Trip Report Yia-Yia, Yetis and Epcotonians. A sweltering Summer of '22 adventure!

It was the night before our Disney trip and I found myself scrambling. So much to do besides "Disney but "Disney" needed to get done. Where are my SD cards? Where are all my Star Wars shirts? Where is my camera bag? We had just moved after-all and things were not where they should be because well we were in a different house. Toni was scrambling too. She is spending the Summer waitressing in Bethany Beach Delaware and came home THAT DAY to get everything ready for Disney. Her Mom however also wanted her to help get her "crap" ready for college (leaving in a few weeks). Tensions were running high and the early morning flight out of Baltimore was like lighting a fuse to a stick of dynamite. Time was ticking away!

This was going to be a different trip for us. Just three of the five in the family as my wife Val decided to sit this one out and my daughter Alex couldn't get her schedule to work. So Val will be going to New Mexico to visit Alex in a month as the final three, the triumvirate headed to Walt Disney World to meet up with my sister Marina's family and my mom (Yia-Yia).

The Triumvirate -

Toni (center), Sterg and yours truly.

As you may or may not know, one of the things I love about going to Disney is honing my photography skills. For this trip I decided to rent two fantastic (and expensive) lenses. The Sony GM 50mm f/ 1.2 and the Sony GM 14mm f/1.8 lenses to be exact. The cost to buy both of those lenses would be as much as the cost of the entire trip. Additionally I rented a lens adaptor to pair with my old Minolta 70-210 "beercan" lens that I wanted to try out on the Safari.

I've been crazy after the 14mm lens due to it's wide angle nature. It's actually so wide it's referred to as an "ultra-wide angle" lens. Wide angle lenses have wonderful applications at WDW and I was going to see how this baby was going to work for me. The 50mm 1.2 is a lens with a great reputation. Very fast, very sharp and producing beautiful bokeh as your sharp subject stands in front of a background that literally melts into a dreamy blur of photographic delight.

By 11pm all that was packed, what was left of my Star Wars shirts was packed - "Chris, aren't we just getting a bit too old for Star Wars shirts?" Val quipped - and everything else on my list was packed.



Toni was also packed and had full-filled her "getting ready for college" obligations.

Val said her goodbyes and goodnights..

and went to bed.


It was soon time for me to lay down for 3 hours of sleep. The hardest thing left for me to do was wake up with my alarm. I think I'll have a glass on wine (or two?). After-all, what could go wrong?

 

[coachwnh]

Congratulations

 

[riverside]

Yay!! Congratulations Toni!!

 

[rshell68]

Hi college graduate!
Congratulations!!!

 

[fractal]

Thank you for the well wishes and congratulations - from both Toni and I!

A few of the photos I took...

We have a WDW trip planned for next year with a very outside chance of a Christmas time trip this year. Until then I'll keep reading all the other wonderful Trip Reports!

 

[amjt660]

Congratulation to Toni and to you and your wife for doing such an amazing job of parenting!!!


Max

 

[senor_jorge]

@fractal photobombing with his camera.

This is the content that I’m here for!

 

[Minnie1986]

Are you ever REALLY too old for star wars T-shirts?

 

[Minnie1986]

A quick timeout to talk/rant about crowds and people moving through the parks.

Crowds were not an issue during our previous trip - July 2020 - due to the pandemic.

Here's a photo of me waiting for a bus at DHS. This was around 1pm in the afternoon. For a solid 20 minutes not only did no bus show up, I did not see one signal person. Not one. At a WDW Park bus station. As I wrote in my report - the possibility of a zombie apocalypse starting to enter my mind.

Well, the crowds are back! We found WDW to be very crowded this trip. This brought a sense or normalcy to things as for the most part there was no hint of the pandemic, which is great. The downside is how a good number of people maneuver badly through the crowded parks. Here are the worst offenders.

1) The "WALL" people as we started calling them. Groups of 4 or more that decide the best way to go through the busy parks is to go shoulder to shoulder, forming a single wall that makes it near impossible to pass or forces oncoming traffic to squeeze to the side to let through this privileged group. It's like they are auditioning for those dramatic shots you see in movies. Think "Cherry Bomb" scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 1.

No more than three across seems like a good rule to me.

2) The "FREEZE" people. Groups or people that are moving along at a good clip then someone just stops dead and calls for the rest to do the same instead of pulling off to the side to regroup. It's the same a a car hitting the brakes on a busy highway. Jams and Pileups ensue behind them. People dash to either side to avoid collisions but then risk head-ons with opposing traffic! I admit to being guilty of this on rare occasion but it seems like it was a constant thing on this trip.

3) Let's park the entire group right outside the exit of the attraction and figure out what's next. It's like BEAVERS building a dam but to prevent people flow, not water flow.

We were constantly dealing with the WALL, FREEZE and BEAVER people during the trip, especially when it was just the Triumvirate. Conversely, when Marina, Yia-yia and crew arrived, the challenge became NOT to become those offenders!

On that first day morning, the crowds were not that bad, but that would quickly change.

Time to ride a great indoor coaster!

We were actually early for our lightning lane so we wandering around a bit.

I found a new angle for Tower of Terror and the 14mm fit it all in!

I've somehow forgotten how stunning your pictures are. I'm SO late (I blame moving, work, and finishing grad school), but glad to catching up!

 

[Minnie1986]

Crowd rant is officially seconded...and especially the ones with strollers that do not "pull off"...

The Wall and the dead stoppers are the ones that really get on my nerves. I'm from a large and crowded city, where tourists frequent and do these things all the time. Having it done when I'm on vacation sends me to a whole new level of annoyed.

 

[Minnie1986]

We checked on Star Tours and it was now back to a 20 minutes wait.

"How can it go from 15 minutes to 50minutes back down to 20 minutes?" Toni queried.

Still staying in Lucas theme we circled back to Endor.

Hello R2!

and Threepio!

It was good to see C3PO being as neurotic as ever.



Toni posing by the light...

And once again, the Star Wars TSA droids put on a great and hilarious show. As I've said in my last 4 or 5 reports; their shpeel is a must listen!

Getting ready for the show!

These smiles are 100% genuine!

We were yucking it up in line. Talking about our previous times we went on Star Tours. The time we went on 5 times in a row, the time Val was the rebel spy. Lots of laughs while waiting for our next adventure.

Looks like it was time to put the camera away.

Our ride was great - a least a few scenes we never had before and just a fun time hopping from one death defying scene to the next.

It was all topped off by one of our favorite sayings in all of Walt Disney World...

Buh Bye! Which we repeated about 20 times after the ride.

It took me the longest time to realize that it was Allison Janney's voice doing the pre instructions and saying "buh bye!"

 

[Minnie1986]

Of course I forgot to take photos of the room; more first day rust. But they are spacious and decorated in a pleasant, non-Disney contemporary theme. The bathrooms have two sinks and make use of sliding "barn doors". The shower is behind a glass door and gives you the option of a large "rain fall" overhead shower head or hand-held adjustable head. The TV is mounted on the wall and welcomed us by last name as we entered the room. The biggest downside it the lack of balcony which is a shame because we had a nice view over the lake.

Sterg had made a pit stop that morning before picking us up from the airport. He bought 6 cases of water, fruit and other snacks for us and my sister's crew. After unpacking all of that and our luggage Toni wanted to take some "selfies" and of course I followed with my camera.

She wore a top made by Val and decided the lake and fountain made an appealing background.

Before long it became a photo shoot.

The bright mid-day sun wasn't ideal but we made it work.

I took a few photos of the grounds...

Coronado Springs is a beautiful sprawling resort. Later in the trip I would explore it more and found the rooms outside the "tower" were broken up in different sections, each typically surrounding a small and pleasant courtyard with a water fountain center. There were also sections of sanded beach for lounging, volleyball courts and other activities. The size of the resort reminded me a bit of Port Orleans Riverside despite the very different theme.
It was missing the visual "wow" that you find at Beach & Yacht Club and across Crescent Lake at the Boardwalk. I wasn't compelled at all to come down at night and take long exposure photos here.

Inside I was drawn to the lower lobby again...

My crew however was getting antsy so after a quick portrait...

We hopped a bus and ended up here...

Such a beautiful family!!

 

[Minnie1986]

Back on Pandora...

and ready to ride a Banshee!

When using Lightning Lane on Flight of Passage you miss out on the excellent queue line which we got to see several times in July 2020. There is actually a bathroom area in the middle of the queue line and as unbelievable as it may sound, in July 2020 while waiting for both Toni and Val to use the one-person ladies room, not one other person passed us or was seen in the queue line. But things are different now and the ride was packed.

This guy bugs me.

After another wonderful flight through the landscape of Pandora we made our way back to Africa one last time.

Everyone was in the mood for ice-cream to top off the day.

Making our way out...

As we passed Flame Tree BBQ the lights in the pavilion caught my eye. This is one of my favorite areas in all of WDW and we've eaten back here numerous times but this is the first time I saw the area with the overhead lights on. I decided to explore just a little and take some photos.

One last shot. Still struggling a little with the 14mm as I missed focus on Simba.

Our first day was coming to a close and we were all exhausted but filled with much satisfaction and appreciation of being back.

Sterg had a rough go of it lately with relationships and a few other things so the timing of the trip couldn't be any better for him. He has a true love of Walt Disney World and it was helping him clear his mind. It was also great for him and Toni and I to all spend time together as Sterg is now living in Florida and Toni has been waitressing in Bethany Beach, Delaware for the summer.

Sterg and I did our barefoot walk in the hallway and despite how great Gran Destino Tower looks, it's carpets are way behind the Yacht Club and Contemporary as far as plushness and foot massage effectiveness.

We unwound and laid our heads down to rest after a long, long but very fun day. The next day would start a new and much different stage of this trip with the arrival of Marina, her entire family and of course my Mom (Yia-Yia).
But first we had a morning date with Magic Kingdom!

Glad Sterg got a brief respite; we all need one from time to time.

 

[Minnie1986]

We were moving fast through the line but I still managed some shots...

I explained to the kids what a grave alarm was. A string in the coffin that rang a bell above ground just in case they buried you alive by mistake.

"Hi grave alarm."

Very good advise.

Nice view...

More signs

and more views...

I also explained why there were bird cages in the ceiling of the queue and why miners took birds, specifically canaries down in the mine shaft.

Gotta check for gold!

"No fish lips!" I commanded.

"I spent $5,000 for you to have a beautiful smile so let me see it!"

"Thank you!"


Sterg however couldn't resist harassing me with his version of the fish lips.

"I spent $5,000 for you to have a beautiful smile so let me see it!"

This is exactly something my parents would've said to me!

 

[Minnie1986]

Update from Marina - they had one room in the "tower" and another outside the "tower" even though she booked 2 rooms in the tower and requested all of us to be close to each other. She and the rest of the crew were waiting it out to speak with a manager.

I told her we have been going all morning and were heading back to the resort for some pool time and we'd meet up with her there.

Making our way out...

My boy loves to pose!

Toni's not far behind but she's always been that way for me.

heading out,

But I couldn't resist some "departing shots"...

The crowded parks certainly made photography much more challenging vs. our 2020 trip. Walls of moving people often blocked me or discouraged me for getting to where I wanted.

But I managed. I liked the gold overlay on the Clocks.

More Main Street USA

Here's a good example of "sharp subject melting into a dreamy bokeh-licious background."

Took this for @Tuvalu per her request!

I was kinda luke-warm for these banners. I expected something a bit bolder. But "understated" seems to be the current theme in Walt Disney World.

Have to get my balloon shots.

See you later Magic Kingdom! With the heat index soaring I was looking forward to some cooling off time.

I cannot get over the amazing quality of your photos!

 

[Minnie1986]

Wow!! I stared at this one for a while. Such a real perspective, and captures all the little things I just love when walking around Disney. Railings, lampposts, foliage, the details in the walls and stairs, and that blue night sky. Just beautiful!

This photo really took my breath away

 

[Minnie1986]

I was a big fan of Happily Ever After and I loved shooting those fireworks in 2017. Our 2020 trip had no night hours in the parks and hence no fireworks. I was not happy when I heard Disney did away with HEA with this new show but that didn't dampen my excitement to shoot fireworks on Main Street.

I adjusted setting slightly to allow for longer exposures.

Meanwhile, as I was enjoying my camera at the Hub, Sterg and Toni were watching the fireworks on Splash Mountain...



UP NEXT - THE FINALE AND WALKING OUT OF MK

The way I audibly gasped at these!

 

[Minnie1986]

I love this chandelier. I took this shot right after Sterg and I commented on the marvelous BC Lobby scent. Something we always enjoy as it fills us with memories of past trips.

On our way to the IG. Team Marina was just ahead of us. We arrived around 8:15. EPCOT opened at 9 but at 8 for Deluxe guests (Destino/Coronado is a Moderate). Thanks to a tip by @coachwnh we got there early and tried our luck.

The Force was with us that morning as we got in with no problems. It might have been the Jedi mind trick I used.

Group shot with Fractal shirts. I felt a little weird at first because I didn't know how Team Marina would react. I also decided not to ask before the trip if they wanted to wear them as I didn't want them to feel like they had to. Team Marina however loved them and were very cool with it. So next trip we'll all sport them.

It was a beautiful morning in France! Our first stop was an early standby for Ratatouille.

Bill and I had a few conversations before the trip about how we attack the Parks. I told him we go early before the crowds, spend the afternoon cooling off and go back out in the evening. They tended to sleep in more than we did but for this trip we followed our strategy and Bill and Aidan loved it. Both are active with Aidan achieving his Eagle Scout in high school and loves camping and hiking. In fact they both missed our 2017 trip because they were out West on a long hiking trip in the Mountains of Colorado. They certainly were up to the challenge of early morning Park commando mode. YiaYia was tired from the day before so she opted to stay back at the resort (which would cause issues of its own).

Getting closer!

I went to Disneyland Paris for my birthday a few years ago, and got to ride this there. I'm excited to see what/if there are any subtle differences.

 

[Minnie1986]

A hungry Sterg grabbed one of his favorites - a churro -

MMRR but this time with the whole crew.

This turned out to be YiaYia's favorite ride!

With the girls...

She was entranced!



This is the only photo I took during the ride having just sat back and enjoyed.

A hungry Sterg grabbed one of his favorites - a churro -

You can never go wrong with a churro!! Those and the popcorn are my absolute favorite snacks in the parks!

 

[Minnie1986]

It was around 20 after 10pm on July 19th and I was setting up for a long exposure shot of the Country Bears Jamboree when I received a text from Toni.

"Dad, are you going to check in our flight?"

We had a late, late, Southwest flight the next day. In fact it was the last flight out; 10:30pm. Of course I had completely forgotten about it.

"Doing it now" I replied.

I proceeded to scramble on my phone to pull up Southwest. While doing this Toni and Sterg were texting me constantly then calling me which each time they did it would pop up on my screen and interfere with
my checking in process.

"I'm doing it!"

"Stop texting and calling!"

I hurriedly replied with the anger building. It seemed every time I was in the middle of typing, an "incoming call" window popped up. So I had to swipe it away and start over. Then a call from the other one came up.

From their side however, they were not getting my texts for whatever reason.

"Don't forget Yia-Yia!" popped on my screen as I'm trying to type in my password in the dark. My Mom was flying back with us but I did remember that.

I was going hither and thither on my phone for a few more panic stricken minutes but I did check us all in between 10:30 and 10:31. All of us were end of Boarding Group B but at least I avoided the dreaded
Boarding Group C. Then I called back Toni and flipped out on her not know she wasn't getting my texts. After we all calmed down I took my shots.

The blue streak of light was some accidental "light painting" cause by a little boy carrying an illuminated souvenir of some type.

f/8, ISO 100 for 25 secs for those keeping score.

Then the shooting range and some more unplanned light painting.

f/8, 13 seconds, ISO 100.

Meanwhile, the 2/3rds hit up the Confectionary for a second helping of dessert.

Do you remember what dessert that Toni got?

 

[fractal]

I've somehow forgotten how stunning your pictures are. I'm SO late (I blame moving, work, and finishing grad school), but glad to catching up!

Thank you!

Such a beautiful family!!

Thanks!

Glad Sterg got a brief respite; we all need one from time to time.

Indeed we do.

This is exactly something my parents would've said to me!

Lol!

This photo really took my breath away

The way I audibly gasped at these!

They were so much fun to take.

I went to Disneyland Paris for my birthday a few years ago, and go to ride this there. I'm excited to see what/if there are any subtle differences.

I think they're nearly identical but perhaps there are small differences. We enjoyed the ride and happy for the addition.

Do you remember what dessert that Toni got?

I never saw it except for the photo. You would think they would have bought one for the 'ol man, right?


Thanks for finding the report and commenting @Minnie1986 ! I hope it's helping you get ready for your trip.