Trip Report Completed: March 5-14, 2020: Our Return to WDW and the "Hips and Elbows People, Hips and Elbows!" edition

Hello everyone! It has been one month since we made our return to Walt Disney World, it was 593 days since we had been there. We hadn't been without Disney trips, we were annual passholders of Disneyland during that time. More info in my pre-trip report. Needless to say we were were excited to return. I was a little apprehensive for a few reasons: 1. what if I didn't like WDW as much any more after being away so long and maybe I had fallen too much in love with Disneyland. 2. I was slightly worried about this corona virus thing (maybe I should have been more worried), but I was hopeful we would get through the trip without having to think about it.

In case you don't want to go back to my pre-trip report let me give you a few more details:

Who: Amy and Brad (my husband)
Resort: Pop Century



Let's begin:

March 5, 2020

We had an early morning flight, it is a pain getting up at 3 am but we do like getting to our destination early and being able to spend a lot of our day at our vacation destination. Plus we were early birds so it wasn't too bad. Luckily there wasn't a snow storm and our flight out of Minneapolis was on schedule!

Not much was open so early but Caribou coffee!

Coming up more of our journey and lots of fun, food and beer!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm in!

Welcome to you!

Count me in!

Glad you are here!

Yay! I have been anticipating your trip report. It is just what I needed to fight the "shelter at home" blues. I am anxious to read how you felt going back to WDW after all this time.

Welcome I hope this helps relieve some of the blues people have.

Yay!! I'm looking forward to this!! Wow--593 days seems like forever!! It's been about 2 1/2 months for me & that feels like an eternity at this point!!

It was a long time but at least at the time we made the choice to stay away and just do Disneyland I had a for sure return date, now we are all left in limbo!

Looking forward to this!

Hello and welcome!

I’m in and looking forward to this!

Thanks for reading!

 

[MickeyCB]

I'm here and following along!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

March 5, 2020

So while waiting at the airport I saw this meme on Facebook, at the time I thought it was funny (not so much now) but it didn't seem like we were going in to the direction of shut downs like we have. Even though I thought it was a little funny in the back of my mind there was a little worry, but I thought WDW is too big of a money maker for the Walt Disney Company it won't shut down.

So we waited at the gate impatiently.

Just killing a little time at the gate.

We were excited to see the fonorail at the airport in the Galaxy's Edge decorations

I had some pictures of the Magical Express area, but apparently they were on Brad's phone and his pictures didn't copy to my computer. Ugh! Technology.

Anyway, the wait to leave for the Pop Century wasn't too bad, it was about 15 minutes between boarding and departure but it felt like an eternity! I was anxious to see how I would feel when the ME bus drove under the WDW archway, would I tear up (like I usually have done in the past) or would I just be like "oh we are here".

Well, I spy the archway...

Closer....

And we were officially at WDW again! And yes I teared up and my husband laughed at me.

Okay, I really wanted to post more tonight but my computer doesn't seem to want to cooperate tonight. It is super slow for some reason. So I'll pick up tomorrow.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm here and following along!

Yay!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

I’m here! Hope you guys are staying safe’

 

[Laurenciaa]

Oh Amy, you're back in WDW! Still fiercely hoping our paths will cross in July!
Looking forward to your adventure of March

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I’m here! Hope you guys are staying safe’

Glad you are here! We are trying to stay as safe as possible, hopefully you are as well.

Oh Amy, you're back in WDW! Still fiercely hoping our paths will cross in July!
Looking forward to your adventure of March

Yep made it back in time! I am really hoping our paths will cross in July as well.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I'm here!

As much as I enjoy reading your adventures over in California I'm really excited to read this report. Having never been to DisneyLand I just can't seem to emerge myself as much as reading reports from Disney World. Glad you came back to the World!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Thursday March 5, 2020

We made it to the Pop and our room wasn't ready which was fine we had places to be. So we dropped our carry on bags off at bell services and headed to the Skyliner. Our destination was the Dolphin resort to pick up our rental car and I knew an Uber or Lyft would be quicker than the Skyliner but we both wanted to try it. And we LOVED it! Except that it did come to an extreme crawl/stop for a little bit over a road so that was a little scary at first. It didn't last long and soon we were at the Epcot station and we walked over to the Dolphin.

We were also happy that we got the first gondola to ourselves to the Caribbean station. For the second stretch we were with a lady and her teenage mom. The teenager saw my Disneyland shirt which has a passholder logo and started asking us questions which was fine and pleasant. The teen expressed that she would like to go to Disneyland some day and then the mom started in with some snooty comments, like "Disneyland is so small and it can be done in a day", and that they are WDW locals which is so much better and they come all the time, and us being from California (we aren't, I wish though) would be able to see how nice and big WDW was compared to Disneyland and blah blah blah. I didn't want to fight with the lady about Disneyland vs. WDW so I just said that we were from Wisconsin and were frequent passholders of both parks and I had been coming to WDW since I was a toddler. I think I made a mention of Disneyland being the original and Walt's park which is very special and then luckily we were close to Epcot and could see the Ratatouille construction and I loudly pointed it out to Brad and how cool it would be to ride Ratatouille again like we did in Paris. The mom kind of looked at me with a strange look but I didn't like her attitude of her "being a local passholder" it was like she thought that made her better than us and I didn't like that.

Brad wanted to take the boat to the Dolphin, but I wanted to walk after being cooped up on the plane and then the bus I wanted a little movement.

The rental car process at the Dolphin was very easy and soon the valet brought out our ride and we were on our way. Where were we going? My dad lives about an hour north of WDW so we were going to have a late lunch with him and visit for a little bit.

After the visit with my dad we headed back to Orlando and we made a stop at the Disney outlet. We were amazed to find a parking spot quickly and there wasn't a line to get in. We spent about 20 minutes there and then continued to Disney Springs. At Disney Springs we checked out the World of Disney. I didn't buy anything there, Brad got baby yoda socks, but I continued my tradition of taking pictures of story displays and merch I liked.

I thought this would be cute for our dog at home.

Once we got to the end of the World of Disney I made a pit stop to Basin and did get some things there.

Then we went back into the World of Disney.

I could have bought all the Ink and Paint merch, it is so cool!

Neat 2020 logo.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm here!

As much as I enjoy reading your adventures over in California I'm really excited to read this report. Having never been to DisneyLand I just can't seem to emerge myself as much as reading reports from Disney World. Glad you came back to the World!

I'm glad you are following along. I can understand your point about the Disneyland reports, when reading reports that have sections about Universal Studios I usually skip past it. I'm sure Universal is fine, I went in the late 1990's and it was fine, but I don't really have any interest in going.

 

[PacNWTigger]

A little late, but I'm here all the same! Looking forward to your adventures.

 

[Doc Disney]

Yay! Can't wait to hear more...I would have cried a little too if it had been that long since I have been to WDW! I will still probably cry when I can finally go back now

 

[Darstarr]

Ugggh
So late. No excuse. Sorry.
BTW...Brad looks good!!!

 

[CaliKris]

We love the gondola (and I am afraid of heights)! So glad you got to ride so early on in your trip. As for that woman in the gondola, we are from California and deal with these comments from at least one person every trip to WDW. Don't get me wrong. Most people are really nice. I have a hard time biting my tongue when someone starts going after Disneyland, but I try to point out the positives in both places. As Disney fans, I think we can find something to love about all the parks. We love DL and WDW (for different reasons). I love that you love both places as well!

 

[Laura Loves Tigger]

I'm here and enjoying your report! How nice to be able to see your dad.

 

[Big Hair]

Nice to visit the Magic through friends eyes. Happy you made it back.

 

[LisaBelle]

Great beginning to your TR! I am scared of heights so I am very apprehensive about trying the Skyliner. Part of me wants to do it because it's new, the views look beautiful and it's Disney, but I think I would be scared, especially if it slowed down or stopped. Glad you put that lady in her place! Looking forward to reading more.

 

[krisri18]

Ugggh
So late. No excuse. Sorry.
BTW...Brad looks good!!!

I was just thinking the same thing! Without the creepy gif, lolol

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

A little late, but I'm here all the same! Looking forward to your adventures.

It's about time you get here! You haven't missed too much yet don't worry.

Yay! Can't wait to hear more...I would have cried a little too if it had been that long since I have been to WDW! I will still probably cry when I can finally go back now

I think we will all be crying when we can go back!

Ugggh
So late. No excuse. Sorry.
BTW...Brad looks good!!!

I was wondering when you'd join in! Glad you are here. Brad says thanks!

We love the gondola (and I am afraid of heights)! So glad you got to ride so early on in your trip. As for that woman in the gondola, we are from California and deal with these comments from at least one person every trip to WDW. Don't get me wrong. Most people are really nice. I have a hard time biting my tongue when someone starts going after Disneyland, but I try to point out the positives in both places. As Disney fans, I think we can find something to love about all the parks. We love DL and WDW (for different reasons). I love that you love both places as well!

I agree Disney fans can always find something to love about the parks wherever they are. I don't mind if someone likes one more than the other, it was just that the lady was so snooty about it.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm here and enjoying your report! How nice to be able to see your dad.

Thanks for being here, it was nice to see my dad.

Nice to visit the Magic through friends eyes. Happy you made it back.

Thanks for following along. I hope you enjoy our report.

Great beginning to your TR! I am scared of heights so I am very apprehensive about trying the Skyliner. Part of me wants to do it because it's new, the views look beautiful and it's Disney, but I think I would be scared, especially if it slowed down or stopped. Glad you put that lady in her place! Looking forward to reading more.

I'm a little afraid of heights so the first couple moments in the Skyliner were a little hesitant and when it stopped/slowed that was a bit scary but to be honest I was more excited to be in WDW so that was where most of my thoughts were for the moment. But it was thrilling to ride.