Trip Report We have kids...we just didn’t bring them! A Labor Day weekend Trip Report - COMPLETE

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to our special Covid Labor Day weekend…
I used to post quite a bit on these boards but haven’t posted a trip report in at least 7 or so years so I think an introduction is most definitely in order…

I’m Jess
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A few stats:
Favorite Park – Epcot
Favorite Disney character – Ursula
Favorite Attraction – Spaceship Earth
Least favorite Disney things: Animal Kingdom, Country Bear Jamboree and Piglet.

Traveling with me is my forever adventure buddy – my husband, Bill.
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Huzz stats:
Favorite Park – Magic Kingdom
Favorite Disney character – Pooh
Favorite attraction – Haunted Mansion
Least favorite Disney things: The heat.

A little backstory: So we’ve been together 12 years…married for 7 and have pretty much traveled only to WDW or Disneyland (and a Disney cruise) for most of the vacations over the last 12 years.
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Then in 2018 – we moved to Tampa for my husband’s surgical fellowship. We lived there for a year and went to Disney at least once a week. Well, I went at least once a week – Bill was obviously very busy but luckily I had my Disney bestie to keep me company
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My daughter Cameron…who if you couldn’t tell by the title...did not join us on this trip. Too much going on plus she’s 3 and will not wear a mask and will not not touch ALL the things.
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We had many fun Disney adventures over the year in Tampa. We moved back to Pittsburgh post fellowship (both of our families are here) and we’ve gone back to Disney a few times since…our last trip being in January 2020….
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Baby Yoda…I mean baby William was born in March - about 4 days before the parks closed…he was not happy about it.
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He also did not make the trip because its hot. And he’s a baby. And we’re in a global pandemic. And Mama needed a break. I was craving the magic!
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plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
EPCOT continued:

We left and headed to Norway but the line for Frozen was back to China. This is…you guessed it…another Cameron favorite. And possible the attraction we rode most when living in Florida so we had no need to wait to ride it today. Here’s just a sample of our Frozen adventures over the last year…
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(Long time TR readers may spot Hollybelle and her kids with us! We loved our weekly play dates with them to the parks while living in Florida. Hanging with them may be one of the the things I miss most of all!)
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And this is just a sample! So yes - we felt it was OK to skip Elsa this time around 🤣
 

plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Epcot continued:

Nothing at any food booths really spoke to us until USA.
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Carrot Cake with (extra!) cream cheese icing (8/10) and lobster roll (7/10)

Upon hitting France I was ready for more dessert. I love the chocolate macaron ice cream sandwich and the seasonal pumpkin so I was intrigued by another new seasonal flavor…raspberry.
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It was delicious and I enjoyed it walking around the area where they have dessert parties by the bridge. No one was there so it was nice to mosey a bit sans mask to eat.
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We went over to the less than stellar temporary MouseGears to buy some souvenirs for the nieces and nephews. I can’t wait until the MouseGears refurb is complete because that store leaves a lot to be desired.

Dark clouds were rolling it which meant it was time to roll out. But not without a spin on my fav attraction – and a fitting last attraction of the trip.
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Shoutout my Spaceship Earth kicks.
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When we left Project there’s no Tomorrow it was raining pretty heavily and we saw a garbage can knocked over! We got our umbrellas and stopped at the gift shop on the way out to snag some last minute merch.

And that was it. We headed back to the hotel and grabbed dinner at one of their restaurants. We ordered way too much food but here’s our cheese board.
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plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Last day continued:

My mom sent me this picture
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Like mother like son!

I love Disney World so very much but I was ready to get home to my babies!
We went back to our room – ate whatever desserts were left, packed up and went to bed. We left around 7am for the airport.We grabbed Starbucks and waited at the gate.
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Regular airport masks…
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Serious plane masks.

I read my book and Bill watched Trolls this time. We landed on time. Drove thru somewhere for lunch and picked up the kids. Another trip in the books!

Final thoughts and merch haul

MERCH. I love merch. I’ve spent way too much at ShopDisneyduring quarantine. This is just merch I bought for me in the parks.
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I am a sucker for anything EPCOT.

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And for attraction specific merch. Especially attractions that will soon be gone forever. And I only bought 1 for me to use – not like the eBayers who have been seen buying BAGS ON BAGS ON BAGS of all the Splash merch making it impossible to find for regular folk. I did buy my nephew a Splash tshirt because he was very sad he wouldn’t get to ride it again.

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A new wallet. Truth be told I didn’t need a new wallet. But I had the Disneyland 60th Harveys wallet and apparently that sells on eBay for quite a bit so I got this loungefly to replace the wallet I planned on selling.(Sold it for $350 and I had bought it for $50 at the outlets about 4 year)

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2021 wall calendar. Hoping for some more normalcy in 2021!

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And new Haunted Mansion sunglasses.
 
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plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Get out. I’m sorry Please Get Out.
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Cameron enjoyed one of her “Jungle the Boat” souvenirs. We also squeezed about 20 Wishables bags to find her a plush Jungle Cruise boat as well.

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And William showing off one of his souvenirs…
“Whats for dinner Mama? Dole Whip? Churro? Mickey pretzel?”

Final Thoughts:
😁It was nice to get out of the house and do something. It was nice to have some time just the 2 of us without the kids. It was nice to have lower than normal crowds. It was nice to ride big kid rides with each other and not alone via child swap. It was nice to see Disney taking any and all precautions with COVID 19 and we felt very safe despite being in areas with lots of people. No it wasn’t the most magical experience but it was a SAFE experience which is more important at this point.

😕It was not nice how hot it was. It was not nice that due to the physical distancing that many lines (although short waits) spilled out of the queue and into the sun. It was not nice (but necessary) to wear masks when very hot. And of course we missed the kids.

I would absolutely go back and am trying to convince Bill (and my parents to watch the kids again) to go again before our APs expire in December. Jury is out on that one.

Thanks for following along, friends! TTFN…Ta Ta For Now!
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Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
Loved your trip report, and the adorable kids pictures!
I bought the same sunglasses at the HM. I love them, and about had a fit when I thought I'd lost them. I found them in another pocket of my purse. You would have thought I'd lost a million dollars the way I was carrying on (per my husband, LOL)
Hope you get to have another trip in December. I am leaning towards booking a trip in the first part of December, too, but still on the fence with the mask thing. I am not a good mask wearer and feel like I'm suffocating.
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Enjoyed the report!

Your kids are the cutest - like a mini You and a mini Bill.

Hope you get back again pre-AP expiration!
 

flowergirl45

New Member
Loved your report and your writing style. Thank you! And it was fun to see Hollybelle’s cameo. Do you know if she still writes about her Disney adventures?
 

plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Loved your trip report, and the adorable kids pictures!
I bought the same sunglasses at the HM. I love them, and about had a fit when I thought I'd lost them. I found them in another pocket of my purse. You would have thought I'd lost a million dollars the way I was carrying on (per my husband, LOL)
Hope you get to have another trip in December. I am leaning towards booking a trip in the first part of December, too, but still on the fence with the mask thing. I am not a good mask wearer and feel like I'm suffocating.

Aw thank you! I love my HM glasses! A little bit of Disney every time I wear them. And they're so comfortable! I may buy another pair in the same style but not HM next time just to have more magical options!
We think we may squeeze another trip in in November - we are going down for a wedding in Tampa so we might piggyback off that so we keep the 2 week quarantines from the grandparents to a minimum. But thats almost a full week away from the babies so we'll see!

Those rings are are the cutest things ever!
Loved following along!!!
I love them! I have always liked them but didn't want to get my own name on a ring so a lightbulb went off once Cameron was born.
Loved the report! Hope you are able to get back before your APs expire!
Thank you! We are hoping for November - we have a wedding in Tampa and want to add on a few days after but jury is still out!
Oh my heavens! That Tigger outfit is just beyond words and the baby in it could NOT be any cuter!
Aw thank you! My poor kids have all these disney outfits and nowhere to wear them...so I do photoshoots of them just in my house with various plush and such...I'm pretty sure they hate me lol.
Enjoyed the report!

Your kids are the cutest - like a mini You and a mini Bill.

Hope you get back again pre-AP expiration!
Thanks Chris! I'm hoping William's hair lightens up to blonde so I get a little on him too!
Loved your report and your writing style. Thank you! And it was fun to see Hollybelle’s cameo. Do you know if she still writes about her Disney adventures?
Thank you! She doesn't write anymore but pre covid you could follow a lot of her local adventures on her instagram @hollyhicksphotography - she is an amazing in park photographer!
Thank you for sharing...loved all the pictures - especially your adorable kids!
Thank you! I so wish we could take them with us but I know it's just not the right time for my kids to travel. Hopefully next year!
I enjoyed following along, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! It was nice to relive the magic a bit.
 

newhorizons1

Well-Known Member
Way late to the ending of this - we had our own trip to WDW. Loved all of it though! POG mimosas are on my list now, as is an adult's only trip. We've only taken a pre-pregnancy babymoon together alone. Otherwise we are with family. Loved your Frozen photos too. Oh and your lament over Splash reminded me we never got our onride photos either. boo.

Thanks for taking us along!
 

plaz10

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Way late to the ending of this - we had our own trip to WDW. Loved all of it though! POG mimosas are on my list now, as is an adult's only trip. We've only taken a pre-pregnancy babymoon together alone. Otherwise we are with family. Loved your Frozen photos too. Oh and your lament over Splash reminded me we never got our onride photos either. boo.

Thanks for taking us along!
Adults only trips definitely call for extra adults only beverages!

We go back next week so I’m hoping that my splash mountain photo shows up this time!
 

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