lot more with other things. How I did this to myself is even more ridiculous. Raking leaves!

I want to love ToT, but I've just never been a fan of free fall rides. Coasters with huge drops...sure, but free falls...nope. I love the details and the theming of it, but the ride itself is a no for me...if I have a choice.

I normally can accept my head being rattled around a bit on a coaster, but I think it felt worse because I was tensed up because of my back. Like you said, it's tough to pass it up when the line is so short. Not sure what that says about my head though with all of that rattling I've deemed acceptable over the years!

We only had one Epcot day this trip, but you'll see how it went with the girls. I will say they were very excited to run off without us, but their personality differences are the issue. If I weren't in vacation mode, I would have put down a bet with David to see how long they lasted before the first blowup.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That's so strange...just lightly coating them in bread crumbs. I would think the texture would be off-putting. What an odd thing to do. But some people must like them or they'd have removed it from the menu, I would think.

I think the thing with my husband is just that he's not a fan of Disney, so he kind of has a negative mindset...he expects that he's not going to enjoy things, so then when he DOES enjoy it, it takes him by surprise and then it's like he's so shocked that he can't remember anything else that he enjoyed. If I asked him today, he'd probably not even remember the meal, or he'd say "It was ok." And to be fair, he was in a really foul mood that whole day anyway...he was grouchy about a lot of things. I have no idea what was going on in his head, but he was ticked off when we went to bell services to get our luggage because we had so much water left over, and he was ticked off that we had so many snacks to fit in the car because we had so many dining credits left over that we used them for a ton of snacks to take with us to Uni. I think he was just in such a bad mood that he was never going to admit that he had had some good meals, and he was expecting that that meal was going to be awful because he was just in a mood to be negative about everything. Then when he LIKED the food, he had to admit it was good, but he was still so grouchy that he wouldn't admit to liking anything else. Like he was trying to prove that he doesn't enjoy Disney, so he can't admit that there are good things about it, and if he was going to admit to liking Pecos Bill, he couldn't admit to liking anything else or I might start to think he was softening.

Although, I will say that it's got me thinking about trying something like this at home...the right way. OK...what I deem to be the right way.
I think if little pearl onions were battered like fried mushrooms, it would be an interesting alternative to the onion ring. With Disney though, I never know. Sometimes things stick around that seem to be misses for everyone.

Him not being a Disney fan and going into things expecting to be let down likely has a lot to do with it. If he was in a bad mood on top of that, I can certainly see how that would impact things. David has a hard time with admitting he's wrong, but he does enjoy Disney and was really excited about this trip. If anything, I think he had his expectations a bit too high...especially considering the current environment and issues/limitations. He's generally very optimistic, so that helps, but the memory has always been an issue. Once I realized that his memory wasn't like mine, it helped reduce arguments. Heck, he still needs to ask which day is Kendall's bday and which day is mine. We're a week apart...and when you consider she's going on 15 and he's known me since the mid 1990s, well...it says something about what kinds of details he retains.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We have now come to February 8th ...the day where we go from a group of four to a group of six...the day where the girls really go off on their own...and the first day since probably 1996 that I’ve been in a Disney park without some kind of dining reservation. How the heck am I going to survive!?!?!?

Epcot wasn’t opening until 11am (although, we know they opened a little early...just like DHS), and I’d canceled that 8:35am breakfast I originally booked. So, we all got to sleep in a bit and relax into our morning. My parents were driving up from south FL, so they’d join us a little later in the day. We eventually got ourselves together and headed downstairs…

That little spray bottle in Sam’s backpack pocket is a Magic Candle Company hand sanitizer. They each carry some to school, but I think they both forgot theirs at home. So I think she grabbed Beach Resort from me. Some fragrances are definitely better and more spot on than others.

This became the new breakfast plan…

There was a bit of a wait this morning. I think we had four parties ahead of us. I know mobile ordering is an option, but I’m really not a huge fan of the system. When it comes to quick service meals and snacks, I generally am not planning an hour or two out. It’s more of an I want/need it now kind of thing. I am at least thankful for the spots that will allow mobile and walkup, but David would get burned later in the trip by some that only allowed mobile. In the case of the bakery, the meal pick up time for mobile was just a bit too far out to make it doable, so we waited.

We had the sweetest CM helping us with food orders, but the one ringing us up (also nice) gifted me with a new name.

Nice to meet you! I’m Kandra.

My children, the ones I was hoping would eat a good breakfast, so they wouldn’t have to spend as much on food during the day, ate junk. Although, I guess you could argue that Kendall was having some fruit.

She also picked what had to be a cupcake from the previous day...a loser cupcake at that. Also notice that she’s got some glasses up on her head. No, she never found hers, so I trusted her with a pair of mine. I’m fond of those because of the story with them and how dark they are (and they’re polarized), but they were under $20, so no harm if she loses them. I call them my Yellowstone glasses. I ‘temporarily’ lost my glasses in our rental car back in 2018 and was blinded by the sun rising above the mountains while driving. So we stopped and I bought cheap glasses. I think she returned them to me...THINK is the key word!

While it’s really no healthier, David got something that at least resembled breakfast food. This is the Boston Cream doughnut.

Sam followed Kendall’s lead, but went with something that I think was Cookies and Cream. She also went with a unique eating style to try and reduce the mess.

She’s always been pretty serious about her Disney cupcakes. This is her scolding me when I stole some of the chocolate shavings from hers at the now extinct Starring Rolls. “No mommy! Dats my cuppycake!”

I was still waiting on my food (well, minus the apple that was in Kandra’s bag). At least they got my name right this time.

I got some kind of bagel sandwich. I think it was like the butter bagel, or something like that.

It was filling and wasn’t bad, but it was missing something.

As we were finishing up, I was using my phone to see if I had any poppyseeds stuck in my teeth. This prompted Kendall to check her teeth for evidence of her cupcake. She was shocked that her teeth now had a red hue, and she started trying desperately with a napkin to get it off.

We all had a good laugh at her expense.

It was hard not to. She was really serious about getting the red off…

It was around this time when I looked at my hand and realized that I left my wedding rings up in the room, sitting out on the dresser. Mousekeeping had knocked on the door shortly before we left, and while I’m sure things would have been fine, I really don’t like leaving my rings just sitting out. When I got back up there, she was in the room replenishing a few things. Which reminds me about my mixed feelings on Mousekeeping right now.

Over the summer, when we had our last road trip, we were jumping from place to place and just opted out, but for this trip...we were going to be there for 6 days. I didn’t mind so much having someone in our room. I had our little air sanitizer, which would help some…

...I just don’t know if they’re allowed to do enough right now to make it worth not opting out. David felt it was, considering we had a lot of trash and recycling, but I’m still on the fence.

Oh well, I got back down to the BW, they were all still laughing at K, but it was time to get up and move on.

The laughter didn’t stop there either. When we got up, Kendall had perfect impressions from the chair on the back of her thighs. It probably wouldn’t have been as funny had she not made a big deal about it.

As we were walking, the kids also pointed out the nod to my alma mater…

On a sports note, in normal times, it would have been a no brainer for the Super Bowl MVP to come to Disney World, since the game was played in Tampa. And I would have kicked myself for having Epcot passes without hoppers if the did the traditional parade...but it’s not normal times and no traditional parades. So no kicking of this Chickie!

I know it’s not Beach Club close, but still appreciating the location of the resort on mornings like this.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Not to be a downer, but with all of the perks that have been taken away or at least temporarily suspended, I’m starting to feel like convenience is becoming the sole reason we’re staying onsite.

Time to go through screening.

These really are times where I’d be better doing video. Something I should think about for next time. It just works better if I’m moving.

We got through everything and we’re now inside the park. The time had finally arrived for the kids to go off on their own too. Kendall didn’t want to be embarrassed, so naturally, we made a big scene.

And they’re off. I think they were heading to Soarin’. At least they already realized they could use the MDE app to give walking directions. They have a pretty good idea on where everything is, but still a good tool.

We’ve never been there during Festival of the Arts, so I made it a point to take pics of some of the festival related things as we wandered.

We only took one pic in one of these, and it was later in the day...but it’s probably my favorite picture of this entire trip. You’ll see!

Test Track was first on our agenda, so we casually walked that way…

(I see Sam! That Scrump pack stands out!)

LOVE LOVE LOVE the chalk work.

We arrived at Test Track and while it’s kind of fuzzy and the wait was around 50 minutes.

The CM said it’s probably not that long, so we decided to enter the line.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We’re always rushing through the fast pass area that I guess I never noticed the blue fleck stones in the pavement outside. Or maybe I noticed before and forgot...my own amnesia!

The line was snaked around outside quite a bit...so it was a while before we even got to the inside snaking.

Time to head in…

While in this room, we started chatting with the guy behind us, and we both agreed that this isn’t nearly as fun when you can’t design a car. His son was really bummed about it too.

Yes, we all miss the opportunity to make something horribly inefficient and fast.

It definitely didn’t take 50 minutes to get through the queue, so that’s good. It was probably closer to 30 when we’ve gotten to this point where we’re on. Not sure what was wrong with me, but I just could not get myself situated either. That’s me, holding up the line!

No idea why, but I decided to video the speed test…



And we’re just about done.

Two things with Test Track…

1. I never realized how much the car building pre-show aspect really made this experience. Without it, the ride felt pretty blah and not really worth the wait.
2. I had a flashback to our 2013 trip...the one with the accident. I remember riding Test Track and it aggravated some of the accident pain. That was my upper back and neck, so it didn’t even occur to me with my recent lower back issues that it could be a problem. It didn’t so much hurt it, but I could feel it...if that makes sense. I had to brace myself several times because of it.

We were going to try SSE next. The wait was posted at 25 min, which seemed odd. It had been 5 most of the times I’d checked. We did take a trip through MouseGear on the way.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

David wanted a t-shirt, but didn’t see anything. So, we headed back out.

We entered the line and I got my one and ONLY pic of this beauty.

After standing there for several minutes and not moving, we realized the ride was probably down. We saw several parties up towards the front leave the line, so we decided to do the same.

We decided to head towards The Land.

Mine-Mine-Mine...Later!

I’m not sure why we picked this first, but it is a favorite.

Here’s where I start to really have issues with people, the pandemic, and policies. The ride was walk on, so the queue was moving at a rapid pace. That being said, most people...so far and for the bulk of the trip...have been pretty good about distance. The party directly behind us was right on top of us. Like the mom kept bumping into me right on top of us.

We boarded our boat...and even though it’s blurry...we made sure not to dance.

It was looking like we were going to have a boat to ourselves. The too close for comfort mom who was behind me was in a large party and they were told to wait for the next boat. I couldn’t hear if they said anything in reply to the CM, but after briefly stopping...they decided to board anyway. Now, I couldn’t hear if the CM changed her directions and told them to board...so, I tried to just let it go.

So, I sat back and enjoyed the relaxing darkness of the first part of the ride…

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Here’s where things take a frustrating turn.

In the dark portion, I couldn’t really see nor was I really paying attention to the group occupying the rest of the boat. When we came into the light, we could see that with the exception of the mom that was previously bumping me, ALL OF THEM HAD THEIR MASKS OFF. Not just the… I’m going to let it slip off my nose and pretend I didn’t notice thing either (although, we saw a ton of that too). This was either completely off and in hand or down around their necks below their chins. David and I were in the last row of the boat and they took up the rest of the entire boat. They were never told to put their masks on and just pulled them back up at the end of the ride.

It was hard to enjoy the ride at this point, but I still took some pics…

As we approached the unloading area, David loudly said to me to get ready to jump off the boat as soon as we’re given the ok so we can get away from these *expletive* *expletive* not wearing their masks. I could hear them talking during the entire ride and I know there was no language barrier, so I’m pretty sure they got our feelings on their behavior loud and clear.

I want to note that later on in the TR, you’re going to see a video where I catch David taking off his mask. I’m not condoning it and saying it was Ok for him to have it off, but it was for a couple of seconds so that he could scratch his face and to try and readjust something inside the mask. The plaid masks you see most of us wearing this trip were handmade and all of them seemed to have a few random threads dangling inside that kept tickling our faces. They also had filter slots inside of them with filters for added protection...except that the filters would sometimes slide a little and tickle the sides of our faces as well. I never really noticed how annoying it gets because we’re rarely in situations at home where we have to wear masks for this long. I usually reach inside my mask to adjust things if it bothers me, but I guess instinct for him was to briefly remove it to fix it. It's the only time I recall him doing this, so again...I think it was instinct taking over in that brief moment for him. So, just putting it out there. I told him after that he has to find a better way, so that’s that. As it was, we were the week before the trip...he had just bought a couple of new gaiters...and I had to remind him for probably the fourth time that gaiters aren’t allowed at WDW. There’s that amnesia again!

We were right there and the wait was only like 10 minutes, so this was our next stop.

Coming up...We fly, we go under the sea, and we go back in time.

 

[k8einwdw]

That little spray bottle in Sam’s backpack pocket is a Magic Candle Company hand sanitizer. They each carry some to school, but I think they both forgot theirs at home. So I think she grabbed Beach Resort from me. Some fragrances are definitely better and more spot on than others.

I have their Poly hand sanitizer and love it!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I have their Poly hand sanitizer and love it!

That's what I was carrying! Great minds! The kids have Pixi Dust and Tiki Terrace for school, but I just figured they could use my spare one for the trip...because everyone needs a spare Beach Club hand sanitizer?

 

[Swissmiss]

I completely understand your frustration of others when it comes to masks. I have a colleague who I’ve had to remind on occasion that there is no breathing or other respiratory functions being done by the chin.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

I think it's just certain movements that cause issues. I was pain free going into the trip and had been pain free for a little while, so I think something in the ride just got to me. It wasn't too bad with SDD, but I'd notice it a lot more with other things. How I did this to myself is even more ridiculous. Raking leaves!

I am so sorry for all your pain. I'm glad you've been pain-free. I notice on a couple of rides that my lower back hurts sometimes.

I know mobile ordering is an option, but I’m really not a huge fan of the system. When it comes to quick service meals and snacks, I generally am not planning an hour or two out. It’s more of an I want/need it now kind of thing

YES, I like mobile ordering but we do it when we realize, "oh, we need food," and 30 minutes later, we have our food.

And they’re off. I think they were heading to Soarin’. At least they already realized they could use the MDE app to give walking directions. They have a pretty good idea on where everything is, but still a good tool.

I hope they didn't get lost!! I hope they had fun together and realize how much they will love and need each other as they get older!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the chalk work.

SOMEDAY, we will go for FARTS and I will see this awesome chalkwork!!

Yes, I LOVE designing the cars in Test Track. I would have been absolutely LIVID about that non-mask family in the boat with us. So many people think it's "a game," or "not really necessary" or "masks don't work" or really, just thinking about themselves and not caring about people. It's private property! I wish Disney could enforce it more than they do! Or at least, I never saw them enforcing it with so many non-maskers. This was usually in a line.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I completely understand your frustration of others when it comes to masks. I have a colleague who I’ve had to remind on occasion that there is no breathing or other respiratory functions being done by the chin.

Funny and sad all at once! I guess I should be thankful that we're still working from home, because I can think of several people who would probably require daily reminders.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I am so sorry for all your pain. I'm glad you've been pain-free. I notice on a couple of rides that my lower back hurts sometimes.

YES, I like mobile ordering but we do it when we realize, "oh, we need food," and 30 minutes later, we have our food.

I hope they didn't get lost!! I hope they had fun together and realize how much they will love and need each other as they get older!

SOMEDAY, we will go for FARTS and I will see this awesome chalkwork!!

Yes, I LOVE designing the cars in Test Track. I would have been absolutely LIVID about that non-mask family in the boat with us. So many people think it's "a game," or "not really necessary" or "masks don't work" or really, just thinking about themselves and not caring about people. It's private property! I wish Disney could enforce it more than they do! Or at least, I never saw them enforcing it with so many non-maskers. This was usually in a line.

Thanks! I have no regrets with it at least. The raking that caused it all was to prep the yard for holiday lights. Normally, that's my husband's job, but with softball all weekend pretty much every weekend, it hadn't happened. Thankfully, the issues didn't set in until after I got the lights done.

It's so bizarre. I can handle ADRs and planning months in advance, but force me to decide in an hour or two window and I'm hopeless!

They were fine as far as finding their way. It's just the fighting. They come by it naturally. I fought like crazy with my brother and probably could never be trusted going off in a park with him. But yea...I know the day will come when they get past this.

The chalkwork was so neat. I wish we had more time to see more. I also wish they made a shirt where FARTS stands out more prominently. I know they make a few, but not quite like what I had in mind. It's clearly my inner 8 year old who giggles at the sight of this word, every time, that drives this want.

I'm hoping they can bring back interactive elements like that soon. As for the non-maskers, it really makes me crazy. I know we're not all perfect with these things, but it's a policy you've agreed to abide by in entering Disney property. Sadly, we'd encounter some more mask issues on our MK day. Disney has the authority to remove people who fail to comply, but they don't...at least not that we saw. Thankfully, most people were pretty good with wearing them, but it's the ones who aren't that stand out...and I guess they always worry me, because they are often the ones who aren't taking any precautions outside of places with rules either. I had to distance myself from the parents on K's old team because I learned they're all anti-mask and would go out of their way to shop places that wouldn't enforce the state mask order...among other things. So, I have to assume the people on the boat and some of the others we saw being ignorant, entitled, etc. are like them outside of Disney as well.

 

[Swissmiss]

Luckily for me, where I live they can fine you for not wearing a mask. And the stores that are open have someone at the front refusing access if you aren’t wearing a mask and asking you to disinfect your hands before you can go further into the store.

And although not required while walking down the street, I tend to put mine on before walking out the door because that way I am sure to have one with me and I can also make sure it is adjusted properly so that it doesn’t fog up my glasses.

 

[Songbird76]

Although, I will say that it's got me thinking about trying something like this at home...the right way. OK...what I deem to be the right way.
I think if little pearl onions were battered like fried mushrooms, it would be an interesting alternative to the onion ring. With Disney though, I never know. Sometimes things stick around that seem to be misses for everyone.

Him not being a Disney fan and going into things expecting to be let down likely has a lot to do with it. If he was in a bad mood on top of that, I can certainly see how that would impact things. David has a hard time with admitting he's wrong, but he does enjoy Disney and was really excited about this trip. If anything, I think he had his expectations a bit too high...especially considering the current environment and issues/limitations. He's generally very optimistic, so that helps, but the memory has always been an issue. Once I realized that his memory wasn't like mine, it helped reduce arguments. Heck, he still needs to ask which day is Kendall's bday and which day is mine. We're a week apart...and when you consider she's going on 15 and he's known me since the mid 1990s, well...it says something about what kinds of details he retains.

It's good that David likes Disney at least. But I think that's always a danger...when your expectations are high, it's easier to be disappointed. I don't think I'd want to go to Disney right now even if we were allowed into the US, just because I have my favorites and a lot of those things aren't open right now, so I'd probably be disappointed. But yes, I agree that my husband's not liking Disney much played into it...it colors his memory. And he'll suddenly become really surly for no apparent reason where he'll snipe at me when I ask a question, or he'll take off really fast from the bus and not wait for us...just leave us in the dust. And I think some of it is resentment, like he's angry that he has to be there and he's just determined not to have a good time. When we're at home, when we "make plans" he tends to just agree to whatever I say, and then completely ignore the plan we "agreed to". It drives me nuts. We'll discuss what time we want to leave the house and any stops we want to make on the way, and then the next day he's nowhere near ready to go at the planned time, and he'll say "I figured we'd just wait until after lunch so we don't have to stop on the way for food." even though we agreed to leave at 10 and stop in such and such a place at a McDonalds or whatever. When we're in Disney, he can't change the plans because we've got ADRs and FPs and such, and I think he maybe doesn't like having to be tied to a schedule he didn't make. He would get really frustrated if he tried to suggest something and I'd say we couldn't do that because we had something else at that time, and a few times he even just said "Well, I don't have to be there for that, do I?" and he'd go off on his own. Or he'd act like he was doing me a HUGE favor by taking A back to the resort when E and I hadn't done everything we wanted to do, when the reality was that he didn't want to be in the park either and wanted to go off on his own. We just have completely different styles with traveling, and especially at Disney.

 

[fractal]

Love the pics! Good idea on video when moving - but that can also get shaky. You can also increase the shutter speed when taking stills to eliminate the blurriness. Sorry for the unsolicited tips.

Happy to see you can now be in the parks after dark! I really missed that last summer.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Love the pics! Good idea on video when moving - but that can also get shaky. You can also increase the shutter speed when taking stills to eliminate the blurriness. Sorry for the unsolicited tips.

Happy to see you can now be in the parks after dark! I really missed that last summer.

Thanks! I will admit that I have gotten lazy with some of my Disney photography. I get tired of constantly changing my settings while on the move and have been burned so many times by forgetting and not realizing until after the fact. So, many times I just put it on Auto during the trip and let the camera decide. I spent the weekend doing sports photography for the girls (bad hit, but decent action pic...lighting could still use some tweaking) and I was loving playing with the settings, but for whatever reason, I wanted to leave the work to the camera most of the time while at Disney.

Yes! The parks really take on an entirely different life after dark. I wish I could have gotten into Pandora at night this time.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

It's good that David likes Disney at least. But I think that's always a danger...when your expectations are high, it's easier to be disappointed. I don't think I'd want to go to Disney right now even if we were allowed into the US, just because I have my favorites and a lot of those things aren't open right now, so I'd probably be disappointed. But yes, I agree that my husband's not liking Disney much played into it...it colors his memory. And he'll suddenly become really surly for no apparent reason where he'll snipe at me when I ask a question, or he'll take off really fast from the bus and not wait for us...just leave us in the dust. And I think some of it is resentment, like he's angry that he has to be there and he's just determined not to have a good time. When we're at home, when we "make plans" he tends to just agree to whatever I say, and then completely ignore the plan we "agreed to". It drives me nuts. We'll discuss what time we want to leave the house and any stops we want to make on the way, and then the next day he's nowhere near ready to go at the planned time, and he'll say "I figured we'd just wait until after lunch so we don't have to stop on the way for food." even though we agreed to leave at 10 and stop in such and such a place at a McDonalds or whatever. When we're in Disney, he can't change the plans because we've got ADRs and FPs and such, and I think he maybe doesn't like having to be tied to a schedule he didn't make. He would get really frustrated if he tried to suggest something and I'd say we couldn't do that because we had something else at that time, and a few times he even just said "Well, I don't have to be there for that, do I?" and he'd go off on his own. Or he'd act like he was doing me a HUGE favor by taking A back to the resort when E and I hadn't done everything we wanted to do, when the reality was that he didn't want to be in the park either and wanted to go off on his own. We just have completely different styles with traveling, and especially at Disney.

Yes, I think the last couple of trips, he's gone in with high expectations and been let down. I don't regret going right now, especially since we got to see my parents, but I definitely won't go again until things are much more normal. And even then, it's going to depend on what that new normal looks like with various cuts and charges on Disney's part. It does sound like your husband isn't a fan of all of the pre-planned aspects. It's just so hard to wing it. Yeah, I know people do it all the time, but it's one thing for an AP holder to wing it or even someone who goes a few times a year...but you guys are traveling internationally and I wouldn't want to risk too much when you've come so far. I guess maybe next time you go, you could work in some longer windows where you guys go with the flow and see if that makes him a little happier with being there.

 

[Songbird76]

Yes, I think the last couple of trips, he's gone in with high expectations and been let down. I don't regret going right now, especially since we got to see my parents, but I definitely won't go again until things are much more normal. And even then, it's going to depend on what that new normal looks like with various cuts and charges on Disney's part. It does sound like your husband isn't a fan of all of the pre-planned aspects. It's just so hard to wing it. Yeah, I know people do it all the time, but it's one thing for an AP holder to wing it or even someone who goes a few times a year...but you guys are traveling internationally and I wouldn't want to risk too much when you've come so far. I guess maybe next time you go, you could work in some longer windows where you guys go with the flow and see if that makes him a little happier with being there.

Yeah...I am a PLANNER. My lists have lists. Ok, that's probably a slight exaggeration...I do make a lot of lists, but it's mostly background info like I go through menus and make lists of the places where I know A will eat, places where they serve something that is one of our favorites that we don't get much (my husband LOVES hot beef sandwiches, for example, and those don't exist here), and places where they accept the dining plan or others where it's not a good value on the dining plan. I make lists of the hardest to get FPs so I know which ones to start with when our window opens, etc. So I do a LOT of planning for the trips and my husband is pretty oblivious to all the background stuff that goes into Disney planning. He's a much more "play it by ear" person than I am, but I don't think he realizes how many of his favorite experiences he wouldn't get if I didn't plan them in advance. He LOVES ToT, but he won't wait much more than 25 minutes for any attraction...if I didn't make FPs for it, he'd never get to do it, but because he's not involved in the planning, he doesn't realize that it's my planning that makes it possible.

In 2016, I had made a basic schedule and I had taken the advice of experts to have some down time in the afternoon when it was hotter and more crowded. Every day, we'd get to that afternoon downtime and he'd insist we had to do such and such and we'd not get the down time and after a few days everyone was so grouchy and exhausted. Like...we got to HS early to sign A up for jedi training, and instead of doing it early in the day, my husband thought 2:00 was perfect....so we had to skip our break and stand out there in high heat instead. And then by the time we had dinner each night, he was done and insisted we needed to go back to the resort. So we were skipping the hours when the heat was more bearable and wait times were lower in order to do everything when it was hotter and more crowded. I was getting so frustrated and finally insisted one day that we take the scheduled break and it worked so much better. He finally admitted that we should take breaks in the afternoon, but he hadn't realized that there was a reason I scheduled it that way, and I think that's part of his dislike with Disney...he doesn't do the research, so he doesn't know which things have ridiculous wait times or which restaurants have bad reputations, etc so he's disgruntled when he insists we have to do this ride! only to find out that the wait time is 80 minutes, when I already got a fastpass for it on a different day. He doesn't like having to plan it in advance, but he also doesn't like having to battle huge crowds and heat and long wait times. And you kind of have to choose one or the other. If you're not willing to plan in advance and follow a schedule, you will have to either be willing to wait in long lines, or skip a lot of attractions.

Is that the same with David? That he kind of expects the wait times to be lower, or expects to get to do more and then is disappointed when the expectations get thwarted?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Whew! I am EXHAUSTED!!! Between the girls, I think they played 11 softball games this weekend. At the beginning of it all, I know there were a couple of things I wanted to add to what I've written for this part of the TR. Now...all I want is sleep and can't remember half of what I need to do! Fun times. There will come a day when this is all just a memory and I'm going to miss it. Oh well...on with the TR!

I have been pretty down on Soarin’ ever since they made the changes. The bending landmarks really makes me pretty crazy. Still, it’s one of those rides that wowed me for its mechanics, well before the film was changed, so David and I both decided it’s still worth the time. It still amazes me that this all came from an erector set model idea. And thankfully, the line wasn’t very long…

Our only real wait (which was maybe 5 minutes) was at this point. There was a family behind us with two younger kids who kept bumping into me while we stood and waited. I’m generally more understanding when it’s kids, but I still think it’s good to try and keep everyone from bumping around like this too. What irritated us was that the dad, who was stationary and keeping his distance, had his mask off. I didn’t want to stare, but David said it went back on once the line started moving and we had to approach the CM “directing traffic.”

Moving again…

I’m not sure what happened, but the girl in front of us decided to bail at this point. Not sure if she was scared or if she was late for something, but they ushered her out of a side door.

I thought I had taken a pic of Patrick giving his whole thing while we waited, but this is what I got…

And no...the guy in the pic is not the mask-less dad. They were sent to another area.

While we were in C, we were at the very end of it next to the center section and were first row. So, no dangling feet and reduced distortion. The smells were at least all working nicely and the only distortion that seemed to bug me today was Monument Valley.

A trip to the restroom after Soarin’ also confirmed that my chaffing from the previous day was getting worse. I could feel it, but it was becoming more obvious. Not really too much I could do but push on. So, we left the Land…

To the Seas.

I guess David also misunderstood what my plans were. I think he thought I just wanted a pic with the seagulls, so he was really confused when I walked inside. Hey, no desire to do the ride, but definitely seeing some sea life.

Love me some manatees!!!

Also a big fan of triggerfish. I think it was this attraction, back in the SeaBase Alpha days that first introduced us to them. My mom would call them the fish with the lips! I swear there used to be more of them, but I’m guessing they reduced their numbers and moved them into the dolphin area due to their aggression, territoriality and destruction issues. Most are not reef friendly fish.

I watched him/her for a while.

If I ever get back into aquariums, I think I want to make the jump to saltwater and get a “Pet Trigger.” I have ZERO desire for any kind of live rock, anemones, etc., so at least that’s something and after having South American cichlids and an African Cichlid breeding colony, I think I now want just one special fish. The Undulate Trigger is at the top of my list for both appearance and trainability. Yes...they can be trained! Ok...enough pet fish talk. LOL

I looked up and realized that David had moved on and was nowhere in sight. So, I moved on to the next section and found him...and more sea life.

Before exiting, we stopped to see the dolphins. There was only one swimming around in there (even though we could see some others on the other side). We learned his name is Calvin and he’s 26 years old...or something like that.

Blurry...but it was sad to see Bruce roped off and nobody playing inside his mouth.

We opened up the app and SSE’s wait time was back down to 5 minutes, so we headed that way.