Trip Report Flood here, Flood There

Tuvalu · Aug 3, 2021

slipperalwaysfits said:
We then walked to the ART OF DISNEY and spotted:
LARRY DOTSON!!!!!!!!!! My family LOVES his watercolors. We have several of his prints, including ones of fireworks over Epcot and MK! How artists draw fireworks and icicle lights like that blows me away...it's so incredible, his attention to detail.

He now has the Disney Resorts as individual paintings and of course, I bought our home resort: Animal Kingdom Kidani and since S doesn't read this, I can tell you I bought the Aulani print, too. Larry was really nice and lovely and chatted with me for a long time. He signed each print and dated them for the year we went (Aulani 2017) and Animal Kingdom--2020--the year we bought in. I will try to add those pictures tomorrow.

I have about a dozen personalized Larry Dotson prints hanging in my house, the first one from 2007. My favorite might be the Poly from 2009.

slipperalwaysfits said:
I hope these room pictures do it justice. I don't think I take quite as many room pics as @riverside and @Tuvalu

Great job with your room pics!

slipperalwaysfits said:
Once in Epcot, we hit Spaceship Earth---no line close to 4pm!! S really loved how they brought back the original fountain to the park. I'm not sure if it's original or not, but it was there when he was a kid and he's excited it's back.

The current fountain is a replica of the original. I, too, am glad it's back!

slipperalwaysfits said:
We got on Test Track and just after we did the speed test, we got stopped, just inside. They were trying to pull another car onto the track but the car wouldn't move. We could see the new car and the Engineer standing over the car trying to get it to work. I think we were sitting in the car for about 20 minutes and then they finally came to evacuate us!! I've never been evacuated from a ride before so it was a little thrilling to me.

My first ride evac was Test Track too. It only took 41 years of WDW visits! :joyfull:

slipperalwaysfits said:
The mimosas weren't just ANY mimosas, they were: Passion, Orange and Guava (POG) mimosas. C really loves these and I pretty much just love all mimosas.

Did you try the POG mimosa from the Shimmering Sips booth at F&W? DELICIOUS.

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 4, 2021

Hi WDW Magic Family,
I apologize for my chronic busyness of the past few days. I WILL Finish this report before I go back to school---I mean work, I'm a teacher, so school but work, school is work...I'm confused. :geek:

Continue on....

Monday was actually really fun and awesome. Well, every day in Disney is but I surprised S on Monday morning with an "Epcot Treasure Hunt" I'd found on the Ear For Each Other facebook group of former CMs. Next Page with Meg creates treasure hunts for each one of the parks and also resorts. S was actually pretty excited (and that's a big deal for him) about his "hunt."

Entering Epcot, we chose to do Future World on the way out so we headed ... left or right or left or right...

WE WENT LEFT because we'd gone right the day before. We started with our friends the 3 Caballeros. S couldn't get over what a line the boat ride had. It wasn't outside the pavilion (yet, at 11:30 am) but it was definitely snaking all the way through the pavilion. S said one of the reasons why he loved the boat ride so much was because there was never a line and it was like a "hidden gem." Even on the trips in 2013-2019, we never stood in line for the boat ride. Secret's out, I guess. :jawdrop:

Especially on a hot day!

We continued our clockwise trek around WS. We found another Remy in the African Outpost and we also found a lot of soap!! I am so glad they have shower bombs as well as bath bombs! So I picked up a few of those and we continued to our lunch destination in WS.

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 4, 2021

Where oh where could we be going for lunch???
We like Chefs De France, but even sitting in their smaller room, I felt like that restaurant was really "loud" for me. Almost too loud. S and I really love Teppan Edo but it's a lot of food...wait, everywhere in WDW sit downs can be "a lot of food."

S is a pizza nut so of course, our only acceptable choice for lunch was VIA NAPOLI!! It's actually really nice splitting a pizza there because A) we don't feel like we are overeating and B) I feel like we're spending money wisely by splitting an entrée. Of course, this is the only time in WDW we manage to do that but still...a win is a win. :geek:

I have a big love of Caprese Salad so we ordered one, here and shared it. That mozzarella is such a treat! Even though I eat Caprese at home, the mozzarella just tastes better at WDW but maybe that's just my mindset.

At the end of our meal, the waitress saw our Happy Anniversary buttons and brought us a little treat. The doughnuts were delicious, with the raspberry/strawberry jam on them and it was such a nice treat.

The pizza was amazing, S thought it was a great amount of cheese, I didn't notice the difference. Cheese, pepperoni, yummy crust. All ingredients accounted for, in my book. We also ordered a bit of bread with dipping oil---it was only $3 and why not just eat all the bread, between pizza crust and focaccia

? I do wish there'd been more pepperoni, though. Next time, I will make sure to ask for it!

We found a HIDDEN (not so hidden) MICKEY in the hot peppers...And we found REMY outside of VIA NAPOLI

cgersic · Aug 5, 2021

Yum! Your photos just gave me a deep desire to be in Epcot today!

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 5, 2021

cgersic said:
Yum! Your photos just gave me a deep desire to be in Epcot today!

I hope you had a great time!

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 5, 2021

After lunch, we continued around WS, and I got the gelato espresso float from the Italian stand. It was good but I don't think I'd have it again over the ice cream at Artisan de Glaces in France. We backtracked to Germany to find a Hidden Mickey---SPOILER:

as you enter the pavillion, it's on the knight's hat on the left side. It's on the 3rd Knight's hat from the Showcase path.

I noticed Germany had a wine shop and I LOVE German wine---I spent my 20th birthday in Austria so ...yes, German wine, please! :joyfull:

I had something fruity and sweet, I think it was the Gewurtstrumeiner (sp, sorry!) I will DEFINITELY be making this an EPCOT priority next trip!

stopping in the UK at the Twining's shop. In the Twining's shop, they have flavored tea bags for water, etc. You can get certain flavors at the UK shop only so I was very excited and picked up some: Blueberry Lavender and Pink Grapefruit flavored packets. :geek:

Next trip, I will bring a bigger backpack to carry them since I doubt they'll have "ship to resort" available yet. I've heard they have the Front of the Park pick up open but being park-hoppers...

I was DETERMINED to find the Hidden Mickey in the Canada Pavilion so we walked up the stairs and really hunted for the totem poles. In the Canadian shop up there, the College Program worker hadn't found it yet so she couldn't help...while I was buying something from her (I think it was a green stone necklace for my mom), my hubby found the Hidden Mickey! He showed me and then I ran back in to tell the CM and she was actually really excited that I shared that info with her! It's really fun to see Cast Members enjoying themselves.

We hit Starbucks because....I love my coffee but REALLY love it on Vacation! One Raspberry Mocha Frappuccino please! I opted for Coffee but hubby opted for the Maple cheesecake between Starbucks and the Canadian pavilion. He loves his maple, being from New England.

Then, we hit Living with the Land --- a green banana for you @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 :geek:

. We then did Soarin, with our return time and then off to my friends Lou and Lil Joe. I'll be so sad when there are different manatees as I loved hearing Lou's story on the Animal Kingdom show last year. It's sure fun to watch them swim and eat. Well, I think the manatees seem to "glide" more than they actually use their fins to swim but it's still fun to watch them!

Then a quick trip through Civilization with the Phoenicians (I REALLY REALLY hope this doesn't close for the giant refurb during the next few months).

PICS: (so NOT in order, sorry!)

The Hidden Mickey on the Totem, Rose and Crown for @riverside , espresso

gelato in Italy wine in Germany, maple cheesecake, manatees, green bananas, S and me boarding the Nemo ride...

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 6, 2021

Yes, we are still on Monday, I know, I'm taking FOREVER! We left EPCOT about 5 pm and headed to the monorail....if you all guessed we were going to MK you aren't right...well, yet....

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 6, 2021

THE ENCHANTED ROSE!!! I'm absolutely in love with Beauty and the Beast...the remake in 2017. We sat in this room this time, last year, we sat in the forest room. Having never been in this room, I LOVED Being able to find Cogsworth, Lumiere and Plumette in here. I really, really enjoyed my drink---I remember it had champagne in it! This is a great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of a busy day and S and I enjoyed being able to look out the windows and see the Seven Seas Lagoon.

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 6, 2021

After the Enchanted Rose, we finally made it HERE:
Hubby tried to walk right in and said "Do you know how many pictures we have of that sign?" Yes, and the sign hangs over my door to the house from the garage. It doesn't matter. We always need more. :geek:

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 6, 2021

Once in the Most Magical Place on Earth....I took a bunch of window pictures on MainStreet and we headed to the PeopleMover! IT had a 30-minute wait but it moved so we waited ...and waited as the ramp stopped and waited again. Oh, before entering the line for Moving Park Bench 2.0, we got a Space Mtn return time. We did the PeopleMover (no orange cone and a great look at TRON) and then it was time for Space! After Space, we headed to Pinocchio Village Haus for a quick bite---chicken tenders for both and tomato soup for me. We discovered IASW was a walk-on.

We were in row 3 of a boat, parents and a baby were in row 2. THESE SAME parents set three of their children in row 1. I'm really surprised the CM's let that happen, as the oldest child looked older than 6.

These girls were leaning over the boat railing almost constantly. When they weren't doing that, they were reaching out of the sides of the boat and trying to touch the ride. The parents were taking pictures and laughing. NOT ONCE, the whole ride through, did an announcement come on saying "please keep your hands, arms and legs inside the boat." NADA. NOTHING. Which is weird, because we heard it on: Pirates and the Land many times this trip. I understand they were a very different culture but I'm surprised grown-ups aren't thinking about the possible consequences of their childrens' actions....

Those girls are lucky they didn't get hurt. At the very end of the ride, a CM said to one of the girls "sit down and keep your hands in your lap." But it was the end of the ride, by that point.

IT was pretty late by this point, so we hit the HM and then ended up having to leave the park due to closing.

Dave B · Aug 6, 2021

slipperalwaysfits said:
After Tusker House, we went to FOP to get a return time (about 2.5 hours but at least we have a return time). After that, we headed to Dinosaur. Even though I'd ridden Dinosaur in Nov of 2020, I'd forgotten just HOW DARK parts of that ride can get. It's a pretty simple ride, I think I love it just for the thrill of not getting eaten by the DINO. I'm really not sure why I love it so much, it's just pure FUN, I guess.

After Dinosaur, we headed to EVEREST. The line said about 50 minutes and I think we were on in about 25. The line moved almost constantly. It was hot but I do love the fans they sprinkle throughout the queue. Poor C, she got the front row. She really didn't want the front row and neither did I! The worst part is when you stop on top of the mountain and wait to go backwards. That's the only time the front is just too much for me.

I just read that the track on EVEREST is shaped like Mickey. No wonder it has all those curves at the end!

We loved the DINO merch shirt at the exit to the ride. I heard they've now taken out ALL the dino merch, which I'm surprised by. There really wasn't much other than two tee-shirts, specific to the Dino ride in there. It seemed like much more of a general merch store.

I can't remember where the drinking fountain is that I took a picture of, I want to say by Creature Comforts or one of the stores on Discovery Island. I loved all the amazing details and don't think any other park has a drinking fountain this well-themed (but maybe there's a really cool Star Wars one that I'm missing?)

After Dinosaur and Everest, we hit the Jungle trails and saw our favorite gorilla family! We were really too far back to get any good pictures (mine turned out blurry) and it was very crowded. There was a 5-day-old Gorilla baby out there! Mom had the baby pretty shadowed by her body so it was even harder to see.

While we were watching the gorilla's some lady screamed "The mom has the baby on the nip!" LOUDLY. VERY LOUDLY. C, S and I just looked at each other and started laughing. Ummmm, thank you Captain Obvious?

Then it was off to FOP, where we waited about 20 minutes and really enjoyed our Flight through Pandora. I DID NOTICE that on the first drop right as the show begins, on the left hand side, there's a giant waterfall. Halfway down the waterfall are a couple of Hidden Mickey's on a little platform of land.

I love finding random Hidden Mickeys.

What do you mean when you say we went to get a return time for FoP? I didn't think there were fast passes yet? Your trip has sounded like a blast. Any pictures of the flooded park?

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 7, 2021

Dave B said:
What do you mean when you say we went to get a return time for FoP? I didn't think there were fast passes yet? Your trip has sounded like a blast. Any pictures of the flooded park?

We have a family member who needs to make use of DAS--that's what the return times are for.
So far, the park hasn't flooded! But it's only Tuesday and we were there all week!

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 8, 2021

TUESDAY:
We are not rope-drop people. We discuss it, aim for it but understand the realities of us getting up and going in WDW do not lend themselves to us being there at rope drop. Of course, on Tuesday, we had a GREAT EXCUSE NOT TO ROPE DROP!!

A Fellow Magician was dining at Olivia's for breakfast with her family!!! :geek:

It totally worked out that we were staying at OKW and they had reservations for breakfast there---lucky for me, we were staying in the Hospitality House section so I didn't have far to go to meet @riverside !!! I was so excited to see @riverside that I ran out of the room without my wedding ring! I didn't notice until I got to Olivia's. Luckily, hubby was still in the room, so I didn't have to be worried.

It was SO FUN to talk to her and finally meet her in person! We have a lot in common--besides our love for WDW. I felt a little bad taking her away from her family breakfast so we kept it short but here's hoping @riverside 's paths and mine cross in WDW again soonish!

After my Magical meet-up, we finished getting ready and headed to MK. We got to MK about 11 and of course, joined the longest line in the park...STARBUCKS! It was just outside the bakery...I think we waited 40 minutes, including the wait to get the drink. While waiting, the DAPPER DANS came by...I really love the Dapper DANS so I was excited to see them on the trolley! We ended up in line behind a nice couple that passed the time chatting with us about Disney--the museum in San Francisco and the Imagineering Story.

After grabbing our drinks, we took our time and strolled to Philharmagic--is it Donald's or Mickey's?

It was about a 20 minute wait, we were lucky and spent most of the wait in the air-conditioning.

After Philharmagic, we headed to.... a return time for the mine train and then to LITTLE MERMAID, which was backed up ALL THE WAY TO STORYBROOK CIRCUS! I couldn't believe it! Even in the middle of the day, I'd never seen that line so long before. It moved, though. But it was still about 40 minutes to go through that entire queue.

After the Mine Train and Little Mermaid, we went to get a return time for Jungle Cruise and then headed to Pecos Bill to split some nachos. We ended up sitting in the section of Pecos Bill that is also part of Tortuga Tavern so it was funny to be in "Pecos Bill" with Caribbean stuff around us. I love the Pecos nachos because they are a great portion to split! After relaxing for a bit, we headed to the Jungle Cruise. I'd been reluctant to do JC because a few years ago, I couldn't hear the skipper at all and was very frustrated. It must have been a broken mike that day because on this day, I heard EVERYTHING PERFECTLY! I was so excited and relieved. I really enjoyed the JC.

We headed over to get a return time for Splash Mountain ...about an hour and a half wait---this is why I try not to be in the parks in the middle of the day! I'm attaching a pic of the crowds. Anyway, while waiting for Splash, we got in line for Big Thunder. Again, hot, long but that line moved and moved pretty quickly. It said an hour wait but I think we only waited 40 minutes. Once we were off, we got a bottle of water/S got frozen lemonade from the cart near BTRR and we stood by the Splash store/wall and waited for a bit.

Then it was off to SPLASH. I really love this ride and am looking forward to the retheme (being the Princess nut I am) but I do love the flume and all the great drops throughout.

After SPLASH, it was time for our dinner....where were we dining in the MK?

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 8, 2021

Of course, we were headed to one of my favorite castles for dinner! We'd scored an early dining reservation, which got us out of the heat!
Hubby ordered the chicken and I ordered the filet because I absolutely love filets (and the lobster bisque---another favorite that's hard to find in Denver). I love the food here and have never noticed a problem. S thinks the food is okay, but BOG tries too hard to be fancy with the chicken, he thinks. I was really impressed with my wine flight. I thought they'd be super small pours but it was instead a very generous pour in each glass! Perfect for a nice, leisurely dinner!

We had a fabulous waiter who'd previously worked for WDW but was new to BOG. I mentioned they needed to bring the rose napkins back and about 5 minutes later, he appeared with a rose napkin! That was really sweet and a little bit of extra pixie dust. :geek:

All in all, BOG is pricey and not everyone loves the food but it's a nice "special meal" for us while we are at WDW. Of course, we always enjoy the desserts.

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 8, 2021

Once we were done with our dinner, we headed outside, discovering it had spent the last 90 minutes absolutely pouring!
The skies were clear but there were puddles everywhere and VERY FEW PEOPLE!

We got a return time for Space Mountain then hit the Moving Park Bench 2.0 (peoplemover). Off to Winnie the Pooh and Little Mermaid (@Tuvalu I waved--I always wave now) :geek:

while we were waiting for our SPACE return time. After SPACE, we headed to the Haunted Mansion and saw the most fog I've ever seen outside of the PACNW, (where I'm from). It was really eerie to see the fog so thick. It gave the mansion an extra creepy, ethereal look.

After HM we had time to visit the WILDEST RIDE in the WILDERNESS. It was pretty close to park closing at this time but we got very lucky and when we got off the ride, hubby said "It's 9;56, we can go again!!" We high-fived and booked it up that hill and then DOWN TO TRAINS. :jawdrop:

A perfect way to end the day!

Swissmiss · Aug 9, 2021

Was it still foggy when you rode BTMRR? My DD and I were in DLP near closing time and it was a very foggy evening - riding BTMRR in the fog was really cool

amjt660 · Aug 9, 2021

slipperalwaysfits said:
Of course, we were headed to one of my favorite castles for dinner! We'd scored an early dining reservation, which got us out of the heat!
Hubby ordered the chicken and I ordered the filet because I absolutely love filets (and the lobster bisque---another favorite that's hard to find in Denver). I love the food here and have never noticed a problem. S thinks the food is okay, but BOG tries too hard to be fancy with the chicken, he thinks. I was really impressed with my wine flight. I thought they'd be super small pours but it was instead a very generous pour in each glass! Perfect for a nice, leisurely dinner!

We had a fabulous waiter who'd previously worked for WDW but was new to BOG. I mentioned they needed to bring the rose napkins back and about 5 minutes later, he appeared with a rose napkin! That was really sweet and a little bit of extra pixie dust.

All in all, BOG is pricey and not everyone loves the food but it's a nice "special meal" for us while we are at WDW. Of course, we always enjoy the desserts. View attachment 578389 View attachment 578393 View attachment 578394 View attachment 578395 View attachment 578396 View attachment 578397 View attachment 578398 View attachment 578399 View attachment 578401
View attachment 578389 View attachment 578393 View attachment 578394 View attachment 578395 View attachment 578396 View attachment 578397 View attachment 578398 View attachment 578399

big brother pop GIF by Big Brother After Dark

Max

FlaggNL · Aug 10, 2021

Thanks for sharing!!

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 22, 2021

Sorry, WDW Peeps.
I started a new job about 10 days ago and while doing that, there was major turnover within the organization so I was busier than I thought but I WILL finish this TR this week (so I can catch up on everyone else's lol).

WEDNESDAY: MY LEAST FAVE PARK (Don't tell @Tuvalu )

Hubby woke up super early to try for a ROR boarding pass but didn't get it. Alas, we were lucky enough to ride it last Fall so not getting it wasn't a huge deal. We headed to HS and found my favorite PP Howard (of course, at the beginning of the day, he had a huge line, so we figured we'd come back later in the day).

We headed to Rock and Roller Coaster for a return time. Once we got that (about 90 minutes) we saw the Lightning McQueen Academy and decided...AIR CONDITIONING!

The next show was just about to start so we walked in and sat down. It was cute and a nice, air-conditioned, sit-down break! Once the show was over, I spotted the restrooms to the left of the show exit! SCORE.

Wait, we walked over to the sign and found a wall that said "CM's ONLY, backstage." Okay, than please GET RID of the MISLEADING restroom sign because some of us actually get really excited about those signs....We used the ones behind the other side of R and R but really, I write this just to point out the Disney error in advertising here.

Soo....we had some time but didn't know what to do so we hit up Starbucks (me, coffee, yay!) We ended up waiting longer for our drinks to be made than it took to order the drinks, which was different from other Disney Starbucks orders. Once we got our drinks (iced chai for S and Mocha Raspberry frapp for me), we headed to the MUPPETS....I have to say, it was really nice to be able to drink and walk at the same time. In a change from last year's rules.

I think we waited maybe 5 minutes in the pre-show room. I really LOVE the theming of the Muppets courtyard and the building the show is in. It was then our return time for R and R Coaster so we headed back that way. Backtracking the parks is never ideal but hopefully this was the only time we were going to have to do it today!

I was pretty nervous about the launch on R and RCoaster (even though I'd ridden it 7 times total on prior trips). S reminded me that the launch is really "over in seconds." He is absolutely right. I was counting the seconds as we loaded and it looks like the coasters get loaded and wait about 45-50 seconds before launching!

After the launch and the SUPER FAST ride through the crammed streets of LA, I felt a little dizzy but exhilarated and proud of myself for going on the ride that intimidates me! I did buy a bottle of water at the exit store, though. I'd already been through my water bottle and needed a refill. The ride made me a little desperate for water so I didn't want to wait to find a QS.

We headed back over to the other side of the park, stopping to get a MMRR return time.

We kept walking to see my favorite EWOKS!!!!!!! We walked through the outside Queue and waited in total about 20 minutes before being loaded onto an adventure with C3PO and R2D2!! I'm impressed with how short that line was mid-day.

We headed back to MMRR for our return time and really enjoyed the pre-show (something we didn't get to see in the Fall) and found some hidden Mickeys (of course--it's my thing). But DRAT, looks like I didn't get a pic of the hidden Mickey's in the clouds.

By this time, it was about 12:40 and we headed to @Tuvalu 's favorite.....PIZZARIZZO!!!!!!!!!!! We ordered our Pizza and held our breath for 1 pm.....WE WERE part of the cheers that went up at approximately 1:00:03 with a boarding group! Ours was late, though so fingers crossed it would be called before the end of the day!

At this point, despite the EXTREME Lack of Shade in this park, HS is growing on me...quite a lot. Maybe I shall no longer consider it the Ugly Stepsister of WDW....but how will the second half of the day treat us?

slipperalwaysfits · Aug 22, 2021

WEDNESDAY: PART 2:

After a nice, relaxing, air-conditioned lunch at PizzaRizzo, we grabbed a return time for Slinky Dog Dash...then headed to the bathrooms. HOWARD the PhotoPass guy was right outside the bathrooms on the way to TSL behind One Man's Dream...I was so excited! I went to the bathroom first and.....
HOWARD HAD DISSAPEARED. Alas, timing. #plananothertrip #CMhunt

We headed into One Man's Dream because it's really fun to walk through and reminds us of the Imagineering Story and again AIR-CONDITIONING IN JULY. Honestly, it's something we like to do on each trip so a mid-day stop there was good timing. At the end of the exhibit, we watched the show about Walt and I wondered who the narrator was. S couldn't remember and halfway through, he whispered "Julie Andrews." Once he said that, I totally could recognize her voice. He said after the show, "She's probably one of the few living who still remembers Walt." I know there are a few from WED Enterprises who are still around who remember him but I know they are aging fast. I'm so glad they've shared their stories of Walt and the early days of the company for us to enjoy.

We still had time before Slinky Dog so we headed to TSMM....it was about a 30 minute wait. S of course, whooped me good on this ride but at least my accuracy was about 30%..a high for me. :geek:

Then, off to Slinky Dog! We loved it! It is so fun to go up the lift hill and be able to see all around HS! After Slinky Dog, we got a return time for TSMM because...we love that ride.... :joyfull:

It was about a 40 minute return time so we headed to Galaxy's Edge for S to get his blue milk! I grabbed some water and ..... at this point, midway through the trip, S and I lost all ability to communicate and couldn't decide/agree on what to do next (I think the heat didn't help) and we needed a few minutes to chill. We calmed down, worked our little disagreement out and headed to TSMM again. When we got off TSMM was a walk-on so....WHY NOT???!!!

THREE TIMES IN AN AFTERNOON!!! WHOO!! :geek:

Once exiting TSMM, we realized Slinky was down due to an incoming storm sooooooooo.....it was time to MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE: WHAT DREAM YOU ASK??????????????

BASELINE TAP HOUSE.....we headed that way and managed to MAKE IT BEFORE the clouds dumped rain.... and not only did we make it, we found a SPOT INSIDE at the counter to eat our giant pretzel! Baseline was everything I'd hoped it would be: a very refreshing and delicious pit stop and the pretzel...oh what an amazing pretzel! Yum yum yum!

The clouds looked like doom but it never rained in front of Baseline...when thinking of where to go next....OUR BG WAS CALLED!!!!!!!!!!! That makes our next stop easier.

We headed to Rise and S was so excited to see the Pre-show. It was great and we kept walking and walking. We got to the spot where we had to line up in four families and the "door would open behind" and there was a kid (like 8) who ended up nearly walking away from his family because he was following another family .... lol. Parents were occupied with their other 3 kids....I spoke rather loudly and said "Don't let him get away" in a nice voice but it was CLEAR the parents/kid were seriously about to be separated so I felt like I had to say something...

After RISE, we had about 40 minutes before Park Closing and honestly, I was absolutely DONE .... I know S would have loved to have gone on another ride but I just couldn't think of one that I wanted to do....so I told him to go do the Tower of Terror and I'd meet him. He was really excited because that's his favorite ride. And the line was only about 30 minutes. I wanted to do some shopping, anyway. I walked with him to the Tower and then walked back (MUST GET STEPS IN!

)

I walked through the stores and ended up buying a cute coffee mug for my SIL that said "I need a fastpass to Friday. I bought some pins for S, too. The pins are getting harder to pick out for him as I'm worried he already has this or that pin. He did buy the "windows of Main Street" pin this trip. The window rises and says "Ubb Iwerks" on it. It has his son's name too, but I can't remember that name ATM.

After shopping, somehow, I managed to find a BENCH on Hollywood BLVD and watch the masses and masses of people head for the exit. S was stuck in the line on TOT. He was the next to board and the ride stopped for about 15 minutes. I was a-ok because the SUNSET WAS SPECTACULAR. SPECTACULAR ... orange and purple, I loved it.

S found me and we headed to the busses. There was a bus for OKW but we weren't going to get on it...the line was LONG. We were in the back of the line for the second bus and ended up waiting 48 minutes for another bus to OKW AT CLOSING TIME for HS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know there's a bus shortage but we have NEVER had to wait that long for a bus. We were very close to calling an Uber but we finally got on the bus...yes, we had to stand but AT LEAST WE WERE ON A BUS.

We had been planning to go get food at Olivia's and we were very lucky to make it just before closing time and and grabbed some food. We took it back to the room and just sat and chilled at the table. We could see the EPCOT fireworks from our room (well, through the trees) but I could still see them and found them lovely.) S watched them with me for a bit but didn't feel like he could see them well enough to enjoy them.

It was a VERY LONG but VERY LOVELY DAY...

With my fear of R and RCoaster Conquered