Yay for Best Park Day
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Waited a long time for the safari, but it sounds like there were some animals on the trail, so I guess I can’t complain too much. Bird show and now flame tree for an early lunch. Skipping Pandora makes for a really chill day.
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Ahem.
Isn’t there some kind of tree that’s like, centrally located and reportedly rather good in photos?
Asking for a friend.
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This happened to us last year, while we were on the safari. We were stuck for probably 30 min, close enough we could see where the hold up was. Giraffe on the road. They eventually sent a jeep with food to try to lure the giraffe off the road. It just brought more giraffes over. They gave us all an extra FP at the end. 
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Haha! Sorry. I haven’t gotten any tree pictures today. Crazy, I know! Actually, I think there only picture I took was that duck. What’s wrong with me!?
On a bus back to see if we can get in the pool. It’s finally warm.
I promise I’ll take one on the way back in tonight.
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You’re enjoying the moment? 
Which sorta rocks for you. But this is about us out here!
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Thank youuuuuuuu! 
Ok - I really failed at a live trip report. I completely forgot to post our last few days! So, I’m at work between meetings. Perfect time to start a better write-up.
I started re-reading what I wrote while there. Wow. AC is a jerk! Now that I have my decent keyboard, it should be more readable.
To begin, we left on Thursday, March 18, after a full day of school for the kids, and mostly full days of work for DH and me. He had his Moderna shot in the morning and I was concerned that he’d have some side effects. I’m happy to report that he only had a sore arm, for a day. We flew out of Terminal-2 at MSP, which is a smaller terminal (for those not familiar), and it was a great choice. It was quiet and easy to distance. Mask compliance was good there and on the plane. When we landed at MCO, it was fairly late - 10:30, I think. So, again, it was quiet. We were all tired, and the wait for a DME bus was long. We hadn’t really eaten since we wanted to keep masks on, so we tried to sneak a few crackers while we waited. I think we ended up being the second stop. At 11:00, we hadn’t yet gotten a room-ready text, so DH called. The scheduling agent said that we weren’t expected until 11:30 at the hotel, so they’d assign it when we got closer. Really?!
Anyway, by the time we got to WL, we had our room-ready text. It was not at all what I’d asked for, but the view was good, and it was close to the elevator, so no complaints. We had a birthday party next to us - 19 and 21 - and I was worried they’d be loud. They were not! Disney kids are the best. 
Friday 3/19
Instead of rope-dropping MK, which was planned, we slept in and explored the resort. That was definitely a good idea! I flipped our lunch/dinner plans. Again, easy to do when we don’t have ADRs. So we had an 11:00 lunch at Geyser Point. Yum! DD and I spent some time just sitting there, before it opened. There were hummingbirds and lizards and other animals to watch. Definitely more relaxing than a mad rush to MK.
Eventually, we wandered over to take the boat to MK, were we did a handful of rides. It definitely wasn’t “to plan” - but that’s something we did much better this trip than in the past. I had a plan but we could wing-it better and when we got stuck with “what next?” we went back to the plan. I think it also helped that DH started using the TP app. He really got good at checking wait times and knowing which ones were real. I appreciated not being the only one making decisions on what to do next. We didn’t stay until close at MK, but got an 8:30ish ride in at Space Mountain before heading back to zonk out.
ETA: We had dole whip snacks (regular, vanilla, and raspberry) when we first got to MK, and dinner at Pecos Bills. We walked our food over to Tortuga Tavern, which was an excellent place to sit. Quiet, shady. After dinner, we did PoC, which had a long wait. DH doesn’t like that ride, so it was probably a waste for him, but the rest of us had fun. Especially since we just watched the movie with the kids.
(I really appreciated these views of HM from the riverboat)
Saturday 3/20
We headed down for a bus to AK around 6:30. It was early. Wow. We were the first ones there, but not by much. A MK bus showed up about 6:50 and AK not much after that. We left right at 7. We were in the first crowd to Pandora. Having older kids, though, we can walk pretty fast. So quick waits for FOP, Navi, Dino, and EEx2. I hadn’t planned to get to EE in the morning, but the kids wanted to go there.
I marched them back to Nomad by 10:40, since you have all been saying how long the wait is. We were ready for a break. It was a chilly day, which somehow is just as tiring, to me, as a warm one. I waited in line for check-in while the family walked towards Pandora and gawked at the lines. We sat outside and played cards, drank, and had some awesome food. It was such a good break! DS says we have to go back there every trip, now. I don’t think I have any better pictures than the ones I posted.
After a break, we went to Rafiki’s. I think we were there at the same time as @Nikki7280. I saw a family that looked vaguely familiar. I couldn’t place them, but coming back to reports… pretty sure it was you! We did the animation thing, which was fun, and DD petted the goats. DS was tired, so he and I sat and took selfies.
After that, a safari, a snack, and FOP again. I really like the seating at RoL for maskless breaks. There’s so much space that I didn’t feel like we needed to rush to leave. The boat cavalcades get fairly close, so it’s a good place to see them, too. I do wish there were more/better snacks nearby. We did more snacking this trip, but didn’t have a lot of luck finding anything amazing.
We had dinner at Satuli, which was delicious. I had planned to do it after FOP, but we were hungry and wanted to wait to see if the FOP line would go down a little. (it did). I cannot convince my kids to put sauce on their food, but they did better at picking reasonable choices this trip. (last one, DS had milkshakes and green beans, DD picked kids food that she hated. She wanted mine and I ended up eating her kids meals). We often ordered 3 meals for the 4 of us, which was about right for the amount of food. We didn’t let DD order off the kids menu. She’s an adventurous eater.
The FOP wait was probably the longest wait of our trip - maybe 40 or 45 minutes. The kids wanted to do it, though, and that line is cool. I think we waited in more lines this trip than we have in the past, but I kind of appreciate it. They really set up the story for the rides. We usually do so many FPs that we don’t see that background. The lines moved, and for the most part, we had elbow room so it didn’t feel crowded. @ryan1 might have me convinced that FPP sucks.
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I was just thinking hey wait! - WE were at Space Mountain at 830pm 3/19 so we had to have been there at the same time! Also sounds like we were right with you am of 3/20 as we also did FOP, Na’vi, Dinox2 and EE! If you saw us at Rafikis we were TIRED. . That was last thing before break for us and only because kids were determined to be senior wilderness explorers. One of these trips I’ll get a pool day in somewhere!! Hope you had an awesome time!
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Sunday, March 21
Our first day at HS. We got there really early. The driver said he wasn’t sure they’d even let us off the bus until 8, but they did! There was a line of folks waiting to get in, off to the left. (I see what people say about the right-side tent, now. It doesn’t start filling until later). They fill that left section until some concrete barriers, and then start filling the right-side line. Although I was worried about all the people in front of us, we really were some of the first ones into the park.
We walked to MMRR, and were in the 2nd train, I think. Then we hustled over to MFSR. I didn’t know my way around that part of the park, so it was a bit of a winding walk, but we found it. We didn’t have much of a wait there, either. They had the 4 of us go with another couple. (I think they were disappointed to be engineers). DH and I were pilots, and I think we did OK for our first time. Could’ve been better. DS LOVED this ride. DH says “yeah, cuz it’s just like a video game.” After that, we were kind of at a loss. The plan was to explore and wait for our RotR time, but it was cold. It was getting busy. My MDE app wasn’t working. Exploring didn’t sound like fun. So, we walked over to see what SDD waits looked like. Um. NO. So we rode TSM instead. That’s really a fun one, and it was nice to get it out of the way earlier than planned. Back to GE for RotR (bg 16!). People. I do not love this ride like everyone else. I’d much rather ride SDD. It was grand. There were a lot of effects. But. Meh. By myself, I wouldn’t bother with the stress of another BG. DS loved it. (seeing a trend? He’s a SW nerd). Possibly it would be better in non-covid times. The masks really muffle a lot of the sound, so the interrogations are like “mumble mumble.” “what?” “mumble. go over mumble”. pointing.
We hit Star Tours on the way out of the park. You know? I never waited long for that line, so I had no idea it was supposed to be like a vacation trip/tour-guide kind of thing. Made the ride make more sense, and I enjoyed watching the robots in the queue.
Another off-plan move. We were planning to ride the skyliner over to CBR for lunch, and then back to the park right away. But we were cold. We hadn’t dressed right. So, we took a bus back to WL for lunch at Roaring Fork. That was a good choice! Their BBQ sandwiches were yum. The orange cupcake was surprisingly good. We ate inside (weren’t planning on doing any of that), and were only one of two groups.
After a nap, we headed back. The plan was TSL, but everyone was willing to wait for RnRC. We were dressed better, the music in that are is good, so the wait wasn’t too sad. My family of thrill seekers likes that coaster, but it’s just a bit too intense for me. So, I made them stop for a snack and a drink to settle my stomach at one of the Hollywood Blvd snack places. Nothing fancy - a pretzel and some water. I think DH had a beer. It wasn’t memorable. Probably bud light.
Finally, back to my favorite part of HS! TSL. I love the lights. I love Woody’s Lunchbox, I super-love SDD. We rode ASS, TSM again, and SDD (35 mins). While in line, we ordered from Woody’s - those totchoes are so SO good. We sat and ate, but we could see the SDD from where we were, and it just kept getting shorter and shorter. So, I hustled the kids to be done and made them get back in line. 20 minutes! And again before park close! We did it 3 times in the last 2 hours, plus dinner. What an excellent way to end the day.
Our 2nd ride on SDD, there was a man in front of us riding alone. We could see his family in front of him. The WHOLE ride, he kept yelling “Slinky Dog!!!”. It was just the cutest. We could tell he was getting his young son excited about the ride. So, the rest of the trip, DH yelled “Slinky Dog!” on every ride, at the most exciting part. He’s a troll. In a good way.
ETA: Ok. I wanna add this picture, too. I love those giant lights. I have no idea what my kids are doing. Fighting the picture maybe?
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These pictures are gorgeous! I am laughing out loud at your DH and his “Slinky Dog” trolling. That is hysterical and will be a tale for years to come I am sure!
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We were right there with you both at AK on 3/20 for RD!
It was fun, but WOW, the running!!! I was very surprised. We walked fast, my kids wanted to run but I told them there was no need. DS12 almost got tackled by a grown man (all in good fun!). I remember the days of being walked back to FOP by a line of CM’s - now that’s no more and it’s a free for all!
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DD’s ears are so cute!
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Thanks! She got a lot of attention for them. I only saw one other person with those ears.
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Aww, thank you! I don’t have a good eye for pictures, like a lot of other folks on this site. But a good phone (pixel 4) goes a long way.
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Monday March 22
We headed back to MK on Monday. It was still chilly, but we were getting better at expecting that. It also drizzled all morning. Not so bad that it stopped anyone, just enough to be annoying. We took the bus, since we’d been at the bus stop early on previous days, and knew when to be there. It’s a quick ride.
We went straight to SDMT, and were early in line. Again, yay for fast walking kids! However, they were really slow at getting it running. We probably stood there for half an hour. Still, we stuck it out and I’m glad we did. When we were done, our next stop was supposed to be PPF, but as we walked over, it was down. And down for most of the morning. We never did ride it!
So, we continued with our morning plan - got the rest of Fantasyland done, and half of Tomorrowland. Surprisingly, everyone in the family really loved Carousel of Progress. We picked up a snack at the Lunching Pad, which turned out to all be good choices. We’d never eaten there before. Then, since we were ahead of plan (skipped a few rides), DD wanted to go to Splash Mtn. We hadn’t gotten to do it on Friday since it was down (or a 60 minute wait). Since it was still cool and rainy, the wait was really short. DS had zero interest. He was grumpy about it. Said we’d get soaked. You know, 13. DD LOVED splash, though, and he did have fun. I got wet, but I think I was the only one. So, we rode it again!
Ack. I really want to share our ride photo from that second ride, but the watermark is right over us. I’ll add later, after I download the pictures. (I’m not allowed yet, with our share)
Anyway, after that, we had dinner at CRT. This was our only planned indoor meal. It was SO good. The food was delicious. However, DH and I were not comfortable in there, at all. It’s a small room, and almost every table was filled. DD had to order from the kids menu, which she was kind of sad about. She and DS shared their appetizers, and she got steak, so it wasn’t TOO bad. She would’ve like the sauce that I had, though, on my beef. DH’s scallops were the best meal, though. Hm. No good pictures of food. What’s wrong with me?!
After eating, we bailed for the hotel. We were going to bus it, but waited a long time. Then DD had to use the bathroom, and we decided a boat would be more fun. So, a long trip back. We took a nap, did some laundry. I really liked being in the DVC rooms with a laundry nearby. We had not prepared for so many cold days, so it was nice to wash our pants and sweatshirts. I think someone else had mentioned it, but the washers/dryers were free.
Even though it was cold, the kids wanted to swim. This was our last day at the hotel, and it was starting to warm up a little. (Like, low 70s). I took them down to the pool while DH finished the laundry. (He’s great!). I also ordered a pizza from Giordano’s for delivery. So, they played for a while - made a friend - and DH and I sat and had drinks and pizza. Eventually we dragged the kids out of the pool to force some pizza in them. Once their friend left, they were ready to go back to MK.
The end of the night, at MK, was meant to hit some highlights. Teacups, Carousel, BTMRR, and Space Mtn. It was fun doing those in the dark! We closed out the park, since we knew we could sleep in the next morning.
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Ok - let’s see if I can get a couple of these done today. My memories are starting to fade as work creeps back in!
Tuesday, March 23
Our first Epcot day! We also moved hotels - from WL to BCV. So, we packed up in the morning, ordered some breakfast from Roaring Fork, and DH took our bags down to the lobby. Bag transfer was seamless. He’d called and they told him it didn’t matter whether we took the bags down or whether they came to get them. (I just have to interject here. My DH is the best. I’m an introvert through-and-through. So while I do all of the planning, he’s more than happy to do the people-talking when we go on trips. He calls the front desk, he deals with all the weird interactions that make me uncomfortable. I love him. )
Anyway, back to the trip! Bus to Epcot. Fortunately, the weather started to warm up. We rushed over to TT, and like I’d mentioned earlier, it wasn’t running right away. It didn’t take long, though, and we were off by 10:45 or so. I don’t think anyone remembered TT from previous trips. We probably skipped it on the last two. DD, I don’t think, has ever ridden it. She gave a bit “woohoo!” on the outside part. But, DS said “Mom, that was just a big Chevy ad!”. He’s not wrong. I tried to explain that FW used to be all about different companies showing off their coolest tech. Now, I think he wishes it was still like that.
As we walked out, I spotted the Sunshine Griddle food stand. It wasn’t running yet, but I knew I wanted to get there, soon. So, we all went over to MS where the family rode. They felt bad not doing green side with me, but I don’t feel sad missing it, at all. I sat in the sun and enjoyed some people watching. We were hoping to go off-plan and ride SSE next, but when we walked over, the line was LONG. The plan was to ride it that evening, so we Nope’d out of that. Boo - lots of walking for nothing. Another reminder to trust TP!
I got everyone back to Sunshine Griddle for a snack. No one was really all that hungry, but we had no plans to go over to that side of the park again. Sadly, they weren’t serving the hash. The rest of the food was good, though! DH found a really quiet spot to sit and eat for a minute. So that was a nice, early break.
We stopped on our way into World Showcase for a couple of the Spike scavenger hunts. Those were great! DD was on a MISSION. They warned us that they only had Minnie plates. We weren’t planning to finish that day, so I was worried they’d be totally out of plates by the time we were really done. But, it’s more about the search than the prize.
I was floored by how busy the Mexico area was already. It was uncomfortable. We’d planned to eat there, but no one was hungry. So, we wandered around for a little. We didn’t go into the Mexico pavilion, but did see some of the Norse Gods stuff that we hadn’t found before. Eventually we did go back into Mexico for lunch at La Cantina. There was a fairly long line - maybe 10 parties in front of us, but it went pretty quickly. That’s one thing that I struggled to get used to. Even if there’s a long line, it moves… not just the ride lines. There was no outside seating, so we ended up inside. Again, not my first choice. This one didn’t bother me like CRT, though. It was a bigger place, more open air, and fewer people. Food was ok - the nachos were really good, but the chicken and pulled pork tacos were just so-so. We have a fabulous taco place at home, though, so I’m kind of picky.
After lunch, we walked around China, saw the video (first time for the family) and then went back to ride Frozen. We waited a fairly long time - 30 minutes?, but again, we weren’t coming back so it was our only chance. By that time, the sun was really hitting us. Our northern bodies just don’t know what to do in the heat (it was probably mid-70s. lol)
We kept moving - looking for something cool to eat. DD always wants a snack. always. I would’ve stopped at the German booth, but there wasn’t anything light to eat. It all is pretty heavy, and the line was long. The German pavilion was also really really busy. Once we got to Italy, though, we found some gelato, and that made everyone happy. Surprisingly happy! We found a table and just sat for a while, relaxing. There were a couple of cavalcades, and I have to agree - those are SO good. We’re not character people, so it’s fun to have a quick wave and be done.
In the America pavilion, we just caught the mariachi band. We definitely enjoyed sitting in the shade, there. DH ran to get a beer, but ended up with something just “meh”. As we were sitting there, we realized that the Voices of Liberty were getting ready to go, so we were happy to just sit longer! We MO’d some drinks from Regal Eagle, and that really made for a good break.
We wandered around a lot in Japan. I don’t think I’d done the paths back there, before. It was quiet and serene. Picked up some sushi at Katsura grill, and DH grabbed more food from Hanami. All of this made us so happy. The pork at Hanami was excellent! DD didn’t let anyone have more than a small bite. And the Katsura sushi was good. Nothing spectacular, but good. DH didn’t get the shrimp and crab, so I made everyone stop on our way out, to order that. I’m glad I did, too! It might’ve been the best snack we had all day.
Morocco, France were both fun to walk through. We were keeping our eye on the Friendship boats. They go every 15 minutes - last boat from FW is at 7:15. Last boat to FW is at 7:30. It was surprisingly easy to catch one. Lots of worry on my part, for nothing.
We picked up some desserts in France - probably more than we really needed, but yum! Then grabbed the boat back to FW. DD wanted to do the butterfly garden. It wasn’t “on plan” until Thursday, but we were ahead of schedule, so YES! Cute, but the one at the MSP zoo is better, and we do that almost every year. I think a lot of the butterflies escape, so at the end of the day, it was quiet. Both DS and I had a butterfly land on our faces, though. That was fun!
Everyone wanted to do Soarin’ next, even though there was a bit of a wait. It wasn’t too bad, though. 20 minutes, maybe. And air conditioned. The trivia was a good way to stay busy. We eyed up all of the food stands on the way out, but decided to leave them for Thursday. DS and DD wanted to try to do a few more gardens, so we walked back through Canada and UK. By then it was getting late-ish, and we still had to check in to the hotel.
But, DH was hungry. And there were fish and chips. And it was getting quieter. So we stopped. There’s a relaxation station right at the fish and chips stand, and while it was busy when we first got there, we found a table right on the water where we could sit and eat and relax. THAT is the way to end a day. The chicken pasty was better than the fish in my opinion. Too much batter on the fish. The fries were great, though, and the location was fantastic. See - DS loves the fries, too.
Finally, we walked over to BC, to see what our room was like. We were in 375… which, first of all, we really struggled with how to get to the villas. Like, we were there 4 nights and I don’t think we went the right way, ever, until the last day. And none of us are directionally-challenged. Second, 375 is almost the furthest room away from ANYTHING. It sucked. Plus, the closet door didn’t work, the tub dripped, and there was a stain on the floor. We looked out over a road. Disappointing. I did not complain and ask for a new room, though, because we were tired and didn’t want to move. Just, don’t get that one if you go.
On the positive, the bed was comfortable, and the pulldown was really nice to have. Luggage and blanket deliveries were quick and the staff was friendly. They’re doing some construction so a couple of the nearby doors were closed off. We had to basically go all the way back to the main lobby to get out of the building.
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Got a meeting in 45. I’ll squeeze another one in!
Wednesday March 24. The plan today was to do AK in the morning and then spend the afternoon around the hotel. However, we didn’t stay as long as we’d planned on Sunday, so I suspected we’d want to go back in the evening.
The busses at BC were terrible! It was such a disappointment after WL was so great. We waited about 40 minutes for the first bus, it was half full when it finally showed up, and we didn’t get to AK until about 7:30. By that time, cars were being let in, and I knew Pandora was going to be a mad house. No big deal. We wanted to go there in the evening, anyway, and we fortunately had done quick rides on Sunday. So, off we went to Everest.
There was no one going that way. It was great! We strolled through Discovery Island and planted ourselves in line. They were holding everyone in the ropes outside the queue and we were probably 3 or 5 families back. I ran to the bathroom, and we watched the ducks for a while. This is not zoomed in! He was right at our feet!
We were in the first train, 2nd car, and it was GREAT! There were hot air balloons in the distance and the sun was just coming up. De-lightful. (also, “Slinky Dog!”). When we got off, the wait was so short, we rode again with zero standing in line. Even I rode a second time, which I never do. Definitely done after two, though!
We trekked over to Dino, since DD had been begging to ride it again. No wait there, of course. Then, ALLL the way back to the safari. By then, there was a pretty long line. It was maybe 9:00. We got in line, though, hoping it wasn’t really that bad. It was. We stood in the sun in Harambe and waited. And waited. I heard someone coming off, eventually, say that there were animals in the way. I’m sure that’s what took so long because once the line started actually moving, it wasn’t bad.
After the safari, we picked up a snack - popcorn and roasted nuts, and got in line for the Up! bird show. Of course, it’s not Up anymore… and I like it this way. The CMs that do the show were so good. Entertaining and educational.
Lunch at Flametree was better than I remember. Maybe we just got food we like better this time? BBQ sandwiches and a chicken salad for me. Drinks were good, and we sat by the water, so we could watch the cavalcades again. Then, back to the hotel. The bus wasn’t memorably bad this time.
We walked in to SAB to see what it looked like - this was around 12:30, maybe. There were a couple of families waiting in line to go in, and it was PACKED inside. By then I was in “too many people!” meltdown mode. I asked if there was a way to get on a waitlist that would just text and the CM said that no, you just have to stand in line. In my mind I’m like. “No. I’m done in line. Screw you. screw this hotel. screw this pool” So, I made everyone go back to the room for a nap. Apparently I needed it!
When we all woke up, we decided to go to the quiet BCV pool, which fortunately did not have a wait. But it was full! It took us a while to find chairs we were happy with. I wanted to be within sight of the pool, at least, so I could keep an eye on the kids. No lifeguards and since I was trained as one, I’m not OK without someone watching them. But, we got settled and swam for quite a while. The weather was great for being in the water, and comfortable to switch from swimming to lounging.
We weren’t really hungry, but I wanted to get back to AK for the evening, so we got changed and I MO’d from Ale & Compass. Maybe just 2 meals and the bread? Anyway, that was one of the only times when there wasn’t an MO available immediately. It was fine, since I’d planned ahead a little. (thank you, Liners!) and we just had to wait about 10 minutes before we could say “I’m here”. No complaints on the wait, either, with this view! Also, DD loves the sand, so she enjoyed some “sandbox” time.
We sat on a bench in front of YC to eat our dinner. I wish there were some outside tables around there, but we didn’t find any. The food was SO good. And enough for us. Although, we were starting to get bogged down with all the heavy food. It wasn’t easy to find anything light, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one that ordered veggies on the whole trip.
We watched the bus stop while we were eating - there were two busses that came right as we were sitting down. (about 5:30). I think they were MK and AK, but I’m not certain. The lines grew and grew. Eventually - maybe 30 minutes later, a DS bus came, but couldn’t take everyone. Fortunately, they allocated a second one pretty quickly. But, we watched the line, and then waited in line, for almost an hour for the next AK bus. I realize it’s an off time, but really? An hour? I sure am glad most of that was us eating dinner.
At AK, I finally got some tree pictures for @OBNurseNH, and we had some ice cream.
We worked our way over to Pandora, where lines were getting pretty short. It was probably about 7 by then, and we did both Navi and FoP with reasonable waits.
Finally, we strolled out of AK after park close, which was fun. It was pretty quiet and neat to see Pandora all lit up. With an 8:00 close, and a 7:30 sunset, it’s hard to get much “after dark” time.
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