Agree, we still had a great time and didn’t really miss some of the things that are not there right now. Going back next month, half Disney still beats zero Disney for me!
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I’m so sad your trip is over! I never really got into the forum before this, but you’ve made me a true fan! Can’t wait for the next one!
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This was SO much fun, LIVE reporting from @Randall1028 and banter from the gang! I’ve been thinking of a solo (again) too and your comment about having us with you made it easier made sense. I did a solo trip 25 years ago and it was awkward, no cell phones then either 
well not the kind you could carry in your pocket anyway. The dimished hours are the biggest draw back for me cuz I really hate the HOT… I’d rather rope-drop, break, and evening cool walk. And now being local, I can’t go after normal work hours cuz Disney has ‘normal’ work hours… so I’ve got to do weekends (nope, nopeity nope to quote Randall) or take PTO. Has me reconsidering the value of my AP. As far as your assessment of safer at WD or grocery store… we won’t shop locally due to the poor follow though of locals in FL. So, it’s got to be where you live. We did feel safer in Utah. We’ve lived in Florida off and on over the years and one thing I thoroughly appreciated living near the kingdom was the ability to go often to be able to slow down and enjoy all the details. Our best family pics. and memories of the parks are when we lived here rather than the frantic pace of a vacation and trying to fit it all in. I know not everyone has that option, but I’m grateful for it once again. And grateful to Randall’s accomplices @missoverexcited and @PrincipalTinker to make the journey even more magical. I too am looking forward to a shutterfly book to order 
Maybe you can make a commission there too Randall?!
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There will be no gingerbread displays this year and no Candlelight Processional this year. Those were the definite highlights of our Christmas trip last year. That would be a deal breaker for me. The Storytellers in Epcot were cool too. While MK and DHS had cool holiday decorations, the gingerbread displays were a sight to behold. If you go this Christmas be sure to go another year too.
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I’ve appreciated the trip report and the summary. The summary honestly makes me feel like it’s a great time to go with my littles. There’s too much to do in normal times and it was overwhelming to figure out what to do for their first trip. Now I don’t really have to choose, and I’m all about that life. At least now, during COVID. I haven’t been to Disney in 4 years, and it will probably be another 3-4 before I go back, but I’ll alway remember our COVID-cation with my free-under-3 babies.
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I was not expecting to catch up on the day and find that you are heading home early. I agree, that does set a terrible precedent. No good at all. Glad you stood your ground and got some compensation though.
Thanks for the amazing pictures and sharing so much of your trip with all of us. I thoroughly look forward to all of your trip reports. Your attention to detail and capturing the little things on camera is amazing. I wish I could take the time to do that when we are there, but alas herding littles takes priority.
Thank you for your honest assessment of how things are right now. You’ve solidified that we won’t return until things are normal again as too much is missing or different.
I hope you have safe travels back and were able to stock up on some Disney snacks to take back with you!
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I see I’m 14hrs too late, but safe travels and thanks so much for taking us along with you. Great report. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at your photos.
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I’ve been reading along but mostly not chiming in, but I want to thank you for sharing your trip with us once again. I know you claim to like it but it does seem like a lot of work and time and I, for one, appreciate it so much! Disney isn’t on my calendar in the near future, for both COVID and other reasons, but seeing it through you is the next best thing.
I also went back and read your trip reports from your two trips with your mom and I wanted to say wow - both in the sense that you’re a fantastic son and it was so clear how much you loved and admired your mom and how hard you were working to ensure she had the best possible time, and also how precious to have those photos and memories of time you were able to spend together.
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Thank you so much for sharing your trip report! It’s been so helpful as we are leaving in 30 days for our trip! I find it hard to get much detailed information directly from WDW.
One question I’m still struggling to figure out is whether or not you can access other resorts. We are staying at BW Villas. Can you only get in to another resort if you have dining reservations?? So no dining at quick service at any other resort other than BW? We are trying to avoid too many ADRs because of the shortened park hours but I’m getting worried about getting food outside of the parks without having to go to Disney Springs.
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I dunno, I was basing this off of the thought “would I feel comfortable sending my friend there on his family’s first trip?”. And the answer would be a resounding NO. Not with my “Disney recommendation reputation” on the line. For liners who have already done Disney repeatedly? Ehhh even then, still no. I metered my expectations, even planned for it, and it still wasn’t enough. There is a LOT of frustrating little nonsense you gotta put up with that has absolutely no payoff(like the unmarked busses. WHY ARE THEY UNMARKED!?).
I feel this is most definitely a “grass is greener” situation to those who haven’t gone. I was one of those.
Looking at trip reports, you’re thinking “yeah! That looks like fun! I can weather that, no sweat! Imma do that!” But then you’re hit with the massive amount of downtime where you can’t really “smell the roses” because you’re either not in the parks or you’re trying to maximize your time in the park’s limited hours, the “I normally can do this but now can’t”, the “can’t leave because I’m losing what park time I have” and the “well there’s nothing else to do that doesn’t require a stupid amount of wait…might as well”. And that’s before the Covid “oddities” (like only certain doors can be exits now and certain ones entrances. Which, btw, often the doors are labeled as both. So…that’s fun… and confusing). Oh and those little rules change based on crowd level too, so the rules you were familiar with yesterday? Surprise! Different rules!
Speaking of different rules, I wanna revisit the whole security debacle that I was introduced to on day 1. That ended up being a completely isolated incident. After that first encounter, the only thing I had to take out of the bag was my aerosol sunscreen and iPad. Everything else was fine. And the security screeners were so precise at AK, that I didn’t even have to remove anything. So first day: yeah that was awful. After that, it was a lot more pleasant. But the parks still need to standardize their rules and tech. Ak’s obviously, was the best. And it still would behoove disney to properly brief people on what’s what before they get into (and ultimately hold up) the line. Just like they do for TSA screenings.
One thing I definitely missed was fast passes. It’s not even that I needed them for the most part (on paper) but it would’ve at least guaranteed 3 times I wouldn’t have had to wait for a ride. 5minute wait for a 5 minute ride is fair, imo. 60 minute wait for a 5 minute ride…not so much. Fast pass is an equalizer in that regard. No muss, no fuss, and no analyzing the line app over and over again. It’s like going to the grocery store with a shopping list, it’s good to make sure you’ll have the necessities checked off, and anything else is a nice bonus.
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This was something that I got frustrated with at DS. First day at DS, the line for World of Disney was really long, and the only entrance was over in one far corner nearest the street.
Next time we went to DS, I knew this and so dutifully walked all the way around the building to the “one and only entrance”, only for the door to be blocked by an employee (who was inside) who said I couldn’t come in. I knocked and she came to the door, and I said, “But this was the door to get in last time.” And she said, “It changes depending on the crowds.”
Sigh
I could definitely see how the park hours would be super annoying for an adults-only trip, but with a 3 year old- yes! He gets to bed on time and we get to drink on the balcony. Haha. Just looking for a silver lining here.
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Problem is your day doesn’t start early either. Heck, an Epcot day doesn’t start till near lunch time. 
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I was just coming here to say this. Even last fall with pretty decent park hours, my day is pretty wrapped up by 6:30-7pm. And we really like to enjoy the resort pools on our trips, so any other time would be there!
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Thankfully my kiddo likes to lay in bed and watch shows until about 9:30 while we drink coffee. One in a million there, we should stop while we’re ahead.
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No snark, but are you just not a pool fan?
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Nah, I’m not huge in swimming in other people’s pee and excretions 
(Total snark 
)
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We were staying at AKL with a savanna view, so I didn’t mind coming back early as much. I would have liked the option of staying later, but we still would have tried to spend a couple of evenings at the resort just to enjoy the animals.
However, I agree completely that this is not the time for a “first” Disney trip or even a “once every few years” trip. We go to DLR frequently, so our trip was about a) getting some Disney ( cuz some is better than none; and b) doing all the rides we don’t have in Cali.
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First, thank you very much for this trip report! They always become my #1 source of entertainment when the show is on 
Based on your analysis, I got the feeling the right now is probably not the best time to visit Disney for the vast majority of people, lower crowds don’t make up for everything else (specially park hours).
But, with everything else going on in the world, the delta between WDW and normal life might be greater . Also, there is a general feeling of not taking things for granted and not leaving things for later. So a worse WDW might still be the right thing for a lot of people.
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I rarely do public pools or hot tubs. I will make an exception for a 4-5 star lazy river. And then, your not THAT much in the water.
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