My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

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horizons1
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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by horizons1 » Apr Tue 14, 2020 11:11 am

Oh, got it!
No one's gloomy or complaining while the flatware's entertaining.

Amy
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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by Amy » Apr Tue 14, 2020 1:21 pm

Ah, for once my procrastination paid off ~ I read those three days all together so it meant sense to me...and so little does these days ~ haha

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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by ImagineerWannabe » Apr Thu 16, 2020 8:32 pm

Final day, thanks for sticking it out this far.

Day 7:

Final day. And while it comes with no amazing pictures, hopefully it will be an entertaining read. It was a solo early start with extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom to fit in Space Mountain which I hadn’t done yet. Then the plan was to get back to Big Thunder when the dropped the 9am rope for a few more rides (did I mention it's my favourite? :wink: ).

Early park entry was a bit odd. I got there about 15 mins before 8am. They had the people there for extra hours all pushed over to the side furthest from the buses and were pre-screening with iPads to check you were a resort guest. Ok, that’s fine, but it was going very slowly and then at 8:50 they called them off. Suddenly it was free for all at the main entrance. Still only one grouping of those was open though.

The Space Mountain plan worked pretty well. I was at the Tomorrowland bridge before the rope dropped. They hadn’t actually opened the queue yet when we got there, but that worked ok, it’s just a leisurely walk through when they do :)

I took a moment to take a picture of a pretty nebula, happy that it wasn't the Eagle Nebula (which I think is the most overused space picture out there. It probably isn't, but I seem to see it everywhere!)
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I noticed a sign near the end of the queue that “single riders should identify themselves”. I did, but to a cast member who didn’t really care. I was a fair way back in the line but they hadn’t funnelled people around the wall yet so I saw the next cast member call for a single. Bingo! That would be me! So it worked out.

I went a second time right away and got the track on the left. The first time was the track on the right. That was very cool. I’ve never ridden both tracks before on the same trip, never mind back to back. There’s no waving to the people in line from the left track when you’re waiting at the launch point though. Not that people very often notice me to wave back, but I usually try.

I headed over to a rope near Haunted Mansion to wait for 9am. Alas, HM was still closed. The walk over to Big Thunder was an experience. I understand the need for order, but had no idea the cast members walked people all the way through where other entrances join into Frontierland. We were walked along the boardwalk which was going really well until the last group got walked over the boardwalk bridge by Splash Mountain rather than the bigger bridge closer to the ride. That group got ahead of a lot of folks in the group I was in, including me.

Having done this Thunder thing a few days now, I also learned they don’t open both sides for loading until 10am. Maybe it’s a “low season” (which is very relative now) thing but it results in a huge line for the first hour and a bit, then drops before climbing again. I thought I’d get done just about before 10, hop back in line and get the advantage when the second side opened. Probably on a day that 7 Dwarfs and Space Mountain hadn’t gone down this would have worked really well. It wasn’t horrible, but I think more people headed over on account of closures and it was more like 10:15 when the second side got opened. I had time for reading the letters in the queue and pictures. I particularly liked the last 2 items. The “run away” is good advice in the situation and the last one has so many real life applications. Should have remembered that advice today in fact, before doing something stupid :(
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I had to high tail it back to meet up with the rest of my family afterwards. Not generally a big deal to be delayed but we had food reservations. Can’t be late for that! :)

We took the resort launch over to Fort Wilderness for brunch at Trail’s End. There’s a lot of MK entrance construction and it took some sign reading to find the boat launch. I don’t know if this is all for the new pathway that’s going to the Grand Floridian or not. We had a nice chat with a boat driver while waiting for our boat. Thanks to Disney waterways being private, all you need is a Florida drivers license and WDW training to become a captain? skipper? Not quite sure what they go by.
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Brunch included warm sticky buns and Mickey waffles, among many other things. Oh man, I’m getting hungry just looking at the picture again. They are sooo yummy!
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We were heading out of Orlando after a final FP ride through the 7 Dwarfs mine, which thankfully had reopened, but at least we had a treat to take with us.
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TTFN WDW and thank you to all the readers :mickey:

Amy
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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by Amy » Apr Fri 17, 2020 6:42 am

Wait, you're going to leave us hanging on what you did that was stupid?!
Sounds like a nice day. I didn't even attempt Space Mountain on this trip. It was so rough when I went about 3-4 years prior to that, that I didn't even want to. Not sure if that is sadness that comes with age or wisdom ~ haha
That treat looks very tasty! Was that a make your own sort of thing?

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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by horizons1 » Apr Fri 17, 2020 12:40 pm

I don't get Disney crowd control sometimes. Reading this, I was just shaking my head. You'd think they'd have it mastered by now, but there are all these weird little loopholes that are frustrating.

First off, the screening thing when the park opened - I totally believe that is how they'd handle it. Just robotically follow a strict procedure until they run out of time and then NEVER MIND - free for all.

Walking people through Frontierland makes some sense, as you do want to avoid a lot of running, but then letting other paths get there before you is just gonna p*** people off.

And the dual queue thing is nutty. I get that they might hold off on opening the second side of BTMRR for staffing reasons but then you end up with a bunch of confusion as they open the second queue and people start passing others who were waiting.
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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by ImagineerWannabe » Apr Sat 18, 2020 4:09 pm

Amy wrote:
Apr Fri 17, 2020 6:42 am
Sounds like a nice day. I didn't even attempt Space Mountain on this trip. It was so rough when I went about 3-4 years prior to that, that I didn't even want to. Not sure if that is sadness that comes with age or wisdom ~ haha
Space Mountain was shaky but it wasn't as bad as one time when I was in the back seat (which I got again both times this trip) and it felt like we hit something at the bottom of a drop. I was lifted and then dropped hard and my tailbone hurt for a long while afterwards. The whole ride actually felt smaller to me. The age thing must be hitting me too.
Amy wrote:
Apr Fri 17, 2020 6:42 am
That treat looks very tasty! Was that a make your own sort of thing?
Maybe? Depends how you define make your own :) It was more 'order your own' I'd say. Goofy's Candy Company at Downtown Disney is our source.
Amy wrote:
Apr Fri 17, 2020 6:42 am
Wait, you're going to leave us hanging on what you did that was stupid?!
I wrote this still upset at myself so that was as far as I was going. I reacted badly to an email and sent a nasty reply without waiting to cool off first. Within 30 mins I sent an apology, but not my finest hour. I stewed and worried about it when I got no reaction to the email and I knew there was a voice message on my phone likely related to it. I put off listening to it for another full day. I think things have worked out but I wish I'd handled it differently.

Amy
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Re: My Fourth WDW Trip Report-March 2020

Post by Amy » Apr Sun 19, 2020 7:12 am

Yes, the lift/drop/OW! was what I remembered from Space Mountain ~ and my teeth chattered together harder than I would like a few times as well.
Yes, Goofy's Candy Kitchen was my thinking, or something like that. Can't you choose your toppings at the place near Dumbo now as well? It looked delicious in any case!
Oh my, yes, that would be upsetting. Hopefully it is all smoothed out. Luckily working for/by myself those incidents are related mostly just to my clients bad actions, but I can't/don't react other than muttering to myself later in the car ~ haha

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