Trip Report Making Lemonade out of Lemons Fractal Family Trip Report - Completed

I think we can all agree that so far 2020 has been one big sour lemon.

For those that did not read my Pre-Trip report; my entire family (Val-wife, Alex - oldest daughter, Sterg - son, Toni - youngest daughter) has recovered from the Covid-19 virus. Myself, Val, Sterg and Toni got it in March and Alex in April while working as a nurse. Val had it worse with a fever for a couple days and flu like symptoms for about a week. The rest of us were either asymptomatic or had minor symptoms.

Add to that the mental stress of living in a society dealing with this pandemic, Toni missing out on a big chunk of her High School Senior Year and her last dance recital (where she was going to take on a major role as Jasmine), work reductions for Sterg and high stress work conditions for Alex on the front line. Yes, 2020 has sure been one big sourpuss.

But, as the saying goes; "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

It just so happened that last year I made a reservation to attend the annual AHEPA convention in Walt Disney World, just as I did in 2017. We were going to stay at the Grand Destino Towers but that seemed very much in jeopardy when AHEPA (which is a charitable organization I'm involved with. Like a Greek version of the Knights of Columbus or Lions Club.) cancelled their convention. Soon after however, I received an email that Disney would honor our reservation in July. This was pretty tempting since we had convention rates and discounts on tickets. Long story short, we decided to go. We felt that having already had the virus gave us an extra level of protection and we knew that Disney would handle the health risks properly. In addition, we later found out that our rooms were moved from Grand Destino to the Contemporary in order to accommodate the LA Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Sterg's and my dream of playing Marco Polo with the Greek Freak and LeBron James in the pool were quickly dashed. But who could say no to staying at The Contemporary for $175 a night?

We were a go! It was frustrating however because although we had a resort reservation we did not have park tickets. We also didn't have a "park pass" which was needed during this reopening of WDW. We had to wait for all that to open and I had serious doubts it would by the time our first day at the resort (July 20th) rolled around. I decided to book flights without tickets or park passes. Southwest had roundtrip flights from Philly to Orlando for $90 plus if you had to cancel you got that credit for a future flight. No brainer. This was turning out to be the cheapest Disney trip we have taken as a family! Soon after I was open to buy tickets and book Park Passes. We had started to squeeze that lemon and add it's juice to our pitcher of cold water.

Now for the Cast of our adventure.

Myself - Chris/Fractal. A lover of Disney Parks for the many memories it has given me over the years with my family, the way it helps me completely unwind from my job, and how it taps into my creative side and challenges my skills as a photographer.

Here I am with my crazy kids at Christmas.

MVIMG_20191224_220836-XL.jpg


Val - my beautiful wife. Not the biggest fan of Disney but in the end she was on board. I think secretly she likes it more than she lets on. I will make it up to her with a trip more to her liking.

Here she is with Alex.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20180816202048133_COVER-XL.jpg


Alex - our oldest. Now a traveling nurse. Alex is like me in many ways but as she's getting older and more responsible I'm starting to see her take on a number of Val's traits. She's a good mix and always a delight to be with.

From a trip to Colorado we took last year;

DSC00630-XL.jpg


Sterg, aka Fractal Jr. One word to describe Sterg - catalyst - he just makes things happen. He creates reactions both good and bad. He graduated last year from Penn State. He was a captain on the Swim Team but not without drama. He had to miss his promising senior year of swimming when a series of concussions (all outside the water) forced him to medically retire. PSU handled it very well as he helped the team from the sidelines. He now works as a digital marketing consultant as well as helping his cousin get his music career off the ground. Never a dull moment when Sterg is around!

with our dog Prince (Charming).

20200706-DSC06336-X2.jpg


Toni - For long time readers of my reports you know that Toni and I have a special Disney connection. Many times she would be the only one up early with me to tackle the parks at opening. We have had many great adventures together in the Disney bubble. She's now technically an adult (how did that happen?) so I was going to find out this trip if the magic was still there. She's going to attend Clemson University starting next month and I couldn't be prouder.

Toni in front of the Theater her Recital was supposed to perform at.

20200616-DSC05993-X3.jpg


So Covid-19 made our family suffer in many ways, but we took that lemon, squeezed it's juice out into our water pitcher, now we just needed a little Disney sugar to make our Lemonade complete.

Coming up - Our trip begins with a WDW meet-up before our flight even leaves the ground!
 

dizfan917

Well-Known Member
first of all, I LOVE lemonade.

second, I've been been a fan of and in awe of your photos for a number of years, but the pics of Splash Mountain are INCREDIBLE!!

and third, I'm impressed that you would put yourself in your wife's shoes to understand her thoughts about Disney and why it isn't "her thing". A lot of people wouldn't do that. It speaks to your character. She's pretty lucky to have a partner like you.

I can't wait to see the rest of your adventure. Kevin and I fly down on September 5th. Any pandemic advice for us? We just ordered another portable charging device for all that Mobile ordering...
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
So I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy late to the party! It's nice that you all were able to be together as a whole family for a bit in your happy place. I am glad Val has found things she enjoys about WDW but it's too bad she can't just suspend belief for a bit and enjoy the magic. My hubby is very practical but feels like he enters a "magical world" every time we go to WDW.

10 minutes later, the "long haired" man came up and asked me if I was fractal; Coach had found me!


So glad you found Coach! So funny you guys were leaving on the same day from the same airport! Fingers crossed I'll meet a local WDW board member at the airport someday


What does one do with balloons when you go on a ride?

I feel like balloons are a "leaving the park" thing...at least, that's when I'd get mine if I were going to get one.


and this is basically where we stopped walking. It was literally a walk on.

Crazy but exciting!! Glad Space wasn't as rough for you!


Then I swapped it out for the 24mm lens which is just a brilliant piece of glass.
Portraits with a lens like this are not really a great idea because of the massive distortions. You have to make sure your subject is in the middle of the frame to minimize that and Toni pretty much nailed it.

Your photos here (and in the whole report) are absolutely stunning! I love that picture of you and Val at BOG! The pic of the mosaic is also incredible! Nice Job!


The gray stuff was indeed mouse like and was served in a white chocolate cup. All the desserts were very good.

So glad your family loved BOG! Yeah, BOG is a really expensive place that may not be an "Every trip" option, but it's incredible to experience it once!

Yes she did, finally! Thanks! Her high school is doing it in groups of 5 over a period of 3 days.

CONGRATS TO HER!!!!!! Graduating high school isn't an easy feat and I hope she's very proud of herself! What's her next adventure?

Every time I ride Haunted Mansion I remember the first time I rode it as a 9 year and how amazed I was by it; the Ballroom/dinning room scene especially. In my imaginative young mind those ghosts were all but real.
I think this is what got my hubby hooked when he was a kid. The magic was very real when he was 9 years old and he's kept that as part of him forever.

I knew we were going to be riding this again so I decided to enjoy more of the ride not looking through my camera's viewfinder. It was fun and as many would attest @Longers, @Tuvalu , a ride you can ride over and over without getting bored!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY FAVORITE RIDE , too!!!! I never get bored going around and up and down all those mountains!

Really enjoying your TR so far!
 

Piglet_the_brave

Well-Known Member
The Splash Mountain photos, just wow! It’s my favourite Magic Kingdom ride and lovely to see such beautiful pictures before it’s rethemed.

I must admit I’m a teeny bit jealous of you. I’m really missing Disney at the moment, all my Facebook memories this week have been of our trip 2 years ago, the last time all my children were on holiday together. And not a chance of travelling there from the UK anytime soon. But still, its wonderful to see you having family time together.
 

38053WDW

Well-Known Member
Yes she did, finally! Thanks! Her high school is doing it in groups of 5 over a period of 3 days.

IMG_20200731_173843-XL.jpg

My son went through the same thing this year with HS Graduation. (Wife's purse is Food & Wine Fest - Dooney & Bourke) They were born under 9/11 and Graduated under COVID .. uggh! He took it in stride and will soon be doing the college thing ... online of course, for now, until they figure things out. (DD is in her Sr year of Nursing School)
 

Attachments

  • 105025995_995939554171252_7434083608361972129_o.jpg
    105025995_995939554171252_7434083608361972129_o.jpg
    54.9 KB · Views: 153

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Congratulations to Toni!

Thank you!
Joining in. Your photos are always so beautiful

Thanks and thanks for joining!

We’ve enjoyed it, and I liked the French onion soup. My filet was quite good, but I had much better later in that trip at Narcoossee’s. With no pandemic our table for two was surrounded by other tables in close proximity and the atmosphere was lost to a large extent. I’m glad we did it but it’s not at the top of our list to return, and that was prior to the limited menu. My wife got her picture of me looking uncomfortable with Beast so she’s satisfied!

Beast made appearances but no pic opportunities.

That’s awesome they were able to have a graduation for them!

Yes it was!

Congrats to Toni!

Thank you!

Beautiful pics of BOG! They used to have a much more affordable lunch menu, but when the parks reopened, they switched over to the crazy expensive prix fixe menu for both lunch and dinner. Hopefully it’s just a temporary change.

Thank you! yes, hopefully!
YEEEESSSSS!!!! So happy to be reading your trip report!!! Amazing pics!!!! Also congrats to Toni!

Thank you and thanks for following along (again)!
I love the pictures of the suits of armor at BOG. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be going there again unless they bring back the lunch menu. We did the dinner years ago before the prix fix pricing and we didn’t love that either. Though pictures with the beast were pretty cool.

Thanks! No pics with beast this time.
Lovely family photo!

Thank you!

Congratulations to Toni and now I’m intrigued for my surprise.

Thanks! Lol! Just something I think you'll enjoy.
Late to the party as usual, but so glad to see your beautiful photos and read your tr. I love HM too and seeing your photos was great. I wouldn't have been happy with the current BOG offerings either. Our favorite room is the BallRoom. As for the rose pics, I liked the second one with the 24 mm camera the best, though they were both great.
So glad to see your reports again. It helps when you are missing disney so much:)

Thanks for following along and for the kind words!

@fractal , I got caught up on your TR today. As usual, your photos are outstanding, and that fish-eye lens creates some very interesting images. Thank you for sharing.

Also, congratulations to your daughter, Toni, on her graduation. (I was also happy to see a photo of Yia Yia -- she's always been one of my favorites from your past TRs. I assume she stayed home for this particular WDW trip though, but I'll bet she'll join the next trip with all of you! )

Thanks @MinnieM123 ! Yes, Yia-yia stayed home. Physically she's slowing down a little but still have the same spunk (if not more so!).
Love the Haunted Mansion pictures!

Thanks!

Great start to the report! Photos and storytelling top notch as always👍. Beautiful (and fun!) family! Enjoyed watching the live sneak peeks, and look forward to the rest of the trip details. We cancelled a trip in June, cancelled one again in August...and now second guessing August! We are DVC and all of these empty wonderful pictures, resort availability (and the idea of getting away...) are really making me contemplate a last minute week as we still have it off. Just not sure how work would feel with us traveling...

I’ll keep reading - might help sway my decision 😁

PS - As close as we live to each other, almost surprised we’ve never crossed paths at an event or location! #TeamBerksCounty

Thanks! We really did have overall a great time. Yes, surprised even at a Reading Phillies game we didn't bump into each other. Of course this year we had no Reading Phillies.

The ballroom-dining room scene is my absolute favorite! I've said before I would love to get stuck there to be able to observe it longer!

Agree!

Your post on Haunted Mansion really made me sad. I love it too and my focus is on the creativity and humor that entertains without completely scaring the kids. I am also married to someone that doesn't see wdw as I do. I now travel with my 19 yr old that loves it as I do. The husband comes every few years to enjoy sunshine and family time. It's our compromise. He tries hard to not rain on my fun, but I understand that he has a different view. Also, was at a conference once where former Disney exec (Doug Lipp?) talked about opening HM at Tokyo. Pretty entertaining.
They say opposites attract. I would love to go to Tokyo DL.

Great pictures!!! So glad you and your family was able to go. Us here in New York not so much. No Disney for us this year😩😭

Thanks and sorry - hopefully next year!

Did you try to get it back? My somewhat warped sense of humor would probably have me putting it on a shelf in my office.

Hope you and the family stay dry and safe over the next couple of days! My wife is working on a renewable energy project off the Jersey coast and should be heading to port in Philadelphia anytime now, and then on the first flight out as soon as all of the equipment is packed up and off loaded.

P.S. Props to @fractal jr for showing off that man sweater starter kit at graduation!

Never tried to get the lens back. It would've made a nice paper weight!

So far we've avoided that storm system. He did have some normal summer T-storms the other night that woke me up. Anything goes with @fractal jr !
Congrats to Toni!!The bees made me laugh.. my oldest is terrified of bees! To be fair, he was pretty allergic, as a kid, but it is just hilarious to see a 6’5 adult him run 90 miles an hour, across the yard from a sweat bee. Amazing Splash pictures. ❤

Thank you!

Well at least he has a much better reason for his fear!

first of all, I LOVE lemonade.

second, I've been been a fan of and in awe of your photos for a number of years, but the pics of Splash Mountain are INCREDIBLE!!

and third, I'm impressed that you would put yourself in your wife's shoes to understand her thoughts about Disney and why it isn't "her thing". A lot of people wouldn't do that. It speaks to your character. She's pretty lucky to have a partner like you.

I can't wait to see the rest of your adventure. Kevin and I fly down on September 5th. Any pandemic advice for us? We just ordered another portable charging device for all that Mobile ordering...

Thank you so much! Somehow get used to wearing a mask for long periods of time in heat and humidity. I was struggling with it the first few days but once I got used to it the rest of the week was much more enjoyable.
Have a great trip!

So I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy late to the party! It's nice that you all were able to be together as a whole family for a bit in your happy place. I am glad Val has found things she enjoys about WDW but it's too bad she can't just suspend belief for a bit and enjoy the magic. My hubby is very practical but feels like he enters a "magical world" every time we go to WDW.




So glad you found Coach! So funny you guys were leaving on the same day from the same airport! Fingers crossed I'll meet a local WDW board member at the airport someday




I feel like balloons are a "leaving the park" thing...at least, that's when I'd get mine if I were going to get one.




Crazy but exciting!! Glad Space wasn't as rough for you!





Your photos here (and in the whole report) are absolutely stunning! I love that picture of you and Val at BOG! The pic of the mosaic is also incredible! Nice Job!




So glad your family loved BOG! Yeah, BOG is a really expensive place that may not be an "Every trip" option, but it's incredible to experience it once!



CONGRATS TO HER!!!!!! Graduating high school isn't an easy feat and I hope she's very proud of herself! What's her next adventure?


I think this is what got my hubby hooked when he was a kid. The magic was very real when he was 9 years old and he's kept that as part of him forever.



YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY FAVORITE RIDE , too!!!! I never get bored going around and up and down all those mountains!

Really enjoying your TR so far!

Thanks for following along and for all the comments!

Toni will be attending Clemson University starting in a few weeks (first online, then on campus in September).


I'm late to the report but I am loving the photos you have taken. Congratulations to Toni! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip.

Thanks for following along and thanks for the congrats!

The Splash Mountain photos, just wow! It’s my favourite Magic Kingdom ride and lovely to see such beautiful pictures before it’s rethemed.

I must admit I’m a teeny bit jealous of you. I’m really missing Disney at the moment, all my Facebook memories this week have been of our trip 2 years ago, the last time all my children were on holiday together. And not a chance of travelling there from the UK anytime soon. But still, its wonderful to see you having family time together.

Thank you! Hopefully you can get back soon!

Fractal, you're pictures......phenomenal. The best. Those Splash pictures are amazing!



Things seem to always be so busy that i didn't get my camera out much this past year but I have started taking more pictures lately and I forgot how much I love it.

Thanks! Glad to hear you dusted off the camera!

My son went through the same thing this year with HS Graduation. (Wife's purse is Food & Wine Fest - Dooney & Bourke) They were born under 9/11 and Graduated under COVID .. uggh! He took it in stride and will soon be doing the college thing ... online of course, for now, until they figure things out. (DD is in her Sr year of Nursing School)

Yes, this class has had many challenges! Good luck to your son and daughter. Nursing is a great career choice right now. Alex overall loves it, but some of the stories...

Great family pic!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Splash Mountain was a big hit. Val enjoyed it which made me feel better. On the way out we reminisced about meeting up with @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 on our last trip near the Splash exit.

We got back on the "boardwalk" hugging the Rivers of America, making our way towards the hub. It was now almost 4:30 and our room was still not ready.

Sadly, never made it to Tom Sawyer's Island this trip.

20200720-DSC08070-X3.jpg


OK, starting to grow on me.

20200720-DSC08071-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08072-X3.jpg


We decided on Mickey's Phil-Har-Magic. It's been awhile and Toni didn't remember it. For those that wear glasses with a mask on I'm sure you can appreciate the challenge we had of trying to avoid having your 3-D glasses fog up
during the show. This was one of my favorite attractions. I loved the story and how they found a clever way to incorporate Mickey and Donald with the characters of the 90's classics. Lots of laughs, 3 and 4-D jolts and heart string moments. I will say the "3-D" does look dated. For a good portion of the film many of the characters I saw were in double and blurry.

Toni loved it though and Sterg and Val well enough - especially with the dark, cool theater providing some relief. From a "health" perspective - social distancing in the line (as with all attractions), then your group was put in a staging area near the theater doors. You were given a number and told to stand on a large dot on the carpet with your number on it. There was also plastic shielding in the rows after so many seats, in addition all CM's that you interacted with wore plastic face shields as well as mask. This was throughout the resort.

20200720-DSC08073-X3.jpg


After watching Mickey save the day again from Donald's stumbling and fumbling we took some inspiration and headed toward The Little Mermaid.

20200720-DSC08075-X3.jpg


This is about the most crowded we saw MK that day, generally the area in front of 7DMT was the busiest.

20200720-DSC08076-X3.jpg


We visited the awesome restrooms near Gaston's...

20200720-DSC08079-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08080-X3.jpg


Well hello Cogsworth!

20200720-DSC08083-X3.jpg


Time to go Under the Sea.

20200720-DSC08085-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08087-X3.jpg


I noticed through out the trip that Disney did a lot of painting. I'm assuming much of it was done during the shutdown, as all the rock formations looked freshly painted as did the buildings and signs. Animal Kingdom, especially in Asia was equally as noticeable and appreciated. At least by me. Val thought I was a little nuts in my observation. The kid's reply. "Hi Disney painting the rocks."

20200720-DSC08088-X3.jpg
 
Last edited:

gwhb75

Well-Known Member
I think we can all agree that so far 2020 has been one big sour lemon.

For those that did not read my Pre-Trip report; my entire family (Val-wife, Alex - oldest daughter, Sterg - son, Toni - youngest daughter) has recovered from the Covid-19 virus. Myself, Val, Sterg and Toni got it in March and Alex in April while working as a nurse. Val had it worse with a fever for a couple days and flu like symptoms for about a week. The rest of us were either asymptomatic or had minor symptoms.

Add to that the mental stress of living in a society dealing with this pandemic, Toni missing out on a big chunk of her High School Senior Year and her last dance recital (where she was going to take on a major role as Jasmine), work reductions for Sterg and high stress work conditions for Alex on the front line. Yes, 2020 has sure been one big sourpuss.

But, as the saying goes; "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

It just so happened that last year I made a reservation to attend the annual AHEPA convention in Walt Disney World, just as I did in 2017. We were going to stay at the Grand Destino Towers but that seemed very much in jeopardy when AHEPA (which is a charitable organization I'm involved with. Like a Greek version of the Knights of Columbus or Lions Club.) cancelled their convention. Soon after however, I received an email that Disney would honor our reservation in July. This was pretty tempting since we had convention rates and discounts on tickets. Long story short, we decided to go. We felt that having already had the virus gave us an extra level of protection and we knew that Disney would handle the health risks properly. In addition, we later found out that our rooms were moved from Grand Destino to the Contemporary in order to accommodate the LA Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Sterg's and my dream of playing Marco Polo with the Greek Freak and LeBron James in the pool were quickly dashed. But who could say no to staying at The Contemporary for $175 a night?

We were a go! It was frustrating however because although we had a resort reservation we did not have park tickets. We also didn't have a "park pass" which was needed during this reopening of WDW. We had to wait for all that to open and I had serious doubts it would by the time our first day at the resort (July 20th) rolled around. I decided to book flights without tickets or park passes. Southwest had roundtrip flights from Philly to Orlando for $90 plus if you had to cancel you got that credit for a future flight. No brainer. This was turning out to be the cheapest Disney trip we have taken as a family! Soon after I was open to buy tickets and book Park Passes. We had started to squeeze that lemon and add it's juice to our pitcher of cold water.

Now for the Cast of our adventure.

Myself - Chris/Fractal. A lover of Disney Parks for the many memories it has given me over the years with my family, the way it helps me completely unwind from my job, and how it taps into my creative side and challenges my skills as a photographer.

Here I am with my crazy kids at Christmas.

MVIMG_20191224_220836-XL.jpg


Val - my beautiful wife. Not the biggest fan of Disney but in the end she was on board. I think secretly she likes it more than she lets on. I will make it up to her with a trip more to her liking.

Here she is with Alex.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20180816202048133_COVER-XL.jpg


Alex - our oldest. Now a traveling nurse. Alex is like me in many ways but as she's getting older and more responsible I'm starting to see her take on a number of Val's traits. She's a good mix and always a delight to be with.

From a trip to Colorado we took last year;

DSC00630-XL.jpg


Sterg, aka Fractal Jr. One word to describe Sterg - catalyst - he just makes things happen. He creates reactions both good and bad. He graduated last year from Penn State. He was a captain on the Swim Team but not without drama. He had to miss his promising senior year of swimming when a series of concussions (all outside the water) forced him to medically retire. PSU handled it very well as he helped the team from the sidelines. He now works as a digital marketing consultant as well as helping his cousin get his music career off the ground. Never a dull moment when Sterg is around!

with our dog Prince (Charming).

20200706-DSC06336-X2.jpg


Toni - For long time readers of my reports you know that Toni and I have a special Disney connection. Many times she would be the only one up early with me to tackle the parks at opening. We have had many great adventures together in the Disney bubble. She's now technically an adult (how did that happen?) so I was going to find out this trip if the magic was still there. She's going to attend Clemson University starting next month and I couldn't be prouder.

Toni in front of the Theater her Recital was supposed to perform at.

20200616-DSC05993-X3.jpg


So Covid-19 made our family suffer in many ways, but we took that lemon, squeezed it's juice out into our water pitcher, now we just needed a little Disney sugar to make our Lemonade complete.

Coming up - Our trip begins with a WDW meet-up before our flight even leaves the ground!
Sorry to hear about @fractal jr having to retire due to concussions. My daughter had to retire from competitive kickboxing for the same reason (although her's were all related to the sport). It sucks that they have to give up something they love doing due to an injury that no one else can see but is very real.
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
Splash Mountain was a big hit. Val enjoyed it which made me feel better. On the way out we reminisced about meeting up with @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 on our last trip near the Splash exit.

Clemson! How exciting!!! Yes, @Tuvalu family meet ups are super special and definitely something to reminisce about (should I ever be lucky enough to have one!) :geek: :geek: :jawdrop:

I'm glad Val liked Splash and enjoyed the Disney vacay....
Interesting to notice all the painting in Fantasyland....it's your keen eye for detail!
Bummer about Sterg's senior year of athletics but good for PSU that they allowed him to be with the team. I hope he's medically okay and recovered from all those concussions now!
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
Be thankful you only needed to deal with fogging glasses when it was for 3-D movies ... I continue my quest for a non disposible mask that does not make my glasses fog up (or only minimally). At the moment, only the disposible surgical masks don‘t make my glasses fog up, but I hate that it creates nonrecyclable waste. Even more so when I just looked at my work emails and as from tomorrow masks must be worn in line getting coffee or food (we have no general requirement to wear masks at work).
 

Spash007

Well-Known Member
Thanks for pointing out about the bees on Splash. I completely forgot about those, but am really hoping to get my daughter on it before the re-theme comes, and she is also absolutely terrified of bees or anything that sounds like bees (we had to leave a restaurant one day because a fly sounded like a bee and brought out the hysterics...) So we'll definitely have to get her prepared ahead of time.

I also really enjoy all the observations and interactions from your family - makes it a lot more "real" to follow along!
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
Just signed on and am loving your TR report!!! Your camera lenses take amazing pictures, especially the ones from BOG and the HM!!! My DH went through a period where he wasn't enjoying our WDW trips as much since we go so often, so I started going with my DD alone and then with friends for about a year. By year's end he told me that he missed going to WDW with me and seems to never tire of it anymore! Your family is so adorable.:)
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Time to climb on a clamshell. Sterg and Toni in one, Val and I right behind.

"Hello!"

20200720-DSC08092-X3.jpg


I believe they were leaving a clamshell open between every group.

20200720-DSC08093-X3.jpg



Ariel still singing!

20200720-DSC08102-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08103-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08104-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08107-X3.jpg


At one point during this ride, and again I'm trying to put myself in Val's shoes, I was trying it imagine what she may have been thinking. It went something like this as I could tell the constant clicking of my camera's shutter was starting to annoy her. "I am next to my 52 year old husband in a kiddie Little Mermaid ride and not only is he enthralled but cannot stop taking photos." So I switched my camera over to silent shutter mostly for Val's benefit. I didn't expect what happened next but should have know. Without getting technical, the characteristics of a silent electronic shutter (vs a mechanical shutter) makes it nearly impossible to shoot certain LED or projection lighting that comes out in rapid pulses. Here is an example;

20200720-DSC08097-X3.jpg


The good news is I had no problems the rest of the ride; the bad news is it would come back to haunt me later like a surprise visit from Flotsam and Jetsam.

20200720-DSC08108-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08110-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08112-2-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08113-X3.jpg


To be fair to myself, and I've explained this before to Val and discussed it in my trip reports several times, I enjoy the photographic challenges WDW presents. Yes, Under the Sea is geared for the pre-teen visitors more than anyone, but I see it on a different level. The exercise of dialing in the right combination of Shutter Speed, ISO and Aperture is gratifying. In a dark place where you are moving and the subject usually is as well it's not easy work. Shooting Manual does make it tougher but I like having that control and making those adjustments on the fly. Dark rides are just one of the several photographic tests the World throws out there. One of my biggest disappointments this trip was the elimination of fireworks, which require a different set up and strategy to photograph, and very limited if any evening hours which mostly eliminated any long exposure shots from my tripod (or the top of a trashcan :) ).


Ariel and Eric - shot with the 24mm @ f/1.7, 1/320 sec, ISO 6400

20200720-DSC08117-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08118-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08119-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08120-X3.jpg


20200720-DSC08122-X3.jpg


And they lived happily ever after!



20200720-DSC08124-X3.jpg


First thing Val asks me after the ride. "Is the room ready?'.

"Not yet."
I said after checked the App.

She was not happy, and frankly neither was I. It was now 2 1/2 hours past the check in time. First time our room was not available by check-in.

I wonder if Eric had to ever deal with room reservation check in times?
 
Last edited:

LF85

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about @fractal jr having to retire due to concussions. My daughter had to retire from competitive kickboxing for the same reason (although her's were all related to the sport). It sucks that they have to give up something they love doing due to an injury that no one else can see but is very real.

haven't seen you posting in awhile..
 

Pooh'sBuddy

Well-Known Member
Sterg, aka Fractal Jr. One word to describe Sterg - catalyst - he just makes things happen. He creates reactions both good and bad. He graduated last year from Penn State. He was a captain on the Swim Team but not without drama. He had to miss his promising senior year of swimming when a series of concussions (all outside the water) forced him to medically retire.
Sorry to hear about @fractal jr having to retire due to concussions. My daughter had to retire from competitive kickboxing for the same reason (although her's were all related to the sport). It sucks that they have to give up something they love doing due to an injury that no one else can see but is very real.
I feel awful for anyone who is/was concussed. My older son dives for his high school, and I worry every time he gets on that board.
 

DisSplash

Well-Known Member
Hi Fractal writing his trip report! (Not sure if I did your family joke justice there, but I absolutely love that you all have that inside thing going on - or at least your kids do, at your expense!) :)
Your report is amazing, your pictures even more so, and congrats to Tony and hello to Yia Yia! I still remember your report of her riding Flight of Passage several years back which I recounted to my family back in 2018 while we were waiting 45 minutes (in the Fastpass line, mind you) for our first and only go at that ride. “Even the older folks love this ride - they feel like they are flying!”
As for Val, she is a total trooper, especially since she was not supposed to go originally? For her, it seems that these trips are not really about Disney at all. I remember thinking “Now this is why Val changed her mind” when I saw your live posts and the joyful family selfies of you all in the hotel pool. For her, that is probably what it’s all about!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom