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.

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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.

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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..
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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?
 
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BwlrBry212

Well-Known Member
Late to the party with my page 4 entrance but following along and loving it so far. I am with you 100% on the Wall, Freeze, Beaver problems. My absolute favorite are the people that Beaver at the top or bottom of an escalator where the people behind literally have nowhere else to go.

Also, GO PHILLIES!
Regular Season Sport GIF by MLB
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After our Interstellar Salads we walked around and explored Galaxy's Edge.

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Still getting used to the lens...

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The Crowds were rising as fast as the temperature. The contrast vs. 2 years prior was striking.

2022

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2020

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While Toni and Sterg took a "potty" break I waited by these pipes and noticed some strange noises coming from below. Batuu sewage system gurgling sounds. I was pretty impressed that Disney went to the trouble to add this level of detail, so much so that I recorded a few seconds of it.

 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Loving the start! What a crazy start indeed.
I usually can't sleep a wink the night before because I'm afraid that will happen.

Thanks! Might have had something to do with the ? glasses of wine.

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Great trip report so far, looking forward to the rest! I have overslept and missed an early flight before. But it wasn’t going to Disney so it wasn’t that big of a deal 🤣

thanks @davi ! Yeah, could you imagine the embarrassment? Somehow Toni woke up out of a dead sleep!

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Hard to type but I am here. I will GIF where appropriate 😉

Glad you're aboard! Hope the hand heals quickly!
Here for the show! You already posted some beautiful pictures @fractal and off course excellent writing! Hoping I won’t sleep through my alarm on Monday as, I, for once need to catch a plane direction Orlando!

Thanks @Laurenciaa ! Happy that you're coming back to Disney!

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YAY!! Can't wait for more! Great start!!

Thanks @Ella's Mommy ! Great to have you follow - I think you've followed all my trip reports back to 2011!

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I’m following along too!

Thanks @Ghostdog !



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

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Lol! The strollers were back, and the skooters!

I finally here too!!!
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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. 🥰

Thanks @lindawdw ! I'm thankful that they not only agreed to go but love to go! Major mistake by me and we were lucky to make it!

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

Lol! Indeed!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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.

Afternoons were brutal. We were there during that big fight that got news coverage but in a different park.

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

Thanks! Destino tower is a moderate with a Deluxe feel!

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

Thanks, unfortunately they were all over the place!

LETS, FREAKIN, GO.

You look familiar.

Been looking forward to this!!!

Thanks @BrerWayne!

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

Thank you @Sabrina1705 !

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

Thanks @Wicked Sisters ! Yes on the videos!


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Love the crowd descrptions!!

Following along


Max

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fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I can’t wait for your report. Gran Destino is a fantastic resort!!!


Thanks @Pirate Magic ! Indeed it is.



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Can’t wait to follow along!


Thanks @Spash007 - Glad you're aboard!

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

I really struggled with it at first but eventually got the groove!



The "FREEZE" is one of my biggest pet peeves!

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Especially when there is a scooter right behind you. You know your ankles are going to get wrecked!

It worse when it's your own mother!

Late to the party with my page 4 entrance but following along and loving it so far. I am with you 100% on the Wall, Freeze, Beaver problems. My absolute favorite are the people that Beaver at the top or bottom of an escalator where the people behind literally have nowhere else to go.

Also, GO PHILLIES!
Regular Season Sport GIF by MLB

Better late than never @BwlrBry212 ! Some people think they're the only ones in the park!

Hopefully we get Bryce back in September!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
With no Lightning Lanes at DHS we had to decide our next course of action. Star Tours showed a 15 min wait and it kept with our current Galactic theme so off we went.

For some reason I thought going this way was a short cut...

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The kids argued against but man was I sure of it. Plus I got some "never before" photos...

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When it turned out that my "shortcut" was nothing more than going around in a big circle, Toni and Sterg started to dig in some comments.

"What's wrong with you today?" Toni asked. "First you sleep through the alarm on Disney Day and now you don't know where you're going?"

" and so far not a great job with the Genie+"
Sterg added.

"He also forgot to check-in on time with Southwest!" Toni added. "We were in group C again!"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that one."
I thought.

"But I was sure there was an alley here to Star Tours..." I mumbled a poor defense.

"Maybe it's just some Day 1 rust." Toni feeling bad for me.

Before too much longer we did reach Endor, but the wait was now 50minutes!

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That was decided to be too long. If only we had gotten here sooner...

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"Now what?" They both looked at me as I was once again on my Disney app scambling.

"Here we go, here's something."

"What?"

"Oh you'll both love it...Follow me!"
I said and marched on.
 

coachwnh

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
What's wrong with you today?" Toni asked. "First you sleep through the alarm on Disney Day and now you don't know where you're going?"

" and so far not a great job with the Genie+"
Sterg added.

"He also forgot to check-in on time with Southwest!" Toni added. "We were in group C again!"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that one."
I thought.

"But I was sure there was an alley here to Star Tours..." I mumbled a poor defense.

"Maybe it's just some Day 1 rust." Toni feeling bad for me.
Too funny 😂 😂😂😂
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
"What's wrong with you today?" Toni asked. "First you sleep through the alarm on Disney Day and now you don't know where you're going?"

" and so far not a great job with the Genie+"
Sterg added.

"He also forgot to check-in on time with Southwest!" Toni added. "We were in group C again!"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that one."
I thought.

"But I was sure there was an alley here to Star Tours..." I mumbled a poor defense.

"Maybe it's just some Day 1 rust." Toni feeling bad for me.
Here's my rule. You don't do any of the work of planning (or paying), you get no opinion!!
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
"What's wrong with you today? Toni asked. First, you sleep through the alarm, on Disney Day, and now you don't know where you're going?"

" and so far not a great job with the Genie+"
Sterg added.

"He also forgot to check-in on time with Southwest!" Toni added. "We were in group C again!"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that one."
I thought.

"But I was sure there was an alley here to Star Tours..." I mumbled a poor defense.

"Maybe it's just some Day 1 rust." Toni feeling bad for me.
Yup, I always say that there's nothing like family input , to bolster your ego! :hilarious: :p
 
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