Trip Report "It's Not That Kind of Trip" Trip Report

Okay, so here's what it's not...

It's not a "Senior Week" Trip - well, it kind of is. For our daughter and three friends. But we are just going to be there at the same time, in a different resort, as a just in case safety valve (two of the kids are still under 18).

It's not an "Adults Only" Trip - well, it kind of is. Once we get to WDW, we will say farewell to the kids. But we are doing one dinner with them and driving down and back with them. Oh, and we are also meeting up and doing some touring and meals with some friends while down there and they have 10 year old.

It's not a "First Time Since COVID" Trip - well, it kind of is. We've actually been twice since they reopened, last July and November (and @MeffysMom also went in March) - but this is the first time since restrictions have started to be lifted and my first since vaccination.

It's not a "Try New Things" Trip - well, it kind of is. Obviously, there are no new attractions since our last visit - we had been hoping that Remy or the Guardians or possibly Tron and Clu might have showed up early... or maybe Space 220 (ha!). However we are doing some new dining experiences (different meals at familiar restaurants or new restaurants).

It's not a "Last Minute" Trip - well, it kind of is. Our daughter has been talking about and planning her Senior Week trip since Middle School. But, with COVID, and some wary friends, and changes in friend groups - this trip didn't really come together until a few months ago (which for a trip 6+ years in the making creates a kind of last minute feel) and since COVID restrictions are changing literally by the minute the plans are still changing.

It's not a "Crazy Planners" Trip - well, it kind of is. As some of you have read in my previous Trip Reports, we have a history of doing extensive planning. Not so this time. In fact, the only attraction on our plans is getting Rise passes. Otherwise we are playing our attractions by ear. But our meals are definitely planned and reserved and adjusted and re-planned and re-reserved. And, our daughter has been tracking wait times in a VERY detailed manner to make sure that she and her friends maximize their time.

And, as of this afternoon's announcement, it's not a "Fireworks are Back" Trip since our last day is June 26th... close, but no cigar.

Okay, so now you know what this trip isn't. So, what is it going to be? Yeah we really aren't sure either. But that isn't going to stop me from a trip report! @MeffysMom and I are both high school teachers and our last day for this school year is tomorrow so I'm hoping to bring you some Pre-Trip action and also some fun pictures from the past (especially for those who haven't traveled with us before) tomorrow and Thursday before we hit the road on Friday morning. See you soon!

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Next up was the Safari. It was already getting a decent line, which meant we actually got to do some weave areas that we had not done before (at the beginning of the line), but the wait still only ended up being about 30 minutes.

So you rode the safari close enough to opening to see a lot of animals! Yay!! I do wonder where those pesky lions were hiding....

VERY new baby flamingo (evidently born between close Wednesday and open on Thursday).

HOW AMAZING!! What a great camera shot! That's such a magical thing about the safari!

 

[brifraz]

Just getting back into Studios and wanted to share the current incredibly threatening sky. Radar show a lot of bad stuff out there, but the Disney bubble is protecting us so far.

Skyliner was already offline when we pulled in and they just shut down Slinky so I’d better find some wood to knock on (or an umbrella).

 

[ToInfinity]

Following along and enjoying it! Looks like you’re having a great trip!

 

[brifraz]

Your face on Dinosaur - priceless.

Sorry about Scotland, I had hoped for the treble with England and Wales. But still @MeffysMom gets extra Gareth.

Very much enjoying your report.

I try to get a pretty silly or funny face on every ride photo, but not so over the top as to ever block anybody else's pictures. That face is a pretty common one that I do!

Yes, very sad about Scotland. But, on the other hand, just glad to have them playing in a major tournament and hopeful for the future.

 

[brifraz]

So you rode the safari close enough to opening to see a lot of animals! Yay!! I do wonder where those pesky lions were hiding....

HOW AMAZING!! What a great camera shot! That's such a magical thing about the safari!

There was some tarp up over part of the lion's rock outcropping, so I'm thinking they might be hanging out backstage during some renovation work there.

 

[brifraz]

For the rest of the Wednesday, I don't have much in the way of pictures, just some drinks to share!

Back at Saratoga Springs, we headed out to the pool. But every chair at our local pool - the Grandstand - was taken, and then every chair at the main pool was taken, so we walked all the way over to the Paddock Pool and... you guessed it... packed! So, back to the main pool we went hoping to score a chair... any chair! And we lucked out and got a couple. Little did we realize that very shortly we would have a lot more options. The pool at that moment was being cleaned so we grabbed a couple drinks and just relaxed for a bit.

Oh, maybe you can see those clouds in the background? Well, after the pool reopened, we got in and relaxed in the water for about 15 minutes before those clouds decided to produce a huge, beautiful lightning bolt over the resort. Which meant that promptly everyone was headed out of the pool and even the pool deck was totally cleared. So, back to the room for a nap before our nice dinner.

We got dressed up nice and then headed to the Contemporary to meet the kids for our California Grill celebration of their graduation. Only got pictures of our drinks, though... sorry! As always, thought, the food and service were exceptional.

That's the house Mai Tai and the Copper Martini, in case you were wondering. It was great to hear the kids all talking about their adventures from the past few days and we were glad to have some time with them. But by 10pm, everyone was getting tired so we headed back to our respective resorts and got to sleep pretty soon after.

Today was lots of Hollywood Studios and some fun late at Oga's and with some more storms as well.

 

[Laurenciaa]

Alright, if I recall correctly, we were napping in the room when I left you. But... not quite yet. Since we had eaten very little all day at this point, we dove into our gift from the moms of the other kids down here with our daughter. Sort of a thanks for scoring the DVC rooms and playing chaperone. And it was excellent - what a great idea for a delivery gift, Charcuterie tray definitely beats out a flower bouquet or desserts.
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Then it was time for some serious napping, or maybe I watched some soccer while @MeffysMom was napping. As it was getting close to time for the big matches, we headed to our early dinner at CityWorks which has become a favorite over the past couple years.View attachment 565778

Started off with somewhat familiar brews, the Take and Release brown ale and the Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat along with the buffalo chicken dip (and, yes, both the happily successful England game and the horribly tragic Scotland game were on those big screens). While we ate, drank, cheered, and maybe cried a little, the first round of storms came through. Tons of wind (blew over the security scanners at the entrance near Cirque du Soleil) and about 10 minutes of incredibly hard rain. And even a second more brief round of heavy rain. For us, the second round was the flight that they are currently offering.
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After that (and some popcorn chicken), we headed back to Saratoga Springs between rain storms. Back at the room we prepared to head back to Magic Kingdom for the evening, but decided it was necessary to wait out round three of VERY heavy rain and wind.
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Not all that much worse than the usual crazy Florida thunderstorms, but getting three that all had the crazy heavy wind was a surprise. It was close to 7pm when we finally got back to Magic Kingdom and the vast majority of guests were heading out as we went in. First up, we headed to Pan for a quick flight (after about 20 minutes in line) followed by It's a Small World with absolutely zero wait and nobody in the boat behind us (or even a boat visibly behind us at any point in the ride) which allowed for some cool photos from the back of our boat.
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And at the end, it was very nice to see that the stalker technology... oh, I mean Magic Bands, allowed the ride to bid me a fond farewell.
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We then headed to Adventureland to try to catch Jungle Cruise before the next round of storms that had now appeared on the radar. The listed wait time was still 35 minutes, so we hopped in line. Only to have a VERY obnoxious family with pretty out-of-control kids come in behind us. We just didn't want to ride Jungle Cruise enough to wait that long in line with those people so we bailed out and headed back to Pirates again. It was a 50/50 decision in hindsight, as we had no wait for Pirates and the storms arrived sooner than we would have gotten on Jungle (and it was down for the storms the entire rest of the night)... but, we ended up with another crew of obnoxious folks behind us on Pirates. Luckily we hadn't already become so annoyed as not to make a fun pose for the picture.
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Anyway, that trio behind us found it necessary to yell to each and every animatronic like it was alive and they were somehow chatting with it (for example - 'hey Jack Sparrow, which of those dresses do you like better... yeah, that one looks great on you') which was very annoying and they knew it. Ugh, people.

As we were exiting the ride, we saw that it was another huge downpour outside, so we were just going to wait it out a little bit in the shop when @MeffysMom said... 'if we are waiting around for 15 minutes I'd much rather do it on a ride than in a shop' and back onto Pirates we went! This time was much better, but I think we might have really been getting tired.
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Upon exiting that time, the rain had subsided a bit (still a steady drizzle) and it was just about 9pm and closing time so we headed out. Here are the masses heading for the exit (with a little water on the lens).
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We hopped onto the ferry boat and headed out - back to the room before 10pm and asleep very soon after that! Today was Animal Kingdom this morning and right now we are about to prepare for our Cali Grill dinner with the kids. See you later, friends.

Glad to see others also watching the Euro 2020 ! Any predictions for the coming matches? Enjoy!

 

[brifraz]

Glad to see others also watching the Euro 2020 ! Any predictions for the coming matches? Enjoy!

Haven’t gotten to watch enough to make good predictions. Certainly rooting for England and Wales, but both have very tough matchups. I’ll be listening in the car all day Sunday as we drive home!

 

[cgersic]

The baby in the back looks like she's looking right at the camera! Hahaha!!

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

AAaaaaaawwwwwww, California Grill---I'm sure the girls were thrilled and happy to be celebrating at such a special place! So glad the food and service was excellent! We had a bad experience there in 2018 but I'm eager to go back and try it again.

 

[brifraz]

Okay! We're back at it. Sorry for the delay. Yesterday ended up being a much longer and busier day than initially planned, but in a good way (at least in terms of all the stuff we packed into the day, maybe not in terms of every single thing that happened...). So, I didn't get to post anything. But now, it's before 7am on our departure day, @MeffysMom is sleeping in a bit, and we are already all packed up. Let's get to Thursday and some Hollywood Studios and the much teased weather!

As usual, up early and especially early on this morning so we could once again try for Rise of the Resistance passes at 7am. But, having learned over the past few days that Saratoga Springs (at least the Grandstand area, both inside our room and outside) is not so good for Disney Wifi OR Verizon Cell, we changed our location to get a better shot. And, conveniently, we have access to Boardwalk (our daughter's magic band) so we headed over there at about 6:30am and walked around to find the best cell service bench available. And, we scored with BG #56. Had hoped for an earlier one, but this would work out just fine. Full of energy and not terribly hungry, we went ahead and started walked to Studios to join the 'crazy early hotel people' queue. Got there at about 7:20am and were about the 5th group in line. Chatted a bunch with the family/friends/group in front of us and got psyched up to head in.

At 7:40am or so, they moved us from outside the skyliner area to just in front of the security checkpoints.

And then, at 8am almost on the dot, they let us start heading into the park. No ropes, but lots of CMs were positioned at the end of Hollywood Boulevard and divided into two groups - MMRR and Slinky separated by sides (the Sunset Blvd and Galaxy's Edge groups had been syphoned off at the intersection just past the shops and Starbucks. And at 8:30am, promptly, the slow walk to Slinky commenced. Not being desperate for front of line and being too polite for our own good, we ended up getting the last row on the third train of the morning.

Our hope was to do Midway Mania next and then grab some food at Woody's Lunchbox, but Midway was not running on this morning (and, in fact, was down until at least 12pm and maybe even later) so we just wandered our way back to the front of the park to get our DVC Selfies all done. And, yes, now I will once again tease a post that is chock full of DVC Selfie goodness (and is likely to happen soon at this point!) and then a ride on Star Tours. This time we once again started with the stormtroopers, but then got the Death Star ruins near Endor, Poe Dameron, Krait, and ended on landing on Batuu. I'm just glad we are getting variety again at this point! We ran into our friends from home exiting the Star Tours gift shop and decided to go hang out with the Muppets together. Yes, it's still one of my favorite things at WDW and (IMHO) the best humor on site.

After the Muppets we back into Batuu to check about our late Oga's reservation (reservation for 8:50pm with park close at 8pm, which we found out is totally legit and means you can hang out in the area until then) and then back into Toy Story Land to hope that Midway Mania would open up as we came through, and also to finish our selfies and get our buttons. With Midway still down, we realized how hungry we had gotten and debated between a few places to grab some early lunch, but settled on the ABC Commissary. No, it still isn't the best food in the world, but the menu has gotten much more diverse and the chicken sandwich and veggie burger were both really good (happy not to have them be dry, which both of those proteins can often be). Now that we were fed, our only real need was to wait for our Rise of the Resistance time.

First, we headed back into Batuu and did some shopping and wandering. And just sitting for a bit in a spot of shade near the Dionoga water fountains (the one by the shops where the creature from the trash compactor pops up on occasion). Then outside the shops area. Then back in the Grand Avenue area. And for about 10 minutes or so... back in Muppet Vision - there is nothing at all wrong with seeing it twice in one day! Finally, it got to 1pm (we knew because we headed a number of families/groups suddenly cheer for no apparent reason) and we got called just a few seconds after that second boarding group release.

It is really an excellent ride, with enough variety of activity and surprises to always be enjoyable. On our ride, the probe droid really didn't do anything (just sitting there looking pretty) and the second and third cannons remained stationary. Otherwise it looked like most things were working pretty well.

At this point, we were pretty exhausted, had done everything we wanted to do in the park (except Midway) and wanted to get some rest with our late Oga's in the evening. So, back to the room we went. Got some good rest and recovery (and made some of those earlier posts in the Trip Report) and headed back to Studios around 6pm. Midway Mania was showing a 60 minute wait, so that wasn't going to happen (that's where our friends were, though) and MMRR was only showing a 20 minute wait which made that an easy decision. Grabbed a quick picture on the way in.

Yes, those skies are looking a bit threatening. Even more so when they get their close up shot.

Although, there were a few raindrops here and there, it never really did rain fully until later. We did a little more shopping (no buying, just looking) and then headed back to Batuu for a bite to eat at Docking Bay 7 and met up with our friends there. I really like the theming in there and the Felucian Kefta and Hummus spread (veggie meatballs, hummus, some pitas, and a few veggies) was enough for both of us to be happy on this evening.

It was about 7:35pm when we finished and Millenium Falcon was showing a 20 minute wait, so off we went - hoping to maybe get to do it twice. And... we did! Two rides in quick succession at the end of the night, trading all our roles for each one. And both were pretty successful with two coaxium cannisters safely delivered each time. If only we had a sixth traveler so we could've tried to get Chewie to ride with us. Someday that will happen! It was about 8:15 when we finished our second ride, so we just walked around Batuu and got some pictures before heading into Oga's at 8:45pm.

If you haven't done Oga's before, it's fun experience. The drinks are good and unique, although definitely a bit expensive and a little sad that they are pre-mixed (but totally understand with the number of people they are trying to get through and the time limits they need to have to get all those people in and out). We sampled a good number of the beverages between the five of us and if you want any feedback on specific drinks, don't hesitate to ask - over the past couple years we have tried them all!

By the end of our 45 minutes, we were the only folks left in the place and the staff was getting things wrapped up around us a bit.

When we walked out, the skies had finally opened up a bit. Not a total downpour, but between heavy and somewhat heavy rain as we headed to the front of the park. It lightened up a bit right as we got to Hollywood Boulevard. But that didn't mean the storms were gone...

 

[brifraz]

Okay, enough with the storm tease, right? Well here you go. @MeffysMom gets the timing is everything award. She took one single picture looking down the emptiness toward the park entrance/exit and it is a winner.

 

[riverside]

Okay, enough with the storm tease, right? Well here you go. @MeffysMom gets the timing is everything award. She took one single picture looking down the emptiness toward the park entrance/exit and it is a winner.
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Wow!! That picture is amazing yet creepy all at the same time!! Good one!!

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

And, conveniently, we have access to Boardwalk (our daughter's magic band) so we headed over there at about 6:30am and walked around to find the best cell service bench available. And, we scored with BG #56. Had hoped for an earlier one, but this would work out just fine.

THIS is why advance planning is so important! As us teachers like to say: "Use all available resources!" And you did!

This time we once again started with the stormtroopers, but then got the Death Star ruins near Endor, Poe Dameron, Krait, and ended on landing on Batuu. I'm just glad we are getting variety again at this point! We ran into our friends from home exiting the Star Tours gift shop and decided to go hang out with the Muppets together. Yes, it's still one of my favorite things at WDW and (IMHO) the best humor on site.

We missed Star Tours last year so when I ride it again in July, it will be fun to try and remember if it's a new one or old one!

Okay, enough with the storm tease, right? Well here you go. @MeffysMom gets the timing is everything award. She took one single picture looking down the emptiness toward the park entrance/exit and it is a winner.

WOW~!!!! THAT picture isn't even something you can try to plan! Very impressive!

 

[RememberWhen]

Amazing lightning picture!

 

[Bullseye1967]

Okay, enough with the storm tease, right? Well here you go. @MeffysMom gets the timing is everything award. She took one single picture looking down the emptiness toward the park entrance/exit and it is a winner.
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Kudos @MefffysMom !!!! 1 in a million shot!!

 

[cgersic]

I got goosebumps when I saw that photo!!! Impressive and stunning!

 

[brifraz]

Okay, the posting is sadly no longer coming to you direct from WDW as we are now back in northern Maryland. Bummed to not be at Disney, but glad to be at home with our feline family members, in the comfort of our own beds, and... well, sitting on the couch and watching soccer can happen anywhere!

Friday morning was our only Universal time on this trip (the kids did a couple days there to hit all the big attractions, but we didn't feel a great need) and really it was a visit ONLY for @MeffysMom to ride the new Velocicoaster. I'm not going to go into extreme detail about the failings of Universal in some fundamental areas, but... the entry and exit methods were a total mess. Universal Team Members splitting the crowd into three lines to get into IOA for Early Admission (lines were across the bridge to Citywalk) - but then when things opened, two of those lines opened up to about 10 entry points each and the third opened up to 2 entry points... had they not said that all the lines were the same, it wouldn't have been a big issue... but, come on. And on the way out, they had routed all the lines for the security area through ALL available space on the paths from the parking garages - as in... there was no way to get out without pushing through a mass of people. Bad show. But, the ride was awesome.

Since she was doing single rider, she got to ride it twice in under an hour and then we just headed out (yes, that's right, I just drove to Universal to wait while she rode the new coaster twice and then left).

And we headed right to Disney Springs to do a little shopping and then have brunch at Art Smith's Homecoming. I have only been there once before and it was a few years ago, so I was pleasantly reminded of how good their food and drinks are.

We went with the classics from Art Smith, the fried chicken sandwich and the chicken and donuts (with some awesome gravy mashed potatoes).

Happily full of food, we headed to Epcot for just a brief visit. The main thing was to finish our last set of DVC Selfies so that we could get our final pins. The secondary thing was to stop off at Rose and Crown to chat with whoever was working. Oh, and to have a little fun on the way in! As everyone else was getting their cute pictures with butterfly wings, I documented the vicious, unwarranted attack on my person.

We got our selfies around World Showcase and then grabbed a pint at Rose and Crown and some good conversation with Holly (one of the regular bartenders) and Katie Mac (who was 'on loan' from the All Stars). Sadly, didn't get pictures of those pints! But did get one more fun picture as we headed out of the park.

Next up is some time at Animal Kingdom and then over to the Edison for some drinks.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Homecomin' is ON OUR LIST! We had to cancel the reservation for this trip---hubby HAS to see the Epcot Fireworks ... fingers crossed we can do Homecomin' in the Fall...

 

[brifraz]

If I recall correctly (or if I just can scroll up a little), when I left you we were heading out of Epcot about 3pm or so. Sadly, our room at Old Key West for the last night of the trip was not yet available. But, it actually played out well because on a picture that @MeffysMom had posted online, a former student who was also one of our daughter's first baby sitters and whose wedding we attended (etc, etc) commented that they were at WDW as well, so off to Animal Kingdom to meet up with them!

When we got to AK, they were still enjoying some attractions, so we had a little down time in the seating area behind Flame Tree BBQ. This is one of our favorite quiet places in Animal Kingdom and we found a good shady table to just sit at and relax for a little bit. We then headed back to the exit of Kali River to meet up with them which was very cool! While it does make one feel quite old at times (she was in the Class of 2002), we love that we have many former students that we are still in touch and friends with.

Being in Animal Kingdom, we were obliged to check wait times which meant that we found ourselves on the Safari shortly after meeting up. Some interesting different experience started off with a bit of a traffic jam for some bongo playing in the road (couldn't resist... okay just some bongos walking down the middle of the road). Here's the last guy we waited for.

He didn't seem terribly happy with us, but eventually did let us pass by.

The African Dogs were up and very active, running around the pen in a pack - very surprised by this because we usually only ever see them awake in the early morning! In the savannah, the gnus were all hanging our right next to the wild dog pen which maybe was the reason for the pack running? And it was time for a nice family dinner for the giraffes.

Still not a lot of elephant activity, the flamingos still had their new little ones to care for, and the lions were still missing in action. But, for the second time on this ride, we had a traffic jam. Another party going on in the road, but I don't have a good pun for this except that we were held up because they couldn't get the flock out of the road.

Yeah, sorry about that one. After our safari, we headed out of Animal Kingdom and over to Old Key West for a little down time, getting cleaned up, and getting ready to head out for some dinner and drinks. While our room wasn't ready until a bit after 4pm, we had no complaints because we had been upgraded from a studio to a one bedroom!

Got some rest time in and then debated dinner. We had a late reservation for the Edison to meet our friends from home (without their son) for some drinks and after checking wait times for walk up tables around Disney Springs, we just ended up getting some bar seating at the Edison and having some pre-drinks drinks and some food as well.

We were sitting at the upstairs bar and really enjoyed interacting with the bartender and other staff who were moving at warp speed the entire time we were there. In addition to having 8 seats at the bar and serving drinks for all the upstairs tables, the bar was currently serving to-go drinks for people who walked up which meant that it was pretty crazy busy. And, it's not like the Edison drinks are simple recipes! Enjoyed a second round there and got a better thematic picture.

Some of the other folks at the bar ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup while we were there and it looked amazing (or just comfortable and we were pretty hungry) so when our reservation time came up, we got one last round of drinks to take with us to the table.

We had put in early for our table and requested one near the live entertainment and they came through for us with a table front and center where we could enjoy our last round of drinks as well as grilled cheese and soup. And the music was very entertaining. The American Sirens do 1920-30s vocal group takes on modern pop tunes which is quite interesting and they are excellent singers so it we were very happy to have the good seats!

When their set ended and our food and drinks were finished, it was time to head back to Old Key West to get our last sleep at Disney before driving home. See you later with our final day in the World!