Trip Report Mask up for the August Alternate 2020 Trip

Hello friends! My husband and I just got back about a week ago from our WDW trip, it was strange, hot, fun, and in a way unexpected. I'll start with some quick details:

Who: Me (Am) and my husband (Brad)
When: August 6-20, 2020
Resort: Pop Century (was scheduled for All Star Sports)

Let me explain my title a little: We were scheduled to travel to WDW in June the 21st through July 5. It was going to be epic.....we would be there over our birthdays, 15th wedding anniversary, and had a couple of Magic meetups planned. That trip didn't happen. While planning our trips at home I always come up with some sort of title for our trips to give it a little excitement. Well, shortly after the shut down in March, about 2 weeks after the parks closed I had a feeling that my June trip wouldn't happen so hubs and I looked at the calendar and figured out a date when we could go to WDW, we had to plan around some of his church activities (all got cancelled) and a girls trip to California for me (cancelled too). So in late March I booked a two week stay at the Sports. But all while planning including the frustrating day in June to get park reservations and the day I cancelled June/July I was never able to build up much excitement for this August trip. So I always stayed labeled in my planning things as the August Alternate trip, how generic! So I had hope that the trip would happen but I was convinced something would happen and we wouldn't be able to go.

Fast forward to the first week of August, days before leaving. I get an email from my boss (principal) asking what my travel dates to Florida were so they could be consistent on teachers traveling and returning back to work. My return date was 4 days before I would start back to work for inservice so no time to quarantine if he asked me to! Ugh! I couldn't lie to my boss and I couldn't ignore his email. Well he didn't ask me to quarantine but he did ask that I get a Covid test upon my return and then quarantine if needed or until my results came back. He asked if I wanted to come in an work a day so that if something happened I would have had time to work to get my classroom ready and he said I could bank it as a day worked so I wouldn't have to use a day if I did quarantine. So that's what I did. In a way it was surreal to be back working in my room, which was the day before we left for WDW. As I was working in my room that day I had a flash, the last day I worked a full day in my classroom was before I went to WDW in March! Whoa! So with a fully day of work banked, suitcases packed, it looked like our Alternate trip was really happening!

*Spoiler alert: my Covid test came back negative, it was probably too early to take it when I came back but it satisfied my boss. Also neither of us have had any symptoms of Covid upon return so looks like we might have stayed safe.

Okay, let's begin......

August 6, 2020

Our flight out of Minneapolis left at 8:20 am so our plan was to wake up around 4 am get ready and drive to the airport. Who sleeps before a trip! We were up around 3am but we didn't leave until around 4:15am. I got a great parking deal at a Park n Fly for our two week park that was like $7 a day so much cheaper than the small airport lot at $15 a day! Does anyone remember the old WDW information station that used to play the song "I'm Going to Disney World"? I have that song and usually play it on the way to the airport and I played it as we pulled into the Park N Fly lot. I didn't play it before I didn't want to jinx us!

The airport was really strange, usually it is such a hub bub of activity but today it was so strange because there weren't many people. Security was a walk up and we were through in less than 2 minutes! We got breakfast at the Caribou Coffee near our gate and spent time just relaxing in our masks waiting. Our flight was on Delta and they did a great job on the flight. When we boarded we were handed wipes to wipe our area, they reminded people about masks, and during flight we were handed a snack pack in a plastic bag with water,chocolate covered pretzels, cheez-its, napkin and hand sanitizer. The middle seat was empty so we had our own row and Brad watched Star Wars something and I watched the Downton Abbey movie (I'd rewatched the series before leaving so this pleased me to rewatch movie too).

The airport in Minneapolis.
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Flights on time, and plane is here! It's happening! It's really happening!
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Waiting at the gate
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On the plane, looking out! Different from my last flight in March. No snow on the ground this time!
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Ready for flight!
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And we've made it to Orlando!!! Again the airport was pretty empty and we had to retrieve our own luggage this time.
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And here we are at Magical Express, not too many people in line. I think when we came in March this is where we started our line up to check in.
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There was a sign that said our wait could be an hour and the ME agent said that too but from check in to the bus pulling away it was less than 20 minutes which is shorter than some of the pre-Covid trips we have had.
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Coming up: arrival at WDW and will there be tears?
 

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
No I don’t have Dario. But I have a new meter that I need to set up, it has an app I can put on my phone. In early November I’m going to do a 10 day trial of a continuous monitor. I don’t know if I’m going to like it I don’t like things attached to me, I don’t even like wearing a bandaid.

I thought you might like the orange bird mask! I have another one coming through Etsy soon, might arrive by Tuesday.

Magic Meets are always fun! Will you be coming to MN this summer?
I am planning to be in MN this summer... the 20th-27th!

That Dario is sweet... I got them for $19 on amazon and it goes with lancets and 25 strips. It's so small and convenient!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
August 17, 2020

We had an extra long nap today and then got a little gussied up for dinner. Dinner tonight was at the California Grill. We had a nice bus and monorail ride to get there. We had some time to kill so we roamed around the shops at the Contemporary before checking in for dinner.

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An artsy fartsy attempt.
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Unlike other times we have dined at the California Grill we were not accompanied in the elevator. That was fine with me, sometimes I find that awkward.
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Your attire matched the monorail! Well played!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
August 17, 2020

We lingered for quite awhile, as we wanted to to enjoy the beautiful park and the emptying crowds. We were entertained and annoyed by this lady in black. She literally had over a 20 minute photo and video shoot with her family. Complete with costume changes with her daughter and MULTIPLE mask removals. Cast, including managers came over to reprimand her multiple times. One time she even asked them to use her phone to take a picture of the whole group! When he said no she asked if he could use his phone and text it to her! The longer her picture taking went on and her continual disregard for the mask policy unless cast was directly watching her the more annoyed we got. Oh and she often asked other guests to move from the area so she could get her shot. Brad and I ended up taking turns getting some close up castle "pictures". As you can see it was B's turn here. At one point I was standing nearby, I wasn't actually in her picture but she came over and asked me if I could take my picture quickly. And I said I am enjoying the view of the castle, and she rolled her eyes at me and huffed off. I might have accidentally gotten in a few of her shots then. Really lady it isn't just your park and you don't need to disrespect the right of other guests to get their pictures or disrespect all the cast members asking you to follow the mask policy you agreed to by entering the park. (Rant over)

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We finally decided to move on, as she clearly wasn't. You can see her group still back there. But we also wanted to enjoy the rest of Main Street area too.
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I guess this is my go to empty area pose now~
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Wow....I can't even believe she approached you and asked YOU to be quick about your picture taking when she had been taking pictures for 20 minutes!! I'm not sure if I would have been that nice to her. I would have wanted to just say "No, I'm going to take 20 minutes like you have! It's my turn now." I don't know if I would have actually said it, but I would have wanted to!!
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Even though this isn't a memory from my childhood it is my favorite box. My mom loved the Mickey Mouse Club, it was one of her favorite things to talk about so I loved it through her memories.

That display case is awesome. Glad you enjoyed it, as it reminded you of fond memories of your mother.
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
Amy, I can't believe how empty the parks look in your pictures! Every park looked practically empty. You must have been there when there were very low crowds.
Your pictures are awesome!
I especially loved how you captured Chip n Dale dancing in front of the castle - Just Perfect!
Rude people irritate me. It takes alot to have me say something, but I probably would have embarrassed my husband and said something:) Grrr! Your food pics at the California Grill looked delicious. We have never eaten there, but it 's on the list.
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
I am planning to be in MN this summer... the 20th-27th!

That Dario is sweet... I got them for $19 on amazon and it goes with lancets and 25 strips. It's so small and convenient!

The sad face if for your dates. I'm assuming you are talking about June and we won't be around for those dates. 😢😩
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Wow....I can't even believe she approached you and asked YOU to be quick about your picture taking when she had been taking pictures for 20 minutes!! I'm not sure if I would have been that nice to her. I would have wanted to just say "No, I'm going to take 20 minutes like you have! It's my turn now." I don't know if I would have actually said it, but I would have wanted to!!

I could tell that she was getting annoyed when I started lingering in her pictures and then when B was doing it too. That was better to me than snapping at her. I'm a little passive-aggressive. 😜
 

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
Original Poster
Amy, I can't believe how empty the parks look in your pictures! Every park looked practically empty. You must have been there when there were very low crowds.
Your pictures are awesome!
I especially loved how you captured Chip n Dale dancing in front of the castle - Just Perfect!
Rude people irritate me. It takes alot to have me say something, but I probably would have embarrassed my husband and said something:) Grrr! Your food pics at the California Grill looked delicious. We have never eaten there, but it 's on the list.

It was pretty empty at times, but never like it had been pre-Covid. It is a little weird sometimes to look at my pictures from early March at times when I thought crowds were light and compare it to August. Just a few months apart yet worlds apart. Thanks for the compliment on the Chip and Dale picture, that is one of my favorites. And you should definitely eat at the California Grill sometime, we've enjoyed it every time we've gone.

That nighttime photo of the Roy and Minnie bench :cry::inlove:

Thank you. I was pleased with how it turned out and looking at it makes me miss "home".
 

93boomer

Premium Member
August 17, 2020

Dinner was great. I got the steak and Brad got pork.
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We shared the dessert, yumm!
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Then we did some pictures on the viewing platform. Sadly no fireworks from here tonight.
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We masked up for one selfie.
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And since it was just us out there we didn't see the harm in a maskless one. I guess it was a bit bright, either that or Brad just wanted to wink.
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Then it was back to the Magic Kingdom for an evening stroll.
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That food!!!! 😋😋😋
 

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