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Thread: Scott Family trip 11/27-12/3

  1. #1

    Scott Family trip 11/27-12/3

    Dates: November 27th December 3rd
    Resort: Club Wyndham Kingstown Reef
    Participants: Myself, DW, DD1, DD2

    Background:
    DD1 graduated from HS in June of 2020. Since she was not going to have a party, and she was going to be going to college 800 miles away, we decided to do a family trip. Our original plan was to go to California during Spring break of April 2020. Then a month before the pandemic hit and we had to cancel our plans. We started throwing around ideas about when we could go and decided to go March 2021, during dd1s spring break from college. After keeping up with updates on California and the lack of parks opening, along with colleges doing away with traditional spring breaks, we looked into the possibility of going to Walt Disney World after Thanksgiving.

    The first step was to see if we could exchange the tickets that we had already purchased for the California parks to new tickets for Florida. The company that I had worked with was great and I was able to get them changed. Next up was to find where to stay. We normally stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, but they were booked for when we wanted to go. I found Kingstown Reef and booked a 2 bedroom. When we had canceled our airfare for CA, we received a credit, which we used for our flight and did not have to pay any extra.

    With everything booked, I made a reservation for the day that we arrive to have dinner at Raglan road. Next was waiting for our trip dates to come. About a month before our trip, DD2 came home from dance class excited that they were talking about doing some from of the Nutcracker, which is a big thing at the studio. With this news, we were not sure if we would have to cancel and reschedule again. I contacted the studio and they said that at this time DD2 would not need to quarantine, unless she had symptoms, when we get back and would be able to participate.

    The only other restaurant that I wanted to try to get an ADR was Ogas Cantina and was not having any luck finding an open time. Then one morning, I received a text that an opening had been found. I made sure to quickly get it. Latter in the day, I was reading that there was an IT glitch and was expecting to get an email that the ADR had been canceled. Several days latter I received the email and then another with a $25 gift card for the inconvenience. A little while later, I received a text for an opening and quickly booked it.

    Plans:
    11/27 Fly from Milwaukee to Orlando/shop for groceries/Disney Springs
    11/28 Universal Studios
    11/29 Relaxation day
    11/30 EPCOT
    12/1 Hollywood Studios
    12/2 Magic Kingdom
    12/3 Fly from Orlando to Milwaukee

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


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  3. #2

    11/27
    Plan: Fly from Milwaukee / Disney Springs
    Actual:
    We got up early to get out of the house and catch our flight at 7am. We made it to the airport and got through security with no issues and plenty of time to spare. While we were waiting for our plane, I watched the latest episode of The Mandelorian. Boarding went nice and smooth and we felt comfortable on the flight. The flight was a quick one to Chicago, where we had a connecting flight to Orlando.

    When we landed, we had to make our way quickly to the gate to catch our next flight. The waiting area for our flight was quite crowded. Our boarding group was called, just after we got there. The plane was full and we saw a number of people not wearing masks or not wearing them properly, which made us uncomfortable on the flight.

    The flight went quickly and we made it to Orlando with no issues. After waiting in line at Dollar, we went to the garage to get our rental car. There was a white Nissan Sentra and a lime green Kia Soul. I went with the Sentra, even though the rest of my family wanted the Soul. We headed to Trader Joe’s on the way to the resort for groceries.

    Check in at the resort was nice and quick. It has gotten easier to say no to the sales pitches for the time share. We got to our room and unpacked. There was some time before our reservation at Raglan Road for dinner. With nothing better to do, we headed to Disney Springs to look around and do some shopping.

    Disney Springs was really crowded when we got there. Temperature and security screening went quickly and when we got off the escalator, we saw a sign for the virtual queue for World of Disney. I went ahead and signed up. We looked around at other stores before we were called back. We were able to bypass the line and enter the store. The one nice thing about the limits is that it made it easier to look around.

    After looking around, we still had time before our diner reservation, and were all getting hungry. I suggested that I go over and see if we could get in early for dinner. There was a table available, even though we were not able to see the stage. I texted my wife and the rest of my family joined me. I ordered the Raglan Irish Stout and my wife ordered the Blood Orange Bourbon. To eat we decided to split the shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. The waitress brought me Grand Irish Red instead of what I ordered, but it was very enjoyable. We all enjoyed our food and were satisfied when we left.

    We headed back to our hotel and I stayed up to watch some tv while everyone went to bed, since we would be getting up early the next day to head to Universal.

    Steps: 15, 529 Miles: 6.71

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  4. #3

    11/28
    Plan: Universal Studios

    Before going to bed, I confirmed when Universal would be open, since I saw conflicting hours and found that it would be opening at 8. After getting a good night sleep, I got up and made some eggs and bacon for breakfast, then we headed out to the parks. We arrived about 7:30 and quickly found a parking spot, then headed into Islands of Adventure. Before we entered the gates, we heard an announcement that general admission would start at 10. All of us heard the same thing and were shocked by this, since I had done the research to confirm the opening time. I found someone and they confirmed that opening was at 8 and closing at 10pm. We entered the gates shortly before 8.

    The first stop was at the restrooms. While my wife and DD2 went in, DD1 were able to get in the virtual line for Hagrid’s with an 8:10 time. Our first stop was The Cat in the Hat, but it was not operational yet, so we rode One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. We all enjoyed the ride and then headed off to Hogsmeade.

    With our pass in hand for Hagrid’s we got in line, and before we knew it, we were hoping on to our motorcycles for our class with Hagrid. We all really enjoyed the ride and when we got off and tried to get another time, but none were available. Our next stop was Hogwarts for a ride with Harry. There was a little bit of a wait until we got in the castle, then it moved quickly. Before we got on, my wife and DD2 took the exit. Both DD1 and I enjoyed the ride and when we got off, we could not find the rest of our group. It turns out, they went looking for a snack.

    After meeting back up, DD1 really wanted to go to Olivanders wand shop to try and get chosen for the wand experience. The wait was about 30 minutes, so we got in line. With the Covid restrictions, they are limiting the number of people into the shop at a time, which made the line move even slower. Finally, we got in and were with another group of four adults. DD1 was chosen and had a great experience, even though she chose not to purchase the wand. We were getting thirsty and needed to sit for a bit, so DD1 got a frozen Butterbeer to share and I got ice water for my wife and DD2.

    By now, the area had gotten busy, so we continued through the park and rode Jurassic Park. The line for this continued to move and only had a short wait. Once we were in the boat, we were allowed to take off our masks, which was a nice break. Even though the ride is sort of corny, we all enjoyed it. There was not much else that we wanted to do at Islands of Adventure, so we decided to head over to the Studios via the Hogwarts Express. Rather than fighting the crowds in Hogsmeade, we continued to go around the park.

    When we got back to Seuss Landing, we got on the Cat in the Hat, which was a cute ride. DD2 wanted to ride the carousel, but the line was too long, so we decided to ride One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I rode with DD1 and we stayed dried, meanwhile my wife and DD2 got a bit wet. We got in line and waited for the train over to the Studios. Waiting in line, DD2 was starting to get tired and was not in the greatest mood.

    The parks were at capacity by the time we got to the studios and there were long lines for everything. DD2 needed to get something to eat, but there were long lines and the signage for mobile ordering was not clear. We headed over to Minion Mayhem, but the wait was over an hour. My wife is not a thrill ride person, so there was nothing left for her to do at the parks, so we decided that we would head back to the resort and have a late lunch, then DD1 and I would head back to the parks. Before we headed back, we stopped at Voodoo Doughnuts and bought some to take back to the resort.

    Our plan had been to have dinner at Cowfish, so I canceled the reservation and made tacos for dinner. I had picked up taco seasoning and tortillas from Trader Joe’s. When we got back, I went ahead and cooked up the meat and added the seasoning. What I did not realize is that unlike what we normally use, I was only supposed to use the packet. The other thing that I did not realize was that I had picked up quinoa flour tortillas. The tacos were quite spicy and the tortillas were dry.

    DD1 and I headed back to the parks and around 4, we entered the studios. Our first stop was Minion Mayhem. The line had lowered to a 45 minute wait. While waiting, we looked at the virtual lines and were able to book Hagrid’s for two times. The line moved very slowly and we finally got in. After riding, we both agreed that DD2 would not have enjoyed the wait and my wife would not have been able to ride because of her motion sickness. I wanted to try a Duff, so we headed over there and thought it was decent, but not great. Next up was Men In Black. There was no line and we walked right on. I ended up with the high score for our car.

    I had been keeping an eye on the wait time for Escape from Gringots and it was running about 60 minutes. We decided to head to Diagon Alley and get in line. Both of us were really impressed with the area and enjoyed the ride. DD1 had wanted to get ice cream from Florian Fortescue’s. There was quite a line, but we decided to go ahead. It took about 30 minutes for us to get in the shop and get our ice cream. DD1 got the butterbeer and I got the sticky toffee pudding. We found a secluded spot and we both really enjoyed the ice cream. With the wait for Escape from Gringots and for ice cream, we were going to miss our first time for Hagrid’s, so we canceled it. We wandered around for a bit and ended up in Knockturn Alley. When we left Diagon Alley, both of us were overcome with a feeling like we were stepping out of a magical place into the real world.

    By the time we got back, it was time for us to get in line for Hagrid’s. There was a little bit of a wait, but it was not too bad. DD1 wanted to ride Flight of the Hippogriff at night, so we headed over there. On the way, we saw the wait for the Forbidden Journey was 10 minutes. After confirming that was the case, we got in line and walked right on. As we were walking through, DD1 was pointing out some of the things that I had missed when we walked through the first time. When we got off, we walked onto Flight of the Hippogriff and neither of us were really impressed with the ride. The park was starting to close down and we could see some of the fireworks from the Studios. As we passed Hagrid’s, I asked if we could hop in line and they let us. Once again it was off to class with Hagrid on the last ride of the night.

    There was a large crowd exiting the parks, which my wife would not have liked, but we made it to our car and headed back to the resort. It was about 10:45 when we got back and both DD2 and my wife were in bed asleep. I stayed up for a little bit watching tv before turning in.

    Steps: 30, 921 Miles:13.4

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  5. #4

    11/29
    Plan: Relaxation day

    After a long day at Universal, it was nice to have a day to sleep in and have a relaxing morning. Since we had eaten the food that we were planning on having for dinner, we needed to go to the store to pick up some groceries. On our way to the resort, we had seen an Aldi sign not far. I entered Aldi in my GPS and selected the closest store. The directions lead us to the Outlet stores, which seemed odd. Upon realizing that I had picked Aldo instead of Aldi, I changed our destination. Things did not look right, so we headed back to the resort and decided to go to Winn-Dixie instead. The directions took us past where we had seen the Aldi sign, so we go over only to discover that the sign says coming soon. We made it to Winn-Dixie and picked up the groceries that we needed.

    Due to Covid restrictions, the resort requires that reservations be made for the pool. I was able to make a reservation for the 12-3 timeslot. We watched the streaming church service from our church back home, then got ready for our pool time. There were only about four other groups in the pool area and they used the shallower pool for the most part. We stayed for about an hour and half then headed back up to the room. After relaxing for a bit, we decided to play miniature golf on the course at the resort. It is a small course, but we all had fun.

    We had picked up some chicken thighs, that I grilled up using the provided grills. Then after dinner we watched the Santa Clause. All in all it was a nice day just to relax and have no plans.

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  6. #5

    Eagerly awaiting the rest of the report! ;-)

    Trips to DL: 2x 1978-1988, 90, 95, 98, 99, 00, 05 (2x), 10, 12, 15, 16, 17(2x), 18, 19(2x), 21. WDW 11/2020.
    Me: 46, DH: 49, DC: 17, DS: 13

  7. #6

    11/30

    Plan: EPCOT

    EPCOT did not open until noon, so we had some time to sleep in and I made breakfast. It seemed weird not having to head out right away. We hung out in the room and the plan was to get to the park about an hour before opening in order to beat the crowds. About 10:30 we drove over and the drive only took about 15 minutes. When we pulled up to the parking booth, we were told they were not open and to come back in about 30 minutes. I made the loop up to the Magic Kingdom and by the time I got back, they were letting traffic in.

    Our first stop was Test Track, but on the way over, we decided to try and get on Mission : Space, but it was not yet open. There was a short wait and we boarded our car. While on the ride, DD2 informed me that her Magic Band had come off and she could not find it. Luckily, I found it on the seat next to her. It did make for a great ride photo, since DD2 and I were turned toward each other as she is explaining it to me.

    After meeting up with my wife, we proceeded around the World Showcase. One of the things that we were looking forward to was sampling food from the different booths at the Festival of the Holidays. Our first stop was at Las Posadas for the Tamal de Polo. I really enjoyed it and the pumpkin seeds added a little crunch to make it unique. While we were waiting for the food, the Christmas music got quite loud and then the Frozen cavalcade came by. Once I had finished eating, we continued on.

    Our first stop was Gran Fiesta Tour, which was a walk on. We joked with DD2 that she had her Spanish class done for the day, since she was missing school. Seeing the line for Froze Ever After, we decided not to ride. My wife and I have ridden it once and did not think it was worth the wait. Next up was the Wonders of China. The last time I had seen the film was when it was playing in Disneyland. While waiting for the show to start, we wandered around and looked at the displays of Shanghai Disney.

    One of the things that my wife wanted to do was the cookie stroll, so we stopped and got the Linzer cookie at Bavarian Holiday Kitchen. We stopped and got some caramel corn at Karmell-Kuche and looked for a nutcracker for DD2. As we left Germany and were heading over to Italy, the music once again got loud as the Frozen cavalcade went by. Both my wife and I mentioned that we did not like how the music got so loud and ruined the ambiance. We did not spend much time in Italy and continued onto America.
    When looking at the performance schedule, I was disappointed that there were no scheduled times for the Voices of Liberty or the American Experience. We arrived at the America Gardens Theater and the Voices of Liberty were scheduled to perform shortly, so we found a seat. After enjoying the performance, we made the next stop on the cookie stroll and bought the Chocolate Crinkle cookie. My family did not want to sit for another show, so we skipped the American Adventure and moved on to Japan.

    In Japan, DD2 decided to get the New Year Celebration Soba. DD2 has gotten into anime and Japanese culture, so we looked around the museum and the in Mitsukoshi store. In there I found a calico paper cat for a stocking stuffer for DD2. We did not stop in the Morocco pavilion. My wife stopped to try the smoked salmon potato latke and get the black and white cookie. While she was getting that, DD1 got the Bche de Nol au Caramel and I went in search of some ice water. When I got back, we all sampled everything.

    We wandered through the France pavilion and Beauty and the Beast sing along was about to start and since this is one of DD1’s favorite movies we went in. After the movie, we continued around the world. Our next stop was the UK. DD1 is into British culture and tea, so this was big on her list. We walked through the tea shop and store, but she did not find anything to purchase. As we exited, we saw Mary Poppins in the garden and took a distanced picture. I was disappointed that the store with the Dr. Who and other British merchandise was not open.

    My wife and I were eager to see the changes in the O’ Canada film, since we are fans of Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy. It was a beautiful film and did its job of wanting to make us visit. After the film, we stopped for our next cookie, the peppermint windmill. There was one final cookie to complete the stroll, so we headed back to the World Showplace for the gingerbread cookie. While my wife got in line, I purchased a Ginger Blonde House ale and DD1 got the red velvet mini bundt. Joyful came on while we were eating and it was extremely loud. It felt good to get out of there.

    Since we had purchased the required cookies, we stopped to get our free cookie and put it away for latter. Next up was Journey into the imagination, followed by Soarin’. The last time that I had been into the Seas pavilion was before they mad the change to Nemo, so I wanted to ride that to see the changes. Once we found Nemo, we spent a few moments looking at the Manatees. We then boarded our time vehicle and had a history lesson about communication and laughed at the video at the end of the ride. DD1 and I still wanted to ride Mission:Space. While we di that my wife and DD2 went into Mouse Gear to shop.

    We successfully completed our mission and then the real challenge began, to find my wife. We finally met up near the exit of Mouse Gear. I wanted to go in and purchase a shirt and the rest of my family went to go find some food. After making my purchase, I attempted to contact my wife to find out where the were and was receiving no answer. Finally, they told me that they were at the Regal Eagle. I made my way over their and saw the line for Frozen Ever After was still extremely long. My wife ordered and we split the beef brisket sandwich, while my daughters split a cheeseburger.

    Everyone was getting tired, so we decided to call it a day and headed back to our car. When we got out to the parking lot, we knew the general area where our car was, but could not find it. We spent a little bit and then finally found it. After getting back, everyone went to bed, except I stayed up for a bit to watch some tv.

    Steps: 24, 822 miles: 10.78

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  8. #7

    12/1
    Plan: Disney Studios

    With the new distribution of boarding parties for Rise of the Resistance, I made sure to get up early to try and get a boarding pass. I drove to a gas station that was on property and waited in an attempt to have a better chance. I was not the only one with the same idea, as a few other people drove up and appeared to be doing the same thing. I kept refreshing the app until it gave me the option to join a boarding group and I was successful with group 22. When I got back to the resort, my wife informed me that she was also trying, but did not get in until after I had made it through.

    We decided to get to the park a little after opening, since there is not as much in the park to do and to let our daughters sleep in a little. I went ahead and made some bacon and eggs for breakfast and then we headed out the door to the park. When we arrived, the park was already open and the line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was about a 45 minute wait and Slinky Dog was over an hour. Not wanting to wait in those long lines, we rode Toy Story Mania. As we walked past Slinky Dog we saw that it was down, so that was a good decision. It was pretty much a walk on to the ride, except the person in front of us kept stopping to take pictures.

    DD1 and I headed to Batuu to try our hand at flying the Millennium Falcon. There was quite a line for the attraction, but we decided to wait anyways. As we were in line, the people behind us, kept getting into our space with their stroller and I had to ask them to back off. When we boarded the Millennium Falcon other people were taking pictures at the gameboard and we ushered down the hall to quickly to get pictures. I took the pilot seat and DD1 was the co-pilot. We did decently, but had some minor mishaps, which my daughter blamed on me and I blamed on her. By the time our ride was over, our boarding group was being called for Rise of the Resistance.

    We met up with my wife and DD2 by the entrance. They had gone and gotten the red velvet whoopie pie, which they said was tasty. We got in line and moved quickly through the queue. I was a little disappointed that with the Covid restrictions, the moment that you board the star destroyer was less than spectacular. When we were about to be led into our detention cell, our captor realized that there was already a group still in there. After waiting for a while, we were led to the other hallway where we waited. The wait was about 35 – 40 minutes. While we were waiting, the cast members kept in character of being officers of the First Order. We finally boarded and made it back in one piece.

    My daughters wanted to get some snacks, so DD1 got in line to get some popcorn and I went to Joffrey’s Coffee to get DD2 a chocolate muffin and several cups of ice water. Once we were refreshed, we needed a laugh and got in line for Muppet Vision 3D. After the show, I was wanting pizza, so placed a mobile order at PizzeRizzo. DD1 got a table and split the pizza, which was decent but not great. Next up was Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster. My wife wandered around, while the rest of us rode. DD1 and I wanted to ride Tower of Terror, so we headed over there. The line was long, but we did not mind the wait. While we were riding that, my wife and DD2 went on Toy Story Mania again and Alien Swirling Saucers.

    It was dusk as we got to Mickey’s Runaway Railway and so, we had fun taking family pictures. We waited about 30 minutes to get on the ride and it was fun, but none of us were overly impressed. I had canceled our reservation for Oga’s cantina the night before for the main reason that they do not really have any food there. While we were in the park, my wife made a reservation for 50’s Prime Time Caf. It was still early for our reservation by the time we got off the ride, but I went and checked to see if we could get in early.

    After a short wait we were seated. We decided to split the pot roast and fried chicken between the four of us. We all got enough to eat and then headed out of the park. Unlike at Epcot, we had no problem finding our car. We took DD2 back to the resort and then headed to Disney Springs and Winn-Dixie for some grocery shopping. We did not find anything that we wanted to purchase at Disney Springs and then went back to the resort for the night.

    Steps: 25,285 miles:10.92

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


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