What’s a plan? - A July Trip Report

[Helvetica]

July 21 - Part 1: Magic Kingdom / Disney Springs



I didn’t quite make it to rope drop today. I slept in and got to the park around 9:30. The parking situation was good and there were no issues with security. My ferry ride to Magic Kingdom was mostly empty and it was very relaxing.



I went straight to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and waited about 15 minutes. Space Mountain was about 10 minutes. I was able to knock out Fantasyland and Tomorrowland pretty quickly. I started to get hot, so I decided to tap out.

Mask compliance seemed to be pretty good. Not as good as Epcot, but still people respected the rules.



As I was ready to leave, I see the Princesses off to the distance. It was really cool to see them again. It’s just hard for me to fully comprehend that I’m back in the Magic Kingdom. I only spent a few hours there, but it was still really cool.

I started getting hungry so I was debating with myself as to if I wanted to return to my resort or go to Disney Springs. I ended up going to Disney Springs, which was definitely a mistake. As soon as I got in, mask compliance was a little spotty and mask enforcement was non-existent. I saw someone without their mask right in front of a Disney Cop, who said absolutely nothing.



I should have trusted my gut and just left, but I was hungry and wanted Chicken Guy. Chicken Guy’s set-up is bad. They had one sanitizer station when you went inside and nothing else. When it started to rain, it got crowded really quick,even though I had a table. I left and went outside to eat my tenders in the rain. They were good, but I won’t be back. I should have left, but I wanted to go to World of Disney. When it was spotty there, I promptly left.

Disney World has been awesome. Disney Springs might have well been on a totally different planet. If you’re going to Disney World, do not go to Disney Springs and especially not Chicken Guy. The tenders are good, but

 

[coralietg]

I agree with you about Disney Springs. We went a couple of days ago to Homecomin'. Some people flat out walking around without masks on, and definitely not watching their distance. The screening process was quick, at least, but enforcement is just not there.

 

[Rxdr2013]

Loving your report. We were supposed to be flying to MCO today after visiting my parents over the weekend and my sister from KS was supposed to join us the weekend. Unfortunately COVID had other plans. But in order to lessen my trip cancellation depression my son and I are coming up for the day on Thursday since I am off for the day. Can't wait to see what MK looks like. I have not been able to think about anything disney since I cancelled our trip 2 weeks ago but your report will get me in the spirit.

 

[Helvetica]

July 21 - Part 2: Magic Kingdom / Disney Movies Under the Stars



I had a really good nap. Honestly, it was a bit longer than I was originally planning on, but I guess my body needed it. The drive back wasn’t bad and I had the ferry to Magic Kingdom all to myself. The first thing I was greeted to was the Princesses, which is always nice.



Next I went on to It’s a Small World and worked my way through the second half of the park. I got there around 4pm, so I had a few hours.



I got my Dole Whip and enjoyed the remaining attractions. I skipped Jungle Cruise since it had a wait at the time.



After I got off Pirates, I got to see the Mouse!



My final attraction was Jungle Cruise. I really liked the skipper, but I didn’t really care for the set-up. Getting back to my car was a little bit of a challenge, but I’m not sure what I could have done differently.



I ended the day with a screening of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. All in all, it was an excellent day.

Tomorrow: Animal Kingdom

 

[Helvetica]

July 22 - Animal Kingdom: Part 1



I know that I'm sounding like a broken record, but I'm so happy to be back. Animal Kingdom is my favorite park.

The parking situation was good, the temperature check was quick, and the new scanners are great. I didn't quite make it to rope drop, but Flight of Passage was still a walk-on. People were keeping their distance and complying with the mask rules, so that made me happy.





I was able to ride a lot of rides and then watched the new bird show Feathered Friends in Flight. I really enjoyed the new show and I really hope it stays. It's a fun show and I think it's what a show like that should be, a show with the trainers and the birds. I understand why Disney wants to add IP, but it's not really necessary for a show like this.



After the show, I got lunch at Yak and Yeti: Local Foods Cafe (the quick service). I really enjoy the bbq spare ribs and they were just as good as I remembered them.







From there, I went on more attractions and saw more animals. By noon I was getting tired, so I started to head back to the resort before it started to rain.

My first half at Animal Kingdom was really great.

 

[Helvetica]

July 22 - Animal Kingdom: Part 2



I took a bit longer of a nap than I was originally planning, but it was probably for the best because it looked like it rained pretty good. My car and the streets were soaked.

If the morning was like a sauna, the afternoon was quite nice. I was able to walk onto Navi River Journey and then go right onto Flight of Passage. They opened up the line bypass (which I didn't even know existed), and was able to ride it a second time without having to walk up the hill a second time.



Afterwards I got a Night Blossom. I love the drink, but I'm still not thrilled with the smaller cups. I used to get one every time I entered Animal Kingdom, but with the smaller cups I stick to getting it once per trip.



After I was done with Pandora, I had a really nice safari. The rain really cooled things down and the animals were pretty active. I also had a really great driver (Meghan) who was really excited about the whole thing even though she was near the end of her shift. I was able to ride a few more rides afterwards and it was a great end to my day at Animal Kingdom.

Since Animal Kingdom closes pretty early now (6pm), I had plenty of time to do other things at the resort. I went swimming in the pool and went down the waterslide. I also had a nice walk around the resort and I think I've fallen in love with Old Key West. It's just a really pretty resort.

After my time at the pool, I watched some Disney movies Remember movie rental stores? DVC resorts still does rentals at their community center. Oddly enough, they have Deadpool available for rent. I got Aladdin (2019) and Zootopia.

It's been a really relaxing trip so far. Tomorrow, it's back to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 

[dlavender]

I'm jealous!

Bummed to hear about Dollywood. We recently moved back to TN and were "semi" considering a jaunt over there to scratch the Disney sized hole in our hearts but I've seen this complaint elsewhere. It's really sad to hear they aren't enforcing better. We definitely won't be going.

We won't be going to WDW with our kids at least for a year, but if I could swing a solo trip or just one with DW and I, your trip looks fantastic. No waits, and a beautiful 1 br suite at OKW?! I'm glad it is working out. Can't wait to hear and see more.

 

[Helvetica]

July 23 - Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2: Part 1



I didn’t quite sleep in, but I didn’t give myself a ton of time to get into the park. The parking situation is very good here and the temperature check went smoothly. I think my belt made the metal detector go off, so I had to do a secondary screening. Even with all that, I got into DHS with 5 minutes to spare and I started heading towards Rock n Roller Coaster. When the clock struck 10, I hit the app to join a boarding group. I made it in Boarding Group 1! Which is awesome, but on the other side of the park, so I made my way to Rise. It was just as awesome as the first time, but I think I preferred my boarding group of one from last time. I then made my way to Smuggler’s Run and had some time to kill before my reservation in the Cantina, so I wondered around a bit.




Socially Distant Oga’s was really cool. I always avoided it before because it was too crowded. I also don’t drink alcohol. Oga’s was very family friendly and the drinks were pretty good. I love my little Porg mug!

Afterwards I decided to watch the Muppets and start heading towards the exit. It was starting to get a little crowded and it looked like rain. It poured as I got into my car as I left for my resort to take a nap. All in all, not a bad way to start the day.

 

[MamaMeems]

I am loving reading along. The pictures of Oga’s are unreal to me! It was so packed when we were there. Its just crazy to see how different things are there right now, and I’m so jealous.

 

[Helvetica]

July 23 - Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2: Part 2



After a nice nap and a warm shower, the rain finally ceased, so it was time to head back.



I decided to have an early dinner at one of my favorite restaurants at Disney World, Docking Bay 7. The only slight issue is that they were really insistent that I order using the app. I didn’t have a great experience using it the only time I used it previously, so I really didn’t trust it. Thankfully it worked without issue. I’m not sure if was bad luck the last time or if it’s been improved. Either way, I’d gladly use it again.



The crowds dissipated as the day went on. I was able to ride all of the other attractions that I wanted to without issue. I skipped Lightning’s Racing Academy and the new Mickey Mouse cartoon.



People did a good job with the masks as the day went on. The crowds were pretty weird. At times there were areas that seemed a little crowded, while if you go somewhere else it was mostly empty. At times, there were some longer waits, while at others everything was a walk on. By the end of the night I got an entire car in Rock n Roller Coaster to myself as well as an entire car to myself at Tower of Terror.

Overall, it was a really good day. I've been thinking about what I want to do for the rest of my trip and I've been leaning towards extending my stay. I've originally planned to go to Six Flags Over Georgia on my way back, but I'm not sure how comfortable I feel about going there right now. I think Disney has done a wonderful job, but I don't know about what this Six Flags is doing. I've never been there, so I don't really have a frame of reference for how they normally do.

Right now I'm looking at the Contemporary Resort, Pop Century or staying off site. The hotel I stayed at earlier on was actually pretty nice for what I paid, but I'd only be able to go to Epcot. Which isn't a terrible thing. I keep checking on the availability calendar hoping that they'll shift the buckets, but no such luck yet.

I'm not entirely sure what I want to do yet. Tomorrow I return to the Magic Kingdom!

 

[Helvetica]

July 24 - Magic Kingdom 2: Part 1




There is no good way to get into the Magic Kingdom if you’re not at the Contemporary right now... The parking situation wasn’t great this morning and the Express Monorail was not operational. This sent everyone to the ferry boats which created an unnecessary bottleneck. I didn’t really care for the loading procedure, but it worked. Mask compliance on the ferry was mostly good, but there were two individuals who weren’t wearing their masks properly and mask enforcement on the ferry wasn’t as good as it could be.

I’m not trying to be negative because overall they’ve done a really good job. In the parking lot and in the park they’ve been very good about correcting people. Overall people have been very good about following the rules and respecting each others’ space. I also know that I need to do a better job of speaking out if someone isn’t following the rules. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m not the one being rude is this situation, the person not wearing their mask correctly is the one being rude.



I didn’t quite make it to rope drop, but I was able to go onto plenty of attractions before it got too busy.





I think I found my favorite new thing. The Step Sisters on the balcony roasting guests as they walk by. They’re really funny and I hope they get to keep doing it.



I decided to take an early lunch at Cosmic Ray’s. It wasn’t the greatest thing ever, but I felt a whole lot more comfortable there than at Chicken Guy’s.




After I had my Citrus (almost) Swirl, it was starting to near mid-day when I started thinking heading back for a nap. For some reason I thought the park closed at 6pm, so I decided to keep going.

 

[Helvetica]

July 24 - Magic Kingdom 2: Part 2



Man... It's hot today! 102 heat index with a mask. No rain and Splash Mountain was down for a pretty good part of the day, so that made lines a little longer than they really needed to be. Looking back, I should have went back to the resort for a nap, but I really didn't want to have to make the trek to the parking lot any more than I already had to, so I powered through it. If I would have known that the park closed at 7pm as opposed to 6pm, I would have done it. I don't know why I thought the park closed at 6pm.




I took things very slow and did stuff that I normally don't do. Like, it's been forever since I've been on the riverboat and I was able to get some really good pictures. I didn't pack enough water, so I ran out a bit earlier than I would have liked to. I did some additional snacking, so I got another Dole Whip. The Peter Pan float is dead for the time being, but I was able to get a Rootbeer Swirl Float which was pretty good. I've been doing pretty good with watching what I eat this trip, but it was so hot that I needed something. I had an early dinner at Sleepy Hollow. I've been craving a hot dog, corn dog, corn dog nuggets, something, but alas Casey's is closed and the only other dog at Magic Kingdom is a Chili Cheese Dog at Cosmic Ray's. The Corn Dog doesn't look like much, but it was still good.



The heat made for a long day, but it was still a lot of fun. I didn't quite do everything that I wanted to do, but I had to take it at a much slower pace. It was too hot for Angus, so Merida had to walk! The ferry trip back to the parking lot was much better. A cast member noticed someone not wearing their mask correctly and politely asked them to put it back, which they did. There were no issues.

I got back to the resort, and I think I've totally fallen in love with Old Key West. It's such a nice and laid back place. The 1 bedroom surprise upgrade certainly helped. Having a washer / dryer combo made things really nice. I finally decided to extend my stay at Pop Century.



I'd much rather go to one of the Disney Parks as opposed to Six Flags Over Georgia. Plus, I had a gift card, so there's that too. The drive back home is shorter than the drive to Disney World, plus I did much better on time than I was expecting. Tomorrow I have a park pass to Animal Kingdom.

I may change it up, I don't know yet.

 

[Helvetica]

July 25 - Part 1: Some Thoughts



I've really enjoyed my stay at Old Key West.

I needed this, but I wasn't able to get a reservation to Olivia's this morning, so I guess that means that I have come back. I decided to change my resort pass for today to Epcot so I don't feel rushed. My new resort passes are Epcot, Animal Kingdom and DHS.

I love Pop. Maybe not as much as Old Key West, but it's still a fun resort. I picked it over Contemporary not only because I don't want to pay twice as much, but also because Pop has outdoor corridors and stairs. I know it might sound strange, but elevators freak me out right now, so I try to avoid them as much as possible.

I still have a stay booked for September at Riviera (my home resort), but what everything that I love about the resort (small, compact, lots of elevators), doesn't play well with COVID. So I'm planning on changing resorts. After going in July, I'm pretty stoked about coming back in September. I'm thinking either Saratoga or Old Key West, since they're both spread out and have outdoor corridors. I'm also thinking about doing the same for my stay in May 2021. I'll definitely stay at Riviera in September 2021.

I've also learned that I've really like having a car at Disney World. Part of the appeal for me has always been that I don't need a car because they pick me up at the airport and then drive me around everywhere, but having a car is very liberating. I've also learned that I don't really mind driving to Florida. I don't know if I'd want to drive for every trip, but it's a nice alternative to flying.

 

[erinch]

Enjoying so much! Thank you! How did you pick Helvetica as your username?

 

[Helvetica]

Enjoying so much! Thank you! How did you pick Helvetica as your username?

Helvetica and Arial are both fonts that are very similar to each other. When it came to computer fonts, there was some legal issues where one became a clone of the other so someone didn't have to pay licensing fees. (I forget the whole story)

Ariel is my favorite Disney Princess.

 

[erinch]

Ahh! Clever! I’m a Calibri girl. But no Princess is connected to Calibri.

 

[Helvetica]

July 25: Part 2 - Epcot 2



I got up a bit earlier than I planned, so I had lots of time to just relax. Getting to Epcot was pretty easy, but parking took a little longer than last time. Today they let people on the rides before the park officially opened, so I was able to get onto Test Track really quickly. After a few more things, I decided to grab a quick lunch.



I went to Regal Eagle again because there’s not exactly a lot of places open right now. I also had them for dinner. They just give you so much food and it’s pretty good too.



I also had to get creme brûlée from France. It’s one of my favorite treats in Epcot and it’s pretty hard to resist.



It’s been an absolute scorcher today with a heat index of 102. I don’t come during the summer because it’s too hot. I don’t even visit my local park. Add in a mask and it’s definitely too hot for me. This trip is happened in July because Disney was closed in May. I don’t think I can do another trip in July.



By mid-day I was ready for a nap, but Pop wasn’t quite ready for me. It wasn’t until around 4 pm that I got the text, so I decided that I was just going to stay. I had frozen half my water and partially froze the other half, but I ran out of water by dinner. I kept cool with some French ice cream and a few visits to the DVC lounge. Up to this point I’ve been doing pretty good with my caloric intake, but it’s just been so hot. When I was packing my water I thought it was a bit overkill, but now I’m left wondering if it will be enough.



Crowds have been pretty weird today. At times it seemed less busy than last Sunday, but at other times it seemed more crowded. Some areas were pretty busy while other areas were empty. Once I went on Soarin’ and Living with the Land has a pretty big group in line, but by the time I got off it was a walk on. It’s almost like everyone is going to the same place at the same time.



Mask compliance and distancing has been very good, even in this heat. I’m not saying it has been 100% perfect, but it’s been above and beyond anywhere else I’ve been. I did see cast members correct guests and I did see moms correct their children. One mom put it best, you either have to wear your mask or we need to go home.



I was able to do and see a whole lot today, even in this heat. Epcot is normally my least favorite park, but I think it shined during this trip. The major downside is the lack of non-booth food options, but that won’t improve until they allow more people.



I guess we’ll see how Pop treats me. I’m a little worried that I’ve become very spoiled. I just have to keep reminding myself that this is all bonus time right now and that it’s just a room.

 

[MegaraWink]

@Helvetica I was noticing your park days in another thread, and most of the days we were at the same park. I guess that's not too much of a coincidence, but then I saw we had the same table at sci-fi diner! That's too much overlap.

 

[Helvetica]

July 25 - Part 3: From Epcot to Pop



Man, have I been really spoiled. Pop Century largest and most popular resort in Disney World in terms on number of rooms and it's not hard to see why. The resort is very family friendly and everything is very clean. It was nice to see a fellow DVC member had the same idea when I was pulling in.

It's not really fair to compare where I stayed this week to where I'm staying today. My room at Old Key West was ridiculously awesome. Pop Century is spartan, but very clean and well thought out. The lack of free tiny Disney lotion was pretty sad, but I have a big bottle of the stuff. Although, has the walk always been this far? Maybe I'm just getting old. I will say this, the phone at Pop is better than Old Key West if for no other reason that it has a dedicated wake-up call button. I never figured out how to get it to work at Old Key West.

Tomorrow is my bonus day. I'm planning on going to Animal Kingdom, but everything is subject to change.

 

[Helvetica]

July 26 - Part 1: Disney's Hollywood Studios 3



Well... The wake-up call on the resort line didn't work, so no Mickey message for me. Which also means I woke up a bit later than expected since I didn't use my phone as an alarm. So instead of Animal Kingdom, I decided to make the trek to Disney's Hollywood Studios. It would also give me more time to get there and relax.



Man... The parking situation wasn't good this morning. It was totally different from the first two times I've been here. I think some of it had to do with moving more park passes into the AP bucket, which was the right move, but it took over half an hour for me to get parked. Then the temperature check and security screenings, so my plan on getting in the park early ended up being me getting in 10 minutes late and me without a boarding group onto Rise.



One constructive criticism is that they need to put more distancing markings on the way to the temperature check. People kept their distance for the most part, but they had to be reminded by a cast member at times. Once we got to the markings, it was a whole lot easier for everyone. I know it's not needed for most of the day, but for the mornings it's very helpful.



I tried to go on Tower of Terror first, but it was shut down. I ended up going on a few things, grabbing an early lunch, grabbing one of those cute souvenir milk cups and left. Have I mentioned that Florida is hot? I forgot my park bag in the car, so staying all day wasn't really feasible. By the time I got to my car, I saw that lots of people had the same idea, so hopefully that bodes well for the afternoon. The forecast is also calling for rain, so that's good news too!