Trip Report Shrouded In A Daft Disguise *COMPLETED*

Two weeks ago today, I returned home from the most surreal Disney vacation I have ever experienced.

During my last visit in February, I couldn’t have imagined having to wear a face mask and have my temperature taken before being allowed into a park. “Social distancing” wasn’t part of my vocabulary. Hand sanitizer was something I carried in a little bottle in my purse, not something in giant containers at the entrance/exit of every attraction.

No park hopping? No Fastpasses? No FIREWORKS :jawdrop: ?!! Not even on my radar screen.

Like a bolt out of the blue, the pandemic struck and life was dramatically altered. For everyone. And there is no Magic Mirror to tell us when it will be over. For me the pandemic has been a reminder to take nothing for granted ~ and that there can still be joy in the darkest days.

My name is Tuvalu and I have been a WDW annual passholder for nearly 25 years. I was raised on Disney and so were my children. The parks have always been my “escape” from real life. Could they still be an “escape” in the midst of a pandemic? After months of quarantine, I was ready to find out.

My daughter Em was my travel buddy. My husband Woody had reservations, but not for our safety. He was concerned we’d struggle with the restrictions and disappointment with all the changes. He wanted us to come back happy and wasn’t sure we would. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure we would either. After much research and due diligence, Em and I felt prepared to embark on a vacation with few expectations.

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Full disclosure ~ I‘ve wrestled with writing a report of our trip. The pandemic and subsequent events have caused much division on this Disney fan forum. I’ve always considered the trip reports section to be a “safe space” and hope it stays that way. My goal is to provide entertainment to the reader, nothing more.

With that in mind.....

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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
When I thought the wait was long in August I was naive! The line was crazy long (and convoluted) both times we waited (more than a half hour) this month. :in pain:
Will you include this in this trip report? We're planning a couple days in January and this type of input will help me prepare. Touringplans seems a little useless right now, because they have all the rides and showed available to plan with, and they're showing current crowd levels at 1 and 2 and all the reports are coming back with how crowded it feels.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Hey, @Tuvalu -- I was just wondering something, and I figure if anyone knew the answer, it would be you. :)

Is the iconic Electrical Water Pageant still "on" each night? I just saw a photo of it (may have been taken years ago), and I haven't heard anyone comment whether or not it was on, or cut, during the various Covid-related shutdowns at the park.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Hey, @Tuvalu -- I was just wondering something, and I figure if anyone knew the answer, it would be you. :)

Is the iconic Electrical Water Pageant still "on" each night? I just saw a photo of it (may have been taken years ago), and I haven't heard anyone comment whether or not it was on, or cut, during the various Covid-related shutdowns at the park.
It is currently not operating. :cry:
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Thursday, con’t

After Pirates we chose to remain in Frontierland for lunch at Pecos Bills. For those of you with an upcoming trip, note that the Mobile Order entrance to this restaurant varies ~ sometimes the entry is in front, adjacent to Country Bears; other times the entry is on the side of the restaurant, nearer to Pirates. There’s no way to know in advance.

Just one more thing to add to the list of why eating at WDW is HARD.

Thankfully we found the correct entrance on the first try and (even better!) found an available table without much effort.

The chicken rice bowls were delish.

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(However my chicken rice bowl this month was NOT delish. Rather than the white meat pictured above, it contained only chewy dark meat. I gave up eating it after only a few bites. I don’t know if this is a permanent change but I won’t be ordering another chicken rice bowl anytime soon.)

Happy gal with white meat chicken.

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Woody suggested visiting Tomorrowland after our lunch. We had the walkway towards the hub to ourselves!

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These dark clouds provide an aura of foreboding....

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....yet by the time we reached the Plaza Garden and found a Px3 (@Darstarr 😉) there was blue sky.

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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
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(I agree with you, @k8einwdw ~ not a fan of the new sign!)

Wonder how long it will be until these attractions return?

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(Although if I could only pick one, the TTA Peoplemover would win 100x over Laugh Floor.)


Who rides Space Mountain with full bellies?

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Apparently we do. Or did.

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There wasn’t much else to do in Tomorrowland. Carousel of Progress had a huge line (we would learn why on our next visit two days later) and neither of us felt like waiting for Buzz. The humidity was taking a toll and an afternoon break was in order. We left the park.

I was very excited to get a picture of this screening tent next to the monorail station.

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“The walkway from the GF must be opening soon!” I declared to Woody.

(Silly August self. The walkway would not open for another three months. The tent would be taken down - unused. The photo scoop I thought I had turned out to be for naught.)

A sign of the times.
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Nunu

Wanderluster
Premium Member
(However my chicken rice bowl this month was NOT delish. Rather than the white meat pictured above, it contained only chewy dark meat.
Oh no!, I really like Pecos' chicken rice bowl but don't like any poultry's dark meat. I'm guessing the Fajita Platter and Chicken Nachos are dark meat now. Good to know, thanks!
 
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lindawdw

Well-Known Member
That's too bad Pecos Bill changed the chicken white meat to dark since most people prefer the white meat! :rolleyes: We used to eat at Pecos Bill's every trip until about 5 years ago when we switched to Columbia Harbor House because they put salmon on the menu! I hope they open that place up in 2021! I love seeing the pictures with the wide open spaces and no guests! Looks like the path to GF is open now!!!! We'll be staying there in December so we're very excited about that news!
 
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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
That's too bad Pecos Bill changed the chicken white meat to dark since most people prefer the white meat! :rolleyes: We used to eat at Pecos Bill's every trip until about 5 years ago when we switched to Columbia Harbor House because they put salmon on the menu! I hope they open that place up in 2021! I love seeing the pictures with the wide open spaces and no guests! Looks like the path to GF is open now!!!! We'll be staying there in December so we're very excited about that news!
Seems the Tomorrowland Terrace is reopening with the Columbia Harbor House menu.....still NOT the same!

I might have been able to walk the GF path with you in December but we canceled our trip. Perhaps in 2021....

Just noticed Kohl's has some adorable Mickey and Minnie umbrellas on sale this week, thought of you @Tuvalu !
Thanks, @krisri18. Very cute....but they’re manual not automatic. 🙁
 

lindawdw

Well-Known Member
Seems the Tomorrowland Terrace is reopening with the Columbia Harbor House menu.....still NOT the same!

I might have been able to walk the GF path with you in December but we canceled our trip. Perhaps in 2021....


Thanks, @krisri18. Very cute....but they’re manual not automatic. 🙁
Wow, that's good to know @Tuvalu!!! If the weather is nice then I'd definitely enjoy the view of the castle while eating my salmon lunch from the CHH menu! I would love to walk the GF path with you on one of these trips! We'll be back the end of February and then the end of April if you're around!
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
I was also intrigued by a secret room/area? that was incorporated into the queue. The door below (with mom and toddler) is typically closed. The door beside it is the door leading into the attraction.
Yes, the wait time for Pirates last week was at least 40 minutes, any time of day, save for the last half-hour of the night. We ended up going through the hidden room as well!
Obviously Woody and I didn’t get the memo to make strange hand poses for the ride photo.
It's hard to pose without facial expressions....it was a fun challenge this trip....
There wasn’t much else to do in Tomorrowland. Carousel of Progress had a huge line (we would learn why on our next visit two days later) and neither of us felt like waiting for Buzz. The humidity was taking a toll and an afternoon break was in order. We left the park.
Even with the shorter hours, park breaks are a MUST. :geek: :geek: They make returning later in the day so much better.

Also, loving the fact your cats end up inside the tree....Poly in the tree is adorable! Ours just lies underneath the tree.
 

93boomer

Premium Member
Wish we could put up a Christmas Tree. We tried to put up one this year when we heard you could put orange peels under the tree and they would not go near it - doesn't work. Even the new kitten, Jewels, chews on the branches!
We had to start putting up the fireplace screen around our big tree when our kitty was still with us. She would always try chewing the branches and it would come back up🤢 After a few years, we started putting up a tabletop one so she couldn’t get to it. She loved sitting on the back of the couch and staring at the lights.
 

MissViv

Well-Known Member
That is what happened to Phoebe last year. We put the tree up without decorations and she wouldn't keep chewing on it and when she threw up there were little tree pieces. Down went the tree!!

We decorate the mantel with miniature trees and we have a tree that hangs on the wall so we may put it up this year.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Though the weather outside is frightful 🥶
And the Christmas talk has been delightful

I need to get back to August or this trip report will never get finished!


Thursday, con’t
The heat had worn out Woody and he was perfectly content to lounge in the comfort of our studio’s a/c. This sunflower on the other hand made her way to the Lava pool.

The pool was nearly empty at 3 pm!

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I cooled off in the water. I knew I was taking a risk with the music from the Lava pool games, but today’s playlist was fun 80s music. And then it got even better.....TV theme song trivia....of which I am an expert. (Okay, Ellen. Expert-ish!)

When the game ended I treated myself to a Lava Smoothie.

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Since her school day had ended, I called Em to keep me company. As we talked I watched the clouds roll in. I cut our conversation short and made it back to the room mere moments before this happened ~

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Can’t blame @Darstarr for the rain. She wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow. 😉🤣
 

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