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?

 

[lindawdw]

I finally here too!!!

I've learned the hard way to never put my head back down on the pillow when that alarm goes off before a trip to WDW! I'm glad you got to the airport on time! It's so fun that you got to take a trip with a couple of your grown kids and I love your analysis of the four groups of people!!! Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful photos.

 

[senor_jorge]

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 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!

The next time you are sealing envelopes that rant needs to become a video.

 

[RememberWhen]

Totally agree about the crowds. It was sooo hot, and that plus crowds makes for cranky people. We saw several arguments over the course of our week there.

 

[Darstarr]

What happened?

Broken metacarpal…

 

[Billy6]

Broken metacarpal…

do you need that?

 

[93boomer]

During the flight I used the $8 Southwest internet connection to book my first Genie + of the trip. With tax it came out to just short of $50 for the three of us. Mickey Mouse caught me in another human trap!

Our Park Reservation was at DHS but RISE of the Resistance was down that morning so no virtual queue. Our first Lightning Lane was a date with Steve Tyler and crew if we could make it.

I was excited to stay at Gran Destino Tower as I loved the photos of and @coachwnh spoke so highly of it. Now it was time to see for myself...

Our room wasn't ready yet so we left our bags will Bell Services, parked the car and checked out the lobby.

Can you see me in the mirrored ceiling?

I loved the look of the bar!

OK - we can take more pics of the lobby when we get back. Right now Hollywood Studios is calling our name!

On our way...

It felt good to be on a Disney bus again! Even if I missed focus.

We were all excited to get into a Disney Park again!

The last time we were at WDW was right after it reopened during the Pandemic in July 2020. It sure felt great not having to wear a mask!

Can you spot the airplane in the upper left corner (below)?

It felt great to be back! Now I just had to get used to this 14mm lens. Man is this thing wide!!

Absolutely love the Gran Destino Tower!!! We came thisss close to booking for Nov.
Loving the videos!! The pictures look amazing!

 

[93boomer]

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 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!

Such an appropriate description of those people!! Bravo!!

 

[fractal jr]

LETS, FREAKIN, GO.

 

[BrerWayne]

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 there 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. I have no idea who the people on the bench are.

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?

Been looking forward to this!!!

 

[Sabrina1705]

Always enjoy your beautiful pictures so for sure I’m in for this report!

 

[Wicked Sisters]

Great start, loving the photos already and hope there are more videos as well.

 

[Loco_driver]

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

 

[Darstarr]

do you need that?

 

[amjt660]

+

+

Love the crowd descrptions!!

Following along


Max

 

[Pirate Magic]

I can’t wait for your report. Gran Destino is a fantastic resort!!!

 

[fractal]

The standby line for RRC was 90 minutes so we were thankful for the Lightning Lane. I was guilty of doing a "freeze" in the queue line to take this photo...

The young lady close behind me wasn't paying attention as she literally head butted the back of my head! I apologized and so did she. Who's fault? It's a queue line which are inherently stop & go. We aren't going anywhere fast so it's probably a good idea to see what's in front of you as you are moving forward.

Steven and gang were back and still sticking up for their fans!



Waiting in the alley for our backstage passes and super stretch. Sterg and Toni were very content and taking it all in. I feel as they are getting older they're appreciating these trips on a different level. It's not just about running from attraction to attraction, but also enjoying the themeing and the atmosphere and being in the "Disney bubble". While in line I tried to bag another Lightning Lane but nothing we were interested in was available. Tower of Terror had no availability, or Slinky Dog or Smugglers Run. We were planning to hop to AK later so I booked Navi River just to have something. I wasn't too thrilled with Genie + at that moment.

Another Great high-speed AeroSmith concert in the books! The fog of the early morning hours had lifted and the Disney inspired juices were flowing.

We dashed out and made our way to get a recon on Tower of Terror. 120 minute wait with no Lightning Lane available - UGH!

The decision was made to grab lunch and I suggested Woody's lunchbox so off we went to Toy Story Land but first my first 50th statue photo.

Toy Story Land welcomed us with all of it's bold, colorful and vibrant atmosphere; and wall to wall people! We spent a lot of time here last trip but those were different times.

I continued to keep the 14mm on the camera and started to test the challenges of such a wide angle for a "walk-around" lens. One thing you have to be careful with is the people directly in front or to your side which typically were Sterg and Toni. They can literally block out most of the scene you're trying to capture.

Jess still trying to keep things under control...

Slinky just makes you want to smile!

We didn't mobile order so we entered the line to counter order.

The sun was starting to boil and shaded areas became highly sought after. After a few minutes sweating and reviewing the menu we all decided to find another spot.

Leaving the line of Woody's Lunchbox we took the jump to light-speed and traveled to another Galaxy.

 

[Tuvalu]

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.
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.
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.

 

[fractal]

Once we landed in Batuu it didn't take long until we were in the middle of some Imperial entanglements.

Kylo and his troopers were out and about. Toni, who has just recently started to get into Star Wars, said "Hi mean Star Wars guy."

Luckily our papers, despite being an older code, checked out. We continued our mission to obtain proper nourishment.

We deviated from our original plan to grab a Ronto Wrap and instead stopped in Docking Bay 7 and it's air conditioned seating.

I had the Endorian Chicken Salad and it was surprising great!

Toni was equally as happy.

 

[Spash007]

Can’t wait to follow along!

 

[cgersic]

Love that lens for the Galaxy's Edge photos!! Being able to see it all in one picture is really cool!