Trip Report For The LAST Time In Forever - September 2021 TR

Welcome! Hopefully you followed along with my PTR here, but if not - I will go into the full introductions!

Pop Tv GIF by Schitt's Creek


Who: Me (of course)! Annie. Mainer and mom to be, along with my husband Ian (the dad to be)!

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When: September 24th - October 2nd, 2021

Where: Pop Century Resort (first time! also, Ian's first time not at a deluxe...)

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Why: WHY NOT? But actually.. for our babymoon 😍

I am going to jump right into Day 1, because I have 20 minutes of work left to kill time so.. LET'S GO!!



Day 1: September 24th

The start of this trip was a bit... rough. Our pup, Gus, was sick the entire week before we left. I mean, mess of the house and carpet every time we had to leave him to go to work kind of sick. Poor Gus and poor us. I had him at the vet up until the day before we left where he finally started showing improvement. The guy has a delicate stomach, what can I say?! I also felt better knowing my parents were the ones caring for him while we were gone.

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We woke up at 3 AM on Friday the 24th (yuck) to get picked up by my mom to head to the airport in Boston. We always put our Magic Bands on first thing in the morning to start the trip off on a good note!

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We live in Maine, but typically find much better and cheaper flights out of Boston (which is only about an hour and a half away). Before long my mom had her car loaded up with our suitcases and we were on our way!

We had an uneventful ride to the airport. Our flight was scheduled to board at 7 AM and we pulled up at 530..............

Only to then receive a text that our flight was completely cancelled, we couldn't rebook online or on the JetBlue app, and to see an agent at the airport. UM. OKAY? My mom and Ian were both telling me not to panic (read: don't cry) but I was struggling.

My mom dropped us off with promises that she would come back for us if need be, and off we went inside... To the longest line I've seen at Logan Airport in YEARS. There was no option but to stand in the customer service line and wait to be assisted. Apparently there was a physical plane issue. As we were standing in line, Ian and I discovered that there was only one JetBlue flight to MCO remaining for the day and there were only a handful of seats. We couldn't find anything on United, Delta, American or even Spirit. I was freaking out. We had Boo Bash tickets for that evening that we were SO looking forward to. How were we going to make it?!

Well.. as I stood there hyperventilating in my mask and trying to stay calm for this growing baby in my belly, Ian had found ONE flight on Frontier for 10 AM that would get us to MCO in time. It was PRICEY. There was no telling what refund we would get from JetBlue. But he wanted us to make it and have the best babymoon and vacation together. So he bit the bullet. I wanted to cry. I love this guy so much. If this is how he spoils me, our daughter is a goner!!!!

Naturally, I have no photos of this time period. After an hour or so we made it to the desk, they told us we had been rebooked for the earliest next flight on JetBlue... 4 PM the next day. NO THANKS. We requested a refund and they told us it would only be given in airline credit. Whatever. My brother is getting married next October, I'm sure we will use it.

Time to navigate to the complete opposite side of the airport to Frontier..

And by that I mean the international terminal because Frontier doesn't actually have it's own area at Logan.

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A rough start, but thank goodness this guy keeps a cool head and focuses on what he can control (I could learn a thing or two)

Nearly everyone in our line waiting for the Frontier desk had switched from the cancelled JetBlue flight and had intentions of making it to Disney that day. We were all sharing our grievances and feeling grateful for this flight. We eventually made it through the baggage steps, security and found the gate. Only to find the plane was delayed an hour. AHHHHHHH.

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Just sitting there wondering if this babymoon would EVER happen.

Side note: a man traveling alone with his baby asked if I could watch his son for a second while he went to the bathroom. He was gone for probably 25 minutes. I told Ian that if he ever flies alone with baby girl I would LOSE MY MIND if he did this. I get that it is so difficult to travel alone with children, but there are family restrooms and handicap stalls in the airport I've seen them myself...

After what felt like eternity, we finally boarded around 11 AM. After being awake since 3 AM. Time to squeeze into the tiny folding chairs that make up Frontier flights.

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Tight squeeze for a fluffy guy and a pregnant gal, but we were just happy to be boarded and on our way. Besides feeling SO squished, we survived the flight. I made sure to get up and move a couple times over the course of the 3 hours as well.

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Just before 3 PM we made it to MCO! A quick fonorail ride and we started seeing signs that we were home

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To be continued...
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Epcot day continued...

After our journey on Spaceship Earth, I requested a selfie with Ian to get a better version of what I was going for with Photopass

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Much better! I was feeling that my Memory Maker purchase was a bit of a waste this trip with limited photographers, bad quality photos, and missing ride photos.

I had a hankering for Soarin', but wait times were holding strong at an hour or longer. We decided to visit Nemo and friends first instead

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Ian was VERY stressed about taking this on, because the only other time he has been on it we ended up waiting almost an hour because of various issues.. happy to say that was NOT the case this time around and we were on within 10 minutes or so!

We walked around the aquarium exhibits after as we are being sea-life fans.

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Time to make our way over to our favorite boat ride in all the land!

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A walk right on to our boat, and off we went

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When we exited, we noticed that Soarin' was finally at a 30 minute wait. Now or never, let's do this!

And yes - not technically an approved ride for people of the pregnant persuasion... but I was not concerned.

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Pre-flight selfie - it's nice that the newer iPhones have night mode without a flash but the quality still isn't GREAT lol
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Off we go to our next checklist item and first for Ian - Figment!

I wasn't really sure how to explain it to him so I just... didn't!

We ran into a friend on our way over

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I keep saying it over and over on this report - but I just love the spontaneous meets with characters :)

We spent a little time waving and watching Pooh's antics before heading inside to a 5 minute wait for Figment

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Ian's review - a mix of general confusion and enjoyment. I'll take it!

Time to rectify my burning desire for a frozen beverage. Nobody at this snack cart seemed confused about my request for a frozen Coke - success!!

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And yes.. yet another Mickey pretzel. Add that to the ongoing tally

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We sat on our bench and enjoyed our snack. Yes.. the first thing we had eaten all day. Thank goodness we finally stopped to enjoy!

While snacking, Joy came out to visit where Pooh had been previously

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I don't feel connected enough to Inside Out to need a photo WITH her, but I will admit that Ian and I both cried watching the movie for the first time.

It was at this point that I was really struggling with the heat, and feeling pretty dehydrated. I asked Ian if we could head to the Skyliner for our afternoon break and find water on our way out. He was completely on board with that plan.

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We stopped at a booth outside of Canada to get a couple of ice cold Smart Waters. We were simply DYING of thirst. We tap our magic bands... nothing. We try mine, we try Ian's.. she keeps getting an error message. The CM asks if we have an alternate way to pay, and I feel embarrassed and defeated and apologize and say no we will need to walk away without our waters. At this point, another woman came up with a water bottle of her own and said "I'll pay for all of them, I have cash" I said are you sure?!! and she was adamant. I thanked her profusely as did Ian. I even took a picture of my water to remember this act of kindness

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As hot and tired and frustrated as I was, I was feeling very grateful for the kindness of strangers.

We also could NOT figure out the issue with our bands. We had just used them for our snacks. We also used them pretty soon after getting back to Pop with no problem. Never figured out what happened, just thankful for our new friend.

Waters in hand, we made our way out to the Skyliner

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In no time we were back at Pop and headed directly to our room

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Most days during our breaks I went to the pool while Ian napped. I did NOT follow my usual protocol after the heat and lack of food/water, so I got my fill of water and took a MUCH needed nap. But first - our Frozen photo had finally appeared!

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Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Premium Member
One more attraction to check off for Ian before HEA? Swiss Family Treehouse.

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As we climbed and climbed, my regrets were growing. This is not the move for a hot and tired pregnant lady.

My reaction to you doing the Treehouse climb.

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Stairs and even just inclined ramps were super hard for me pregnant- even early on. I never would have dreamed of doing the Treehouse.
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Just now getting caught up!! Your travel day sounds like my nightmare. Unfortunately my husband and I are equally frustrated by travel changes, so we would have just spun out of control o_O It's good that one of you can keep a level head! A great match..haha.

Your trip is sounding so wonderful so far, I'm enjoying reading about it and seeing all your photos.

I love the name!! Nora was one of my choices for LP since it was my fraternal grandmother's name, but my cousin on my mom's side named his daughter Anora, so I thought that might confuse everyone :hilarious: Anyway, can't wait to read the rest and hope the final stages of your pregnancy are going well!
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just now getting caught up!! Your travel day sounds like my nightmare. Unfortunately my husband and I are equally frustrated by travel changes, so we would have just spun out of control o_O It's good that one of you can keep a level head! A great match..haha.

Your trip is sounding so wonderful so far, I'm enjoying reading about it and seeing all your photos.

I love the name!! Nora was one of my choices for LP since it was my fraternal grandmother's name, but my cousin on my mom's side named his daughter Anora, so I thought that might confuse everyone :hilarious: Anyway, can't wait to read the rest and hope the final stages of your pregnancy are going well!
Thank you! 😍 I followed along with your recent trip on your IG stories and I so felt for you with your tearful update in the rain. Hope you still had some great moments on that trip, and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun when you go back with LP!!
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Thank you! 😍 I followed along with your recent trip on your IG stories and I so felt for you with your tearful update in the rain. Hope you still had some great moments on that trip, and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun when you go back with LP!!
oh gosh, i was soooo close to not posting that because I am not an emotional person, but I really was that day. Whew! It was just a day or two too long for us, but we still had fun! I'll eventually get my photos together and start a report :joyfull:
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Continued...

After a nice afternoon nap, it was time to head back to Epcot for our dinner reservation. I knew that I wouldn't be indulging much in the booths this trip as my constant sickness wouldn't allow it, so I planned for a simple and laid back meal.

We took the Skyliner from Pop and were back in no time!

We were able to leisurely walk through World Showcase en route to dinner.

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Our first princess spotting of the trip

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And #2 quickly thereafter!

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It was much easier to enjoy WS as the sun was setting

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We stopped for a quick PhotoPass opportunity, and it turned out much better than our photos earlier in the day.

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Hard to tell here, but I held my little baby belly a LOT in photos on this trip. Probably more than I even do now at 8+ months pregnant. I think that in-between time in pregnancy made me a little self conscious. Like.. do people think I ate my weight in Mickey pretzels in one day (also true..) or do they know I'm pregnant? Putting a hand on my belly made me feel a little better I guess!

Time to really bloat the belly.. on pizza! We were headed to Via Napoli. We checked in about 10 minutes early, and were welcomed in right on time for 6:15 PM.

We settled in with our server and immediately ordered waters an a pepperoni pizza - keeping it simple.

Our pizza was out quickly and soon we were chowing down.

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This was Ian after he reminded me about my heartburn I would surely get from the sauce.. WORTH IT

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We managed to finish all but one slice, and were soon waddling out of Via Napoli.

I asked Ian what he wanted to do before Epcot Forever (the final showing). To my mild surprise, he really wanted to do Frozen again. I guess he really liked it!

We headed that way

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Hi again old friend!

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annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The wait for Frozen was 45 minutes, but Ian was unphased. The sun was down, we were in no rush - why not?

It WAS nice to take in some details we rushed by that morning at least.

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We worked hard to pose for the camera... and never received our ride photo. Bummer!!

As we exited the ride, I told Ian that baby was demanding a snack before fireworks. But first, time to document a 50th statue along the way

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Glad Ian now knew who this was lol

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We made our way to Appleseed Orchard, as the frozen apple pie (non-alcoholic naturally) was calling my name

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This was SO good to me. I wanted a much bigger one in fact.

We also got some maple popcorn to share that we enjoyed quite a bit.

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Bellies full and showtime approaching, we settled into a spot around the Canada pavilion (our lucky water spot) to watch Epcot Forever (for the first and last time).

There were a LOT of super drunk people in our area. With small children. On their shoulders. Near water. MY ANXIETYYYYYYY

Ugh. Anyways.

Let's see what this show is all about, shall we?

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Ian's review? Not a huge fan. I liked it well enough, but the nostalgic parts really hit home for me where he only went to WDW for the first time 3 years prior and had only visited Epcot once. He did not understand the context. We look forward to visiting a more robust Epcot in general in the future!

Before it fully ended, we were making our way to the Skyliner as we knew we would be faced with this line situation.

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It wasn't too awful, and probably took about 30 minutes to get on and then it was a quick ride back to Pop and in bed after another great day!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Off we go to our next checklist item and first for Ian - Figment!

I wasn't really sure how to explain it to him so I just... didn't!

We ran into a friend on our way over

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I keep saying it over and over on this report - but I just love the spontaneous meets with characters :)

We spent a little time waving and watching Pooh's antics before heading inside to a 5 minute wait for Figment

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Ian's review - a mix of general confusion and enjoyment. I'll take it!

Time to rectify my burning desire for a frozen beverage. Nobody at this snack cart seemed confused about my request for a frozen Coke - success!!

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And yes.. yet another Mickey pretzel. Add that to the ongoing tally

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We sat on our bench and enjoyed our snack. Yes.. the first thing we had eaten all day. Thank goodness we finally stopped to enjoy!

While snacking, Joy came out to visit where Pooh had been previously

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I don't feel connected enough to Inside Out to need a photo WITH her, but I will admit that Ian and I both cried watching the movie for the first time.

It was at this point that I was really struggling with the heat, and feeling pretty dehydrated. I asked Ian if we could head to the Skyliner for our afternoon break and find water on our way out. He was completely on board with that plan.

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We stopped at a booth outside of Canada to get a couple of ice cold Smart Waters. We were simply DYING of thirst. We tap our magic bands... nothing. We try mine, we try Ian's.. she keeps getting an error message. The CM asks if we have an alternate way to pay, and I feel embarrassed and defeated and apologize and say no we will need to walk away without our waters. At this point, another woman came up with a water bottle of her own and said "I'll pay for all of them, I have cash" I said are you sure?!! and she was adamant. I thanked her profusely as did Ian. I even took a picture of my water to remember this act of kindness

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As hot and tired and frustrated as I was, I was feeling very grateful for the kindness of strangers.

We also could NOT figure out the issue with our bands. We had just used them for our snacks. We also used them pretty soon after getting back to Pop with no problem. Never figured out what happened, just thankful for our new friend.

Waters in hand, we made our way out to the Skyliner

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In no time we were back at Pop and headed directly to our room

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Most days during our breaks I went to the pool while Ian napped. I did NOT follow my usual protocol after the heat and lack of food/water, so I got my fill of water and took a MUCH needed nap. But first - our Frozen photo had finally appeared!

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You know you can get ice water for free at any counter service restaurant, right? You don't have to buy water. Just in case that ever happens again, you can go to a QS place and just ask.
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You know you can get ice water for free at any counter service restaurant, right? You don't have to buy water. Just in case that ever happens again, you can go to a QS place and just ask.
Yes - I've done this in the past, but the Florida water wasn't agreeing with my pregnancy (it had made me sick the day before) so that's why bottled was the goal! :)
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Yes! The water there messes with me every time. I learned to stick to strictly bottled water when we go.
Huh....I have never had this problem. I mean, I think it tastes awful, so I buy the flavor drop things, but I've never had a problem with it messing with my stomach. Or maybe I have and just didn't attribute it to water? I did buy water this last trip. I bought from garden grocery or whatever it's called, and just put some in the fridge every night to take to the park the next day.
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Back to the action and a new day to report on!

Wednesday, September 29th

Another rest day scheduled for this day. Our only solid plan for the day was Chef Mickey's for breakfast. We had the lowest of low expectations for the distanced character interactions and just were looking forward to seeing some of our favorite pals.

We slept in until around 8 AM before catching a bus to MK from Pop. Once dropped off, we took our leisurely stroll over to the Contemporary.

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We were about 15 minutes early for our 9:30 reservation, so I got us checked in right away and soon we were being seated.

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We were led to an upper corner we had not dined at before, and both of us were super excited by our window view!!

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We just sat quietly enjoying the view of the castle and the monorails passing by every so often while we waited for our server. Life felt GOOD.

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This was our first time at CM since COVID so we paid attention to our waitress and the details of how the food would be served.

While waiting on our food Pluto was the first to arrive

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I was excited about the good selfie lighting being seated right by the window!

Up next, FOOD

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Everything was fresh and plentiful and we enjoyed a sampling of nearly everything that was offered to us.

Character break!
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annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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at this point we were back to Pluto!

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I'm sure this set up is less enchanting for families with small children who want to hug their favorites, but for a younger couple who enjoy the characters but don't need a lot of interactions we LOVED this set up.

The food was good, we never felt rushed, and we left happy campers.

After a monorail ride around the loop and back to MK we took a Pop bus back for Ian to take a nap and for me to have some pool time!

First - a refill. I took this photo because it was the first day of our trip that the pool bar soda machine was operational.

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I think this became one of my new favorite "walls of Disney"

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I swam and read my book until Ian joined me a couple hours later. We were contemplating how we wanted to spend our night, and Ian requested 'Ohana for dinner because he wanted to be back at the Poly again very badly. I pulled up my app prepared to disappoint my sweet husband when I immediately saw one remaining reservation for 5:30 and snatched it right up!

We were giddy with this stroke of luck, and immediately headed back to our room to freshen up so we could head back out quickly.

No photos until we made it to MK and the boat over because we were in a rush, but we made it in plenty of time!

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We actually had about 30 minutes to spare, so Ian got me a virgin lime dole whip margarita to sip on the Poly beach while we waited

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It was delicious and refreshing but I will be honest and say that I DID miss the tequila here 😆

Ian got to have an adult beverage, but his tastes are a bit more simple

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annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Soon it was time to check in and we were quickly seated!

Food came out QUICKLY

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The biscuits were new to us, and we were a little apprehensive. They were coconut papaya and cheddar bacon. OMG. I loved the cheddar bacon ones SO MUCH. I had to hold back as to not spoil my appetite. Ian was a bit meh on them.

Salad good and simple as usual.
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We were so happy to come after the return of the noodles! We finished this entire skillet of goodies.

I forgot to take a picture of the meats when they first came out because I had just been asking Ian the COVID protocol for the meats if they weren't on skewers. So here is a photo that is a little picked over hah!

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We REALLY did not have room for dessert, but we made it happy with our little portion

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We were full, satisfied, and happy with our lucky last minute reservation when we headed out. Back to the bus and on to Pop. I requested a night swim, and Ian obliged.

They were showing Pocahontas at the main pool!

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We swam around and talked about our day/trip for an hour or so, just enjoying the evening. Moments like these are some of my most cherished Disney memories with Ian!

My face when he tells me it's time to get out of the pool though:

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Another amazing day! Up next: our last MK visit of the trip :(
 

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