Trip Report Completed: March 5-14, 2020: Our Return to WDW and the "Hips and Elbows People, Hips and Elbows!" edition

Hello everyone! It has been one month since we made our return to Walt Disney World, it was 593 days since we had been there. We hadn't been without Disney trips, we were annual passholders of Disneyland during that time. More info in my pre-trip report. Needless to say we were were excited to return. I was a little apprehensive for a few reasons: 1. what if I didn't like WDW as much any more after being away so long and maybe I had fallen too much in love with Disneyland. 2. I was slightly worried about this corona virus thing (maybe I should have been more worried), but I was hopeful we would get through the trip without having to think about it.

In case you don't want to go back to my pre-trip report let me give you a few more details:

Who: Amy and Brad (my husband)
Resort: Pop Century



Let's begin:

March 5, 2020

We had an early morning flight, it is a pain getting up at 3 am but we do like getting to our destination early and being able to spend a lot of our day at our vacation destination. Plus we were early birds so it wasn't too bad. Luckily there wasn't a snow storm and our flight out of Minneapolis was on schedule!

Not much was open so early but Caribou coffee!

Coming up more of our journey and lots of fun, food and beer!

 

[aliceismad]

I'm loving all of your ears! (And the great pics!)

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

This trip report is such a saving grace! I'm still holding my reservation starting 7/15! I love getting to MK early with no crowds, by myself, and just wandering around for hours trying to find new things to look at. I completely agree that your photos are really fabulous and truly reach out to you via your eye! Looking forward to more!

Thanks for following and the kind words about my photos.

Great report! Great pics! But now I am so hungry...

Thanks! I'll try to post some more food pics then!

I'm loving all of your ears! (And the great pics!)

Thanks, I might have a bit of an "ear" problem.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

After Thunder Mt we were wandering around Frontierland and bumped into Wendell from the Country Bears, he was trying to break into the Diamond Horseshoe but wasn't having any luck!

The Haunted Mansion, like the People Mover had been having difficulties that week so we were happy it was running. It wouldn't be later or the next day so we probably should have gone on it again right away.

Next we headed over to Main Street and stopped to check out the painting progress on the castle.

It kind of looked like some sort of alien invasion on the castle with all the cranes.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

View attachment 476796

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

After the Dans we went to the top of the train station to admire the view. We couldn't stay there for too long, a cast member told us the trolley show was coming soon and would be needing that spot. So we ended up going down to one of the benches in the picture below (the one on the lower left at the opening of Town Square) to watch the show.

Notice the little girl in the background dressed as the trolley show girls! She was adorable and the cast spent a little time with her which was fun to watch.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

After that I think we rode the jungle cruise but for sure we caught another round of the Dapper Dans!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

March 13, 2020

A few more of the Daps. Has anyone been watching their (and the Daps of Disneyland) posts on Disney Parks blogs during the shut down? Of course we have, I might have watched them more than once!

I like looking at the windows of Main Street and this one was by the performance.

Back to the hub to Fantasyland, we had a mine train to ride. And if you look you can see the new paint.

One of my favorite castle views.

After our Mine Train excursion we (I) needed a snack. Disneyland now has orange Dole Whips but it isn't the same as a Citrus Swirl. Sorry, pineapple Dole Whip fans but the Citrus Swirl is the superior frozen treat. It even has it's own mascot!

And no, I didn't eat two of them, but I did try to choose the bigger of the two as my treat!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

We enjoyed our swirls in the seating area by the Swiss Family Treehouse, did we go into the Treehouse next? No, someone (not me) says he doesn't like it. He hadn't ever seen the movie apparently, but don't worry we've taken care of that during quarantine. He had never seen Pollyanna either so we've watched that too and he enjoyed that until as he calls it "the dark twisted turn" a the end.

While we waited for our BTMRR fast pass to come up I made Brad to to the Country Bears, he doesn't like this one either. He fell asleep.

We started to make our way to our lunch restaurant and the street party was going on. Hey Mickey!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

And more castle painting pictures, I think I was a little obsessed with it.

We made to our lunch destination, some place we haven't eaten at since 2009. Who can identify the restaurant?

 

[Tuvalu]

We made to our lunch destination, some place we haven't eaten at since 2009. Who can identify the restaurant?

What is Tony’s Town Square, Alex.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

What is Tony’s Town Square, Alex.

Winner! I also knew it would be you that got it right, so we both get prizes!

 

[Loco_driver]

Sorry, pineapple Dole Whip fans but the Citrus Swirl is the superior frozen treat. It even has it's own mascot!

I think you and I would get along just fine! I do question Brad’s judgement on the country bear jamboree though!

 

[Swissmiss]

I’m so jelly you got to see the Dapper Dans TWICE in the same day.

And I too was going to comment how much I like your various ears (and I don’t think you have an ear problem )

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I think you and I would get along just fine! I do question Brad’s judgement on the country bear jamboree though!

Of course we would and hopefully one of these days your trips will match up with ours for a meet up! Brad just has never been a fan of country music so that's his deal otherwise he is pretty cool.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I’m so jelly you got to see the Dapper Dans TWICE in the same day.

And I too was going to comment how much I like your various ears (and I don’t think you have an ear problem )

We thought about seeing them another time that day but we decided to go back to the resort for a nap. Thank for the ear compliment and I do have an ear problem....I need more of them!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

Lunch ended up to be very enjoyable at Tony's Town Square. I was kind of bummed at first to be on the patio but I ended up really liking that spot. The weather was great and we had a fun view of Town Square. The bread was tasty to start.

B wanted to try the garlic Parmesan wings so we shared those. They were good, they needed just a little more garlic.

I got the Italian trio and enjoyed it for what it was. I wasn't expecting much more than Olive Garden quality (which by the way I do like Olive Garden). But it was a lot of food, we should have shared one entree.

Brad got the chicken parm and he said he wanted extra Parmesan and he got a lot!

As did I! No complaints though on the extra cheese, we are from Wisconsin so we like cheese!

Cute Lady & Tramp window decor.

I was surprised with a visitor at our table.

The fountain was lovely, but I'm glad we were on the patio.

More castle repainting. It was interesting to see half the turrets pained on some.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday
After lunch we saw Philharmagic and it was a disappointment. We ended up behind people with really big heads so we couldn't see the show that well and Brad really couldn't see the show well. His 3D glasses was missing a lens which he didn't notice until the show started. It still wasn't as bad and the show we watched a couple years ago when some teens and pre-teens in family were singing along as loud as they could and were deliberately singing off key. I shushed them and they stopped but afterwards their mom in her scooter chased after me and was yelling at me for shushing children. I wouldn't have shushed them if they were trying to sing normally and nicely.

Anyway, we headed back to the hub and got a spot for Festival of Fantasy. I was sunny and warm so we thought sitting with no shade was a good idea. We did have a good view of the show, but it was rather warm and boy did the water I drank after it taste great!

As we waited a band from Wisconsin marched by. It is on the other side of the state as us but a friend from college lives in this town so I thought maybe her kid was in it or just get a kick out of seeing it. Turns out her kid goes to the high school in the next town over but even though they live in the same town as this band.

I tried to be artsy with my shoes and the castle.

And tried an artsy castle pic.

Here comes the parade! I have a lot of parade pictures so I will share many in the next couple of posts but not have much commentary. It kind of speaks for itself. I will say that once the parade started everyone around us stood up, I don't know why. It would have been nice if their standing though would have created a little shade as we continued to sit but it did not.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020
Festival Of Fantasy!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

Festival of Fantasy

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Friday March 13, 2020

More Festival of Fantasy