Trip Report If At First You Don't Succeed...*COMPLETED*

Well we're trying again.

Easter week at WDW.

Not my favorite week to visit but when your travel buddy is a teacher, you make the sacrifice. Except this year it doesn't feel like a sacrifice. The loss of our Easter 2020 vacation (thanks to COVID) was harder than I expected. I’m excited to have the chance for a do-over!

Of course the plans we had in 2020 aren't the same for 2021. We'll have no Fastpasses to skip the long lines. There will be no turkey sammie for lunch at Be Our Guest or All-American Sundae from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. No fireworks to conclude our Disney days. And we'll be staying at a different resort.

But that's all okay....there's still fun to be had! And thanks to the credit we received from last year's cancellation, most of our trip is already paid.

I have to give David's Vacation Club Rentals props. Eighteen months ago I'd signed a "no refunds" contract for our 2020 points rental, figuring it was a low-risk gamble. When the pandemic happened and WDW closed, we considered our monies lost ~ disappointing for sure, but understanding that was the result of the risk we took. After all, David's is a business which would also lose money from this pandemic. Legally they did not have to do anything for us. Yet I received a travel voucher for the full amount we paid.

I hope to report live on the adventures of Tuvalu and Em beginning next Sunday. Time will tell if I succeed.

(Must have been a Callan photo shoot. )

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Love, love the Olaf clips!!

YES, these are soooo cute! Where did you find them?

Our room has HOT water!!

Worth EVERY PENNY!

Shirley and Em have the entire boat to themselves.

I LOVE Shirley status!! And the Land with NO plexiglass!

Em wants her dad to create this display in her yard.

WOODY can do IT!!! Get the TuvaTiny's to help!

RIP Trader Sam.

Have you heard about them changing the name of the bar in the Poly or taking Trader Sam's name off of it? I'm curious since he's now been removed from the Jungle Cruise.

 

[Figgy1]

YES, these are soooo cute! Where did you find them?

Worth EVERY PENNY!

I LOVE Shirley status!! And the Land with NO plexiglass!

WOODY can do IT!!! Get the TuvaTiny's to help!


Have you heard about them changing the name of the bar in the Poly or taking Trader Sam's name off of it? I'm curious since he's now been removed from the Jungle Cruise.

Bars seem safe for now

 

[lindawdw]

OMG, so many comments!!! We really could be twin sisters because so much of your commentary are things that I have thought and actually complained to Disney about the last few years! That loud music and the CM screaming into the microphone at the resort pools is a pet peeve with me and I have written twice and spoken with guest services several times about it! Why can't the kids entertain themselves in the pool like we all did as kids? OK, I'm down with the trivia contests at the pool but all the rest is really annoying to most adults who want to read or just sleep at the pool! Sorry your Asian salad was a disappointment but your sandwiches and desserts at the Patisserie looked yummy! The Tiki lamp for $300 looks kind of similar to the one my DH surprised me with from Aulani back in 2016. It was $250 which I didn't want to spend but, knowing how much I adored it, he ordered it online for a Christmas gift that year!

 

[Tuvalu]

We naively join the Pirates line. In the past the line is in constant movement even though it’s lengthy due to physical distancing.

That’s not happening today. The line is moving at a snail’s pace. The party of 8 behind us ~ who all have their masks below their noses and complain about having to wear a “stupid mask” ~ have no regard for the distance markers and are ALWAYS breathing down our necks despite my constant turning around to give them “the look”.

At one point I was tempted to say to one of them, “So I see you decided to join my family and sit with us.”

But I was afraid Em would disown me and then I would have to sit with the inconsiderate family.

Plexiglass dividers everywhere. I’ve always considered this part of the queue “covered outdoors” so the dividers feel like overkill.

Forty-five minutes later we are finally nearing the dock.

Front row is always dangerous. Will we escape the cannon blasts?

 

[Tuvalu]

We elude a drenching.

We need a less-stressful attraction now.

Cause even if the line is long, the payoff is worth it.

@tonystark knows where it’s at.

This line is moving along but slows at this point.

The Disney expert behind us (whose family of 4 is also clueless about personal space and proper mask wearing) points at BTMRR and loudly announces (in a thick Southern drawl):

“There’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! I just checked and it’s a 75 minute wait. We will go there next.”


But wait, there’s more!

Pointing at the water she adds, “This is the river the Jungle Cruise is on! And it goes by the Treehouse. “

I cannot make this stuff up.

Thankfully the line regains motion and we don’t stop again until here.

“Em, pose with scared hands with me.”

She assures me she will.

She lies.

 

[Swissmiss]

Love the dress

Ditto !

 

[Spash007]

We elude a drenching.

We need a less-stressful attraction now.

Cause even if the line is long, the payoff is worth it.

@tonystark knows where it’s at.

View attachment 546421

This line is moving along but slows at this point.

View attachment 546422

The Disney expert behind us (whose family of 4 is also clueless about personal space and proper mask wearing) points at BTMRR and loudly announces (in a thick Southern drawl):

“There’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! I just checked and it’s a 75 minute wait. We will go there next.”


But wait, there’s more!

Pointing at the water she adds, “This is the river the Jungle Cruise is on! And it goes by the Treehouse. “

I cannot make this stuff up.

Thankfully the line regains motion and we don’t stop again until here.

View attachment 546423

“Em, pose with scared hands with me.”

She assures me she will.

View attachment 546424

She lies.

I think the "experts" find you, so that you can share your stories with the rest of us. That, or you did something in a past life and this is your punishment

 

[k8einwdw]

The party of 8 behind us ~ who all have their masks below their noses and complain about having to wear a “stupid mask” ~ have no regard for the distance markers and are ALWAYS breathing down our necks despite my constant turning around to give them “the look”.

WHYYYYY do these people continue to travel to WDW then, knowing that they'll have to wear a "stupid mask?"

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

We elude a drenching.

Phew! But front row on Pirates is the best! No big heads in the way!

The Disney expert behind us (whose family of 4 is also clueless about personal space and proper mask wearing) points at BTMRR and loudly announces (in a thick Southern drawl):

“There’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! I just checked and it’s a 75 minute wait. We will go there next.”


But wait, there’s more!

Pointing at the water she adds, “This is the river the Jungle Cruise is on! And it goes by the Treehouse. “

I cannot make this stuff up.

I love going to WDW and hearing people who are clearly clueless or haven't done much/any planning or research. It cracks me up!

 

[Figgy1]

Phew! But front row on Pirates is the best! No big heads in the way!

I love going to WDW and hearing people who are clearly clueless or haven't done much/any planning or research. It cracks me up!

better yet you know picky eaters and give them a list of places you know they'd like, TS and QS, instructions on how to make ADRs and they come back complaining all they ate were qs hamburgers on vacation or standing on line all day not getting one FP pre fp+ after getting instructions

 

[Tuvalu]

Wait time for Small World is posted at 30 minutes. We get in line.

Behind us is yet another family who does not believe in personal space and is blind to the distance markers. No matter how many times I turn around they continue on our heels.

At least their faces are covered correctly.

The clock ~ through Plexiglass.

Our actual wait is 35 minutes. But we luck out with front row seats again!

Who’da thunk this is Tuvalu’s favorite room?

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

better yet you know picky eaters and give them a list of places you know they'd like, TS and QS, instructions on how to make ADRs and they come back complaining all they ate were qs hamburgers on vacation or standing on line all day not getting one FP pre fp+ after getting instructions

Behind us is yet another family who does not believe in personal space and is blind to the distance markers. No matter how many times I turn around they continue on our heels.

This is like an every-ride occurrence now....

FRONT ROW SHIRLEY STATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Billy6]

We naively join the Pirates line. In the past the line is in constant movement even though it’s lengthy due to physical distancing.

View attachment 546416

That’s not happening today. The line is moving at a snail’s pace. The party of 8 behind us ~ who all have their masks below their noses and complain about having to wear a “stupid mask” ~ have no regard for the distance markers and are ALWAYS breathing down our necks despite my constant turning around to give them “the look”.

At one point I was tempted to say to one of them, “So I see you decided to join my family and sit with us.”

But I was afraid Em would disown me and then I would have to sit with the inconsiderate family.

Plexiglass dividers everywhere. I’ve always considered this part of the queue “covered outdoors” so the dividers feel like overkill.

View attachment 546417

Forty-five minutes later we are finally nearing the dock.

View attachment 546418

Front row is always dangerous. Will we escape the cannon blasts?

View attachment 546420

I think Pirates has one of the top 5 weirdest queue paths that I've encountered. Go in the exit doors on the right side of outdoor queue and then back out the main door and more switchbacks to go right back in...

Had the same experience with "closeness" last month in line for Slinky Dog. After the 3rd bump I had to turn around and say something. Even my son said "why are they so close to us" loud enough for them to hear but to no avail... I wouldn't have been comfortable with how close they were even in normal days...

 

[93boomer]

Wait time for Small World is posted at 30 minutes. We get in line.

Behind us is yet another family who does not believe in personal space and is blind to the distance markers. No matter how many times I turn around they continue on our heels.

At least their faces are covered correctly.

The clock ~ through Plexiglass.

View attachment 546449

Our actual wait is 35 minutes. But we luck out with front row seats again!

View attachment 546450

View attachment 546451

View attachment 546452

Who’da thunk this is Tuvalu’s favorite room?
View attachment 546453

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

It looks like Em's nose is getting rubbed sore, kinda red looking? I hope she is doing okay with it.
I think more and more people are "over" the distancing and masks, even at disney. They should follow disney's rules, but it seems like alot of people aren't while at disney. Very frustrating.
Here in our small town, people are not wearing masks like they used to. Slowly the guard is letting down and no one says a word to them.
I love the HM photo; looks like Em set you up

 

[Bullseye1967]

One of the vloggers got banned, cleaned up his act and is now DVC

Could that be Mr Woo?

 

[Figgy1]

Could that be Mr Woo?

Yup it played after something I was listening to. I wasn't even where he was until that popped into my feed somehow

 

[Tuvalu]

We are on the hunt for a triple P so we can have some mask-free castle pics.

There’s a line (of course!). As we wait we witness the triple P capture an engagement. The proposee is completely surprised.

We don’t mind the extra time triple P takes with the happy couple. But this particular CM is now doing extended photo shoots with each group ahead of us in line.

Sigh.

But then we are witnesses to something else amazing.

A multi-generational family, carrying a couple dozen Mickey balloons, begins to freely hand a balloon to whomever wants one.

Proof that there is still much good in our world.

And the cherry on top is another up-close-and-personal viewing of the Springtime Friends cavalcade.

Pooh and Tigger followed the trolley.

PPP finally finishes with the family ahead of us. We are next and are prepared for creative poses.

At that moment a new triple P arrives. He nods at PPP#1, who then leaves!

PPP#2 has the speed but his creativity exists only in turning his camera to make crooked shots.

This is one of seven. I will spare you the rest.

Thankfully he righted his camera for one picture.

Yet doesn’t know how to avoid shadows.

We do receive a magic shot.

 

[Tuvalu]

I check us in for our lunch ADR.

We aren’t paged until 15 minutes after our ADR time (and we had arrived 10 minutes early.)

Well this table in front of the door was certainly worth the extra wait.

Perhaps the party of 16 took all the good tables.

(Stunned they are able to be seated all together).

All is not lost, however. Our shakes are extra thick as we request....

And our entrees are hot, fresh and delicious.

We leave much happier than when we entered.

 

[Songbird76]

Phew! But front row on Pirates is the best! No big heads in the way!

I love going to WDW and hearing people who are clearly clueless or haven't done much/any planning or research. It cracks me up!

It can be really sweet, too. When we went to Akershus, there was a family there with a preteen girl...probably around 10 or 11. They were so surprised when the princesses showed up. They hadn't known it was a character meal, and the girl was just so excited by it. It was really sweet to see how happy it made her.