Everything I touch turns to broken. A fantastic Festival of the Arts Trip – January 2023 (Updated 6/22!!)

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Day 4, Part 2: Back to Breaking Everything!​

We last left off with me getting into line for the early entry!

I was thrilled when at 8:25 they let us loose!

My first stop I had planned was Buzz! However, it was broken down, so I opted to hit up the people mover instead. Fortunately this was running!


(I know I’ve said this before, but did you even ride the peoplemover if you didn’t get this shot? )



While on peoplemover I checked the app for wait times and was shocked to see so many rides were down! I was apparently back to breaking everything!

After peoplemover Buzz was still down and Space had a pretty long wait, so I made my way over to Fantasyland where PPF and Philharmagic were also down whomp whomp.

I ended up making my way to Dumbo! I hadn’t ridden it since it was behind the castle, so it’s been some time!



It was walk on at this point and I felt a bit odd basically rope dropping this and being surrounded by toddlers, but whatever, it’s a classic!



After Dumbo it was just before 9, so I made my way to the castle to take the side path down to Adventureland and head over to Pirates.

I made great time and was at pirates at 9:02, only to find that it too was down! Ugh, why must I keep breaking things?!?!

I decided to head back up to HM since Jungle Cruise already had a 80 minute posted wait! I got the HM, and the line was nuts, extended back past the riverboat.

Awesome.

Well, I didn’t have anything else to do so I got in line.

After being in line about 5 minutes, this large group in front of me decided to give up waiting and left, and as I was walking to fill the gap they were in, this couple walking by jumped in front of me totally cutting the line! UGGGGHHHH I HATE PEOPLE.

Now, it was only two people, and they were clearly completely oblivious and seemed like they were on their honeymoon and since I was last in line I figured it wasn’t worth starting something with them, so if you’re reading this, I hope ya’ll enjoyed your trip, but seriously, pay attention to your surroundings next time!

When I got in line for HM the posted wait was 20 minutes, but quickly jumped up to 40. I ended up waiting 35 minutes. Not ideal, but not unexpected with so many rides down at that point.

It was a great ride once on!



So I’m looking off to the side in this picture because I swear during the lightning flash I saw a hidden Mickey on the sails of the ship painting and was watching it to see it again! HA! (the lightening didn’t flash again so I never did confirm this grrr)



After HM I checked the app and saw so many rides were still down, and the rides that were running had super long waits (not unexpected), so I went to get photopass pictures instead. First stopped to get a picture of Splash, RIP.


(btw, this must look so weird now without the stump on top of the mountain, like can you even see there’s a mountain there from this viewpoint anymore???)









I finally found my way over to outside of Pecos Bills where I found a wall to sit on and wait for my Thunder LL time to come up and call my mom to give her an update on my trip. While waiting I booked another LL for Pirates for in about an hour, which was still down at that point and surprisingly turned into an anytime LL immediately so I could book another LL right away.

Also, I’m trying to figure out how I booked another LL before my Thunder return time. If the park opened at 9 I should not have been able to book one until either 11 or after scanning into Thunder, but for some reason I was able to book one just before scanning into Thunder at about 10:05. No idea what was going on, but I seriously was having some LL luck that day! I did double check this with my mom, and she confirmed that I had booked the Pirates LL while chatting with her while waiting for my Thunder LL. I wonder if there was a glitch in the system this morning since my Pirates LL also immediately turned into an anytime one even though my return time wasn’t for another hour…or maybe the CM on the phone that morning had done some behind the scenes magic?

Anyways, I headed over to scan into Thunder 5 minutes before my return time because I apparently live for the grace period, and scanned right in.

I got stuck behind a family with a very young kid who insisted on letting the kid walk the queue. This happened a lot this trip. It was kinda annoying. Like if your kid is so young they take 10 minutes to walk 30 ft, maybe don’t let them walk the entire LL queue, kinda defeats the purpose of the LL!

Ok rant over! (and kinda kidding….kinda)

When it got to my turn to be assigned a row I saw I would be row 1 which I’m not a fan of, so I asked if I could possibly wait for the last row, and the CM was super nice and told me to just wait to the side and I’d be in the last row on the next train. YAY!!!!!

I did get my last row and it was so much fun! I still do not understand why they haven’t added a picture on this ride..

After Thunder I decided to hop on the train at the Frontierland station, so headed over there. I lucked out and got there just before a train left and got on just before it did!



It was such a nice ride around the park, but my goodness was it packed! I’ve never seen so many people wanting to ride the train!

I rode it the full loop of the park, getting off again in Frontierland.

I decided that even though I had an anytime LL for the broken down Pirates, I really wanted to ride Pirates, and it had just opened so I headed that way!

First up, picture of the Splash sign, probably the last time I’ll see it in person.



It was a short wait in the LL and soon I was on!

There is no picture from this one since the camera wasn’t working. The people in the row behind me were REALLY confused about this. They had apparently posed for the picture, but after passing where it is and no flash went off they spent the rest of the ride debating where the picture is actually taken.

Next up: Steakhouse 71!​

 

[Wood Nymph]

While on peoplemover I checked the app for wait times and was shocked to see so many rides were down! I was apparently back to breaking everything!

After peoplemover Buzz was still down and Space had a pretty long wait, so I made my way over to Fantasyland where PPF and Philharmagic were also down whomp whomp.

No wonder HM was crowded. There was nothing left to ride!

 

[PAsFab5]

Joining in and all caught up! What a great trip so far!!

 

[VAtink]

No wonder HM was crowded. There was nothing left to ride!

Haha, yup! I've never been there when so much has been down at one time before, it really put a damper on my touring plan. Oh well, it was still fun, just not the morning I expected!

 

[VAtink]

Joining in and all caught up! What a great trip so far!!

thanks for following along!

 

[VAtink]

Day 4, Part 3: Steakhouse 71!​

After Pirates it was about 11:20, and I had lunch reservations at 11:50, so decided to head out.

I made my way out of the park and over to the path to the Contemporary!

Of course, just my luck, there were only three parties on the path, two in front of me, and myself. Seriously, the entire walk over there was NO ONE ELSE.

It was wild, so the group in front was super slow, so the couple in front of me and I passed them quickly, but the couple in front of me and I were walking the Exact. Same. Pace.

Do you know how awkward that is? It’s awkward.

And once again, it was JUST US on the path. How is this my luck?!?! (This happens at home a lot as well. I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to work, and somehow almost every single day I go to the office I end up walking almost the entire way with another person just in front of me or right behind me, no one else around!)

After a very awkward walk I was in the lobby of the Contemporary and made my way to check in for lunch at Steakhouse 71!

There was a bit of a wait to check in, and once checked in another short wait for my table to be ready.

Finally I got the text my table was ready and went back to the desk to be seated.

I was brought to a two top table in the middle of the room right next to a column. Directly on the other side of the column was another two top table. So I sat down and ordered some water and perused the menu.





A few minutes after I was seated, another solo diner was brought to the table on the other side of the column, and for some odd reason she decided to sit on the same side as me. It was just odd, like it would be one thing if it was two people sitting there, but to have another single diner basically sit next to me and us both be facing the same way just felt so odd! If she sat on the other side of the table the column would have been between us affording more privacy, but I guess she just wanted a table buddy!

I decided to order the French onion soup to start, and then got the burger for my meal. I also got a glass of pinot noir.

The soup came out very quickly and was delicious!



I would definitely get this again.

Shortly after finishing the soup, the burger came out!



This was a good burger, but not the best I’ve had, nor the best on property (that designation I believe belongs to the bison burger at Geyser Point). It was still good and a perfect lunch!

After eating I paid and headed out. I managed to book a Minnie Van, so went out front to wait.

It arrived pretty quickly and soon I was on my way back to the YC!

Next up: Oops, I broke Guardians Again (and the monorail…sorry everyone)​

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I really like Steakhouse 71 but wish they'd done more with the dining room decor. All the vintage photos in the entry hallway are amazing ... wish there was more of that. And don't get me started on how close together the tables are in every restaurant. I understand wanting to maximize the space and profit but oof. I think my current favorite burger is at Ale & Compass but agree the bison burger at Geyser Point is great and I enjoy the '71 version too.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We had dinner at Steakhouse 71 in February and it was just okay - nothing special. At least the French Onion soup was good.

 

[Araminta18]

I got stuck behind a family with a very young kid who insisted on letting the kid walk the queue. This happened a lot this trip. It was kinda annoying. Like if your kid is so young they take 10 minutes to walk 30 ft, maybe don’t let them walk the entire LL queue, kinda defeats the purpose of the LL!

YES I feel this so much. We went through Swiss Family Treehouse once and the family in front of us had their toddler leading the way who apparently had just learned how to walk and man we were SUPER BACKED UP as they walked him up and down the stairs. Adorbs, but also so frustrating.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That really does look like a perfect lunch~yum! Very odd about your fellow solo diner sitting right next to you. People are seriously so weird

 

[Stacybaeasm]

You didn't get the cake at Steakhouse 71? The cake is the reason I go. I'm drooling at my desk, dreaming about that chocolate cake.

 

[VAtink]

I really like Steakhouse 71 but wish they'd done more with the dining room decor. All the vintage photos in the entry hallway are amazing ... wish there was more of that. And don't get me started on how close together the tables are in every restaurant. I understand wanting to maximize the space and profit but oof. I think my current favorite burger is at Ale & Compass but agree the bison burger at Geyser Point is great and I enjoy the '71 version too.

Yeah, I love the photos as you enter, but the dining room itself isn't anything special.

Ohhh, the burger at Ale & Compass is amazing! For me, the bison burger still wins, something about the topping on it just makes it soooo good!

 

[VAtink]

We had dinner at Steakhouse 71 in February and it was just okay - nothing special. At least the French Onion soup was good.

Yeah, it wasn't bad, but wasn't something I feel like I need to come back to right away. The soup was pretty good though, I would 100% get that again!

 

[VAtink]

YES I feel this so much. We went through Swiss Family Treehouse once and the family in front of us had their toddler leading the way who apparently had just learned how to walk and man we were SUPER BACKED UP as they walked him up and down the stairs. Adorbs, but also so frustrating.

Haha, I'm so happy I'm not the only one! I feel kinda bad complaining about it, but it is really annoying!

 

[VAtink]

That really does look like a perfect lunch~yum! Very odd about your fellow solo diner sitting right next to you. People are seriously so weird

Right? Haha, it was so awkward! The lunch was good, but super filling, I couldn't even finish the burger!

 

[VAtink]

You didn't get the cake at Steakhouse 71? The cake is the reason I go. I'm drooling at my desk, dreaming about that chocolate cake.

I had actually planned to get the cake, but I was soooo stuffed from the soup and burger I just couldn't fit anything else in.

In retrospect I should have gotten it to go and had it later that night. Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[VAtink]

Day 4, Part 4: Oops, I Broke Guardians Again (and the monorail…sorry everyone)​

After getting back from lunch I took a short nap before getting ready to head out again.

Around 4:30 I headed out again, this time to Epcot! Earlier in the day I had booked an ILL for Guardians, and I was already within my return time so had to get there.

When I arrived at Guardians I was shocked to see the LL line was out the door! WHAT!?

I figured it should still be a short wait being a paid ILL, so got in line.

Well. I was wrong. I seem to have broken Guardians, again.

Once inside the building the LL line just completely stopped moving. I have no idea what was going on, but in about 20 minutes of the LL not moving, the VQ line moved huge chunks FOUR times! I don’t know if the CMs confused which line was which, but the VQ was definitely seemed to be getting priority over the LL this evening, or tons of people were leaving at the same time.

The wait until the preshow ended up being 40 minutes, which I gotta say was way too long for how expensive ILLs are.

I did end up standing next to the nicest woman in the second preshow room, we bonded over the fact that we both rushed to the doors when the lights came back on. While the preshow was doing it’s thing we discussed the songs we’ve had and which ones we were missing. She was the nicest person and we had a great short chat, I feel like we would be friends if we knew each other outside of Disney!

We were both shocked when the doors opened to see there was absolutely no one in the queue! We were the first through the doors and into the queue. Seriously, from the preshow room all the way to the boarding the only people there were CMs. Guess the ride had been down for a bit!

Oddly, even as two solo riders who arrived at the same time and no one else waiting in front of us, we were not assigned the same row.

This time I got EWTRTW. Still no Disco Inferno. GRRRRR.



Once off the ride I headed to the front of the park and out to the Monorail! It was time to head back to the MK!

The monoral to the TTC was pretty quick, I think I waited maybe 4 minutes for one to arrive. Once at the TTC I transferred to the MK monorail, and once again had a super short, maybe 5 minute wait.

The MK monorail had just started to pull out of the station, made it maybe 10ft, when it came to a sudden stop.

A moment later the driver came on the intercom to let us know that there was traffic ahead and we would be moving shortly.

Ok, that’s reasonable.

Well, was reasonable, but then we just sat there and didn’t move. About 5-10 minutes later we see the CMs outside at the monorail station start to clear the station!

Uh oh, this isn’t good.

Still no word from our driver though, so we all just sat there stuck in monorail limbo waiting to either be kicked off or be whisked away to the MK.

Finally after about 15 minutes we moved!!!! Phew!

We made it just past the Contemporary where we stopped again.

NOOOOO!!!!!

Ok, I really need to stop breaking things.

Fortunately this time the stop was pretty short, only a few minutes.

By the time we made it to the MK it was clear there was something very wrong with the monorails, there were CMs blocking all the entrances telling people the monorail was down indefinitely. One even came up to me as I was exiting to tell me I couldn’t be there since the system was down….um, ok, but I do hope you realize I can’t exactly teleport myself from the monorail directly into MK, I actually do need to walk by you to exit the thing…

So yeah, sorry to everyone who wanted to take the monorail that evening and I think the next day, I didn’t mean to break the thing.

Next up: Dessert Party Time!​

 

[Wood Nymph]

That was a really long wait for a paid LL for Guardians. At least you heard a different song this time.

I really don't like the monorail, either of them, mostly because of the fear of being stuck in it for a long time.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Yikes on the Guardians wait. That is way too long when you've paid extra to "skip" the line! The monorails are getting up there in age, but I really hope they are able to upgrade them somehow and make more reliable (& smell better, if possible, haha).

 

[VAtink]

That was a really long wait for a paid LL for Guardians. At least you heard a different song this time.

It was so ridiculously long. I feel like after a certain point they should give refunds for the ILL if it takes too long. It was nice getting a different song!

I really don't like the monorail, either of them, mostly because of the fear of being stuck in it for a long time.

I don't mind it if I'm not in a rush, and I'm not traveling during busy times. We used to love to take it from MK to Epcot after a morning at MK and just walk through Epcot to get home.