“Unprecedented” Feb 2021 Trip Report! Updated 5/20: EPCOT

[jameybano]

That is humorous that your husband's favorite park is a golf course and his favorite ride is a golf cart.

Did your room have the shampoo dispenser, or did they give you separate shampoo?

after this trip, we were joking that his favorite ride is actually the monorail, that is the monorail that departs MK for the TTC!
our room had wall-mounted dispensers: three separate dispensers for shampoo conditioner and body wash. We were provided with individual bottles of mouthwash, body lotion, bar soap and a vanity kit that included a small nail file, cotton rounds and Q-tips.

 

[jameybano]

DAY ONE Thursday, February 25, 2021 Part II: Disney Springs

The bus stop for the Disney parks and Disney Springs is located just outside the main entrance of Gran Destino Tower to the right. There is a TV screen that will give you an ETA for certain destinations, but not all. For instance sometimes it would show an exact time when the bus for Epcot was coming and other times it would say on its way. Today, I only waited about five minutes for a bus to arrive going to Disney Springs. Spoiler alert, this was the best experience I had with buses all week!
Guests arriving to Disney Springs from the resorts are funneled to a dedicated entrance for temperature screening. As I was arriving to Disney Springs at about 2 PM, there was no wait at all.
I have been anxious to try the cookies at Gideons! I immediately walked to that area. Look for a cast member outside, they can add you can join the virtual queue. I was quoted every turn time of 90 minutes. I could smell the cookies!
Remember how I had mentioned it was 2 PM?! Since I had such a short layover in Detroit, I did not have an opportunity to eat lunch, or really a good breakfast for that matter. I could’ve ate my arm I was so hungry.
Tip #1: do not depend on the dining reservations tab on the Disney app for available tables. I consulted the app and they told me there were no tables available at that time. The entrance to Raglan Road is located right next to the queue for Gideon’s — no one was waiting outside so I decided to give it a try. This would not be my first choice, but like I said I was hungry! This restaurant does have socially distanced bar rail seating and they were able to seat me right away! The restaurant did not appear to be very busy, but it’s hard to know what it what capacity they are allowed to operate or what staffing they can afford to have at this time.
Of course, I had the fish and chips! I usually only eat French fries on vacation so it seemed fitting



While I was dining, I received a text message from my son. He was asking if I had changed the combination on our house door lock. What? It would seem that on the first day that I have left him and the dog alone for about a YEAR to finally take a VACATION the battery on our lock died. With no warning. Of course he didn’t have a key : he’s been using the combination, as have the rest of our adult children. He had come home on lunchtime to let the dog out, he could hear her on the other side of the door quite frantic wondering why he wasn’t entering the house. So the very first thing I got vacation was a visit from a locksmith! Nothing like a little drama to get your vacation started
Tip #2: Battery operated combination locks have a duration of about three years and may die without warning

During the drama, I did receive a text message to return to Gideon’s. Be aware that this does not mean you walk right in. This just gets you into the actual line. At that time I waited an additional 20 minutes to actually enter. It is a really cool shop, with a Gothic apothecary theme






There are a few varieties of cookies and cake slices to choose. The cookies are priced at six dollars each and weigh about a half a pound. I selected the traditional chocolate chip variety, and let me say it was delicious. I munched on it for about six days!

 

[jameybano]

DAY ONE: Thursday, February 25, 2021 part three

After I bought my cookie, it was time to shop! This was the first time I had been shopping in a mall for about a year! Throughout the pandemic I’ve been darting into a shop, getting what I needed, and leaving right away. It was nice just to wander around and browse. I typically avoid shops that I have at home and stick to the Disney specific shops here. I love World of Disney, the Christmas shop, Basin and the Co-op. My husband has not yet arrived so I was able to take all the time I wanted in each shop. It was heaven!

Lego Anna




Trips to WDW are always so nostalgic and can be bittersweet for me, both of my parents have passed away and I recently lost my sister. I have a vivid happy memory of she and my son riding this train over and over again one day when he was little ( over 20 years ago)




On this day, I bought ears! I also bought a matching set for my niece and SIL. $29.99ea





I also like to buy Christmas ornaments from each vacation destination. For an additional three ( or maybe six ?) dollars, a cast member at the Christmas shop will personalize your ornament. They also do a fantastic job of packaging your purchases for safe transport home



I spent some time in the Basin smelling everything and purchased some body butter and shower melts. In the World of Disney, I bought my husband a shirt to wear to MK on Saturday (stay tuned) as well as a Pizza Planet t-shirt for my son. At this point I received a text from my husband that he had arrived at the hotel. I went to the bus depot for the Disney resorts and waited about 15 minutes. Drama aside, I enjoyed the first afternoon at WDW!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

There’s always something that happens when you’re on vacation. Never fails !

How long did it take the locksmith to come by? My dog would be going nuts too wondering why no one was coming in.

 

[jameybano]

When I arrived at the hotel, I had some deliveries at the front desk to pick up. There is a group on Facebook called Ear for Each Other. The mission of this page is to provide a space were furloughed and impacted cast members can showcase their side hustles. I was able to order grocery delivery via this site, order custom made T-shirts to wear during the week, masks and even an Epcot scavenger hunt. All these items were delivered to my hotel by the furloughed cast members. Please consider consulting this page as you plan your next trip, it’s an excellent way to give back to those who have made our past trips so memorable.





Tip #3 : be aware that food courts and many hotel restaurants are closed. I would advise having grocery delivery especially for breakfast items, snacks and water/drinks. Also, I neglected to order napkins and paper towels and it is hard to find these items on-site. I would also recommend either ordering or bringing from home Ziploc bags to transport your snacks during the day. The Gran Destino Tower rooms have Keurig makers. I ordered Starbucks pods and half-and-half. Having easy and quick access to coffee is a necessity!
After putting all the groceries away and unpacking, Don and I were on our way back to Disney Springs for a 7pm reservation at Wine Bar George! Don is not a “bus person.” Since we had his car, we made the short drive over. It was a Thursday night, so parking was plentiful. We parked in the orange garage. When you park in a garage at Disney Springs all of the escalators are closed and they route you to one central entrance point for temperature screening. I was amazed at the amount of people being turned away for either not wearing a mask or having a bandanna or neck gaiter-type mask which is not allowed on Disney property. Like where have you been for a year? Also, there was a LOT of people. The crowd in the evening was way larger than the crowd during the day. Having said that, we did get through temperature screening quickly, it just seem like a hassle / longer walk to go to one location.
I highly recommend Wine Bar George! I would describe the motif as industrial. We saw a cool little private room that would be fun to enjoy with friends



If you like wine or cheese this is the place to be! I would say that this restaurant has the best wine list on property. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. For an appetizer, we ordered the flaming saganaki




Around us, we saw other diners had ordered these beautiful rather elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards. We didn’t want more cheese so we went with the skirt steak for two as an entree. I plan on returning in the future and having a cheeseboard on a day that I didn’t already eat fries and order a huge half pound cookie



The steak was flavorful and perfectly prepared. The potatoes soaked up some of the au jus and were so yummy. Don also begrudgingly ate some of the grilled asparagus. We had to balance out the potatoes and cheese and cookie and wine!
Speaking of wine we drank that whole bottle! We didn’t walk around Disney Springs too long after dinner as he had a tee time the next morning and I had my alarm set for 6:45am to try my luck in getting a spot in the ROR virtual queue!

 

[jameybano]

There’s always something that happens when you’re on vacation. Never fails !

How long did it take the locksmith to come by? My dog would be going nuts too wondering why no one was coming in.

coincidentally, a neighbor from two houses ago here in Fort Wayne is a locksmith so I called him and he was there within an hour but the dog did indeed whine the whole time. Poor baby was already traumatized from seeing Mommy leave the house with a suitcase earlier in the day

 

[jameybano]

Day Two: Friday February 26, 2021

Hollywood Studios Day !!

Well remember how I said that Don and I had drank the whole bottle of Pinot Noir at Wine Bar George the previous evening? I guess I should clarify and say that I drank most of the wine: Don was driving and had just begun taking some new medication and was struggling with stomach issues. I ended up waking up just before 6 AM with a splitting headache! Definitely a combination of too much wine and too little water. Well, I was on vacation!

Tip #4 : HYDRATE!

As a result, I was wide awake on the app ready to roll the dice to see if I will receive a spot in the virtual queue for ROR. I had the world clock on my iPad and my finger hovering over it the join button on my iPhone. I have AT&T service, and based on tips read on this board, did not use Disney WiFi. At approximately 6:59:59, I pressed the join button .......SUCCESS
I received an assignment with boarding group number 80 and a return time of approximately 1 PM. I thought I was celebrating silently but Don woke up and said “ I take it you got a group?“
Well there was no sleeping after that! We got up got ready got breakfast and Don drove me to Hollywood Studios. I arrived at the studios just before 9am. I literally walked through the temperature screening and the entry gates. My plan was to head to Toy Story Land first— Obviously not an original idea- rides were already showing 60 minute plus wait times. I elected to head straight to MMRR which was showing a 45 minute wait.

Tip #5: quoted times on the my Disney experience app are not always correct

I ended up waiting only 25 minutes for MMRR. The queues for these rides are an engineering marvel. In order to keep groups of people 6 feet apart, these lines wend and wind their way around in concentric circles and mazes. Now you would think that if you were waiting in line, your objective would be to get through the line quickly as possible. Apparently, this is not the object of most people in these lines. I think snap chatting and browsing the Internet appear to be the most common focus of people in line! I feel all these lines would move a lot quicker if people were simply paying attention! Once the heat of the day sets in, people seem to walk very very slowly. Both of these factors tend to make the lines look longer than they actually are.

Most of the line for MMRR is outside, you are actually in the lobby of the theater for a very short time. There is also apparently a pre-show that they are not doing at this time. The cars for the ride are two rows with plexiglass in between. I was loaded into the front row by myself, the ride started and then.......



The ride abruptly stops! Since this was my first time on the ride I wasn’t sure if this was part of the ride experience. We didn’t move for about five minutes and then the lights came on. After a few announcements to remain seated in the car, an announcement came on and said that cast members would be coming around to safely escort us off the ride. Since we were the closest riders to the beginning of the ride, we, of course, were the last ones to be evacuated from our cars. All in all, it probably took 20 minutes. Two cast members came around with a stepstool and they opened the side doors and you stepped onto a stool to safely reach the floor. While I have ridden rides that have had temporary stops, this is the first time I’ve ever been on a ride that has broken down completely!
The cast members usher you to an exit door where other cast members scan your magic band and you receive a Guest Recovery Experience Fast Pass to return to the ride later.

Tip #6 : If you receive a guest recovery pass, know that you can use it for any fast pass ride. At Hollywood Studios the only ride you cannot use it for is ROR.

At this point, I decided to head over to Toy Story Land. I had no confidence in the quoted weight times on MDE, I figured I could ride enjoy those attractions before my lunch time ADR at the Brown Derby.

 

[jameybano]

Day Two February 26, 2021
part two

I just love the theming of this area! I really feel like I am in Andy’s backyard, riding rides he constructed using his toys





First up: Toy Story Mania which was showing a 45 minute wait, I waited 19 minutes. Guess what happened?



It broke down! (picture is distorted due to 3D ). This time it was only a five minute wait and I wasn’t evacuated, I couldn’t believe my bad luck two for two!

One good thing about riding solo is you always receive the highest score in your car! TSM is a must at Hollywood Studios!



I headed to Alien Swirling Saucers next, 30 minutes posted wait, I waited 12 minutes. I have never ridden this ride before as I hate going in circles and I thought it would be a lot like the tea cups at MK. But it really wasn’t like that, it was a cute, short ride but I would probably never wait any more than 15 minutes for in the future. It didn’t break down though!


At this point, I had roughly 45 min before my ADR. Slinky was posting a 90 minute wait. MMRR was posting a 35 minute wait. I decided to head to MMRR since it was so close to the restaurant. I was willing to wait in the ride and use my guest recovery experience on either SDD Smugglers Run. By the time I have walked from Swirling Saucers to MMRR it had broken down again!
Plan B, I decided to hit up Star Tours, which was posting a 30 minute wait. During my 15 minute wait in the queue those around me were all complaining that they did not get an ROR spot. I am so thankful for the advice I have received on the boards! Some of people waited till they either arrived at the park or first thing when they woke up that day and I said no you have to be up at 7 AM on the dot! Not even one or two minutes later!

What do you think happened on Star Tours? No, the ride did not break down, but it did stop temporarily. A cast member came over the intercom to tell a guest in the third row to put their mask back on . I personally like this ride and feel as though it gets overshadowed by the two rides in Galaxy’s Edge. It does seem to be out of place now, I wonder what its future may be.


As I was leaving Star Tours I received a notification that my table was ready at the Brown Derby. I get the same thing every time I come here: the delicious Cobb salad accompanied by a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.


The wait staff at this restaurant has always impressed me with their professionalism. I hope they are able to welcome back the rest of their team members soon. My waiter was very kind and gave me a paper cup to refill my portable water bottle as I was leaving. After yesterday‘s experience , I knew that I needed to keep drinking the water to prevent another headache!



Next up: My first visit to Galaxy Edge!

 

[Lindseyncole]

Love the memories of the train! Such a happy place.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

When I arrived at the hotel, I had some deliveries at the front desk to pick up. There is a group on Facebook called Ear for Each Other. The mission of this page is to provide a space were furloughed and impacted cast members can showcase their side hustles. I was able to order grocery delivery via this site, order custom made T-shirts to wear during the week, masks and even an Epcot scavenger hunt. All these items were delivered to my hotel by the furloughed cast members. Please consider consulting this page as you plan your next trip, it’s an excellent way to give back to those who have made our past trips so memorable.

View attachment 561798

View attachment 561799

Tip #3 : be aware that food courts and many hotel restaurants are closed. I would advise having grocery delivery especially for breakfast items, snacks and water/drinks. Also, I neglected to order napkins and paper towels and it is hard to find these items on-site. I would also recommend either ordering or bringing from home Ziploc bags to transport your snacks during the day. The Gran Destino Tower rooms have Keurig makers. I ordered Starbucks pods and half-and-half. Having easy and quick access to coffee is a necessity!
After putting all the groceries away and unpacking, Don and I were on our way back to Disney Springs for a 7pm reservation at Wine Bar George! Don is not a “bus person.” Since we had his car, we made the short drive over. It was a Thursday night, so parking was plentiful. We parked in the orange garage. When you park in a garage at Disney Springs all of the escalators are closed and they route you to one central entrance point for temperature screening. I was amazed at the amount of people being turned away for either not wearing a mask or having a bandanna or neck gaiter-type mask which is not allowed on Disney property. Like where have you been for a year? Also, there was a LOT of people. The crowd in the evening was way larger than the crowd during the day. Having said that, we did get through temperature screening quickly, it just seem like a hassle / longer walk to go to one location.
I highly recommend Wine Bar George! I would describe the motif as industrial. We saw a cool little private room that would be fun to enjoy with friends

View attachment 561800

If you like wine or cheese this is the place to be! I would say that this restaurant has the best wine list on property. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. For an appetizer, we ordered the flaming saganaki
View attachment 561803

View attachment 561804

Around us, we saw other diners had ordered these beautiful rather elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards. We didn’t want more cheese so we went with the skirt steak for two as an entree. I plan on returning in the future and having a cheeseboard on a day that I didn’t already eat fries and order a huge half pound cookie

View attachment 561808

The steak was flavorful and perfectly prepared. The potatoes soaked up some of the au jus and were so yummy. Don also begrudgingly ate some of the grilled asparagus. We had to balance out the potatoes and cheese and cookie and wine!
Speaking of wine we drank that whole bottle! We didn’t walk around Disney Springs too long after dinner as he had a tee time the next morning and I had my alarm set for 6:45am to try my luck in getting a spot in the ROR virtual queue!

Wow on the ride breakdowns!

1 - Thanks for the name of the Facebook group about the cast members. I just joined. I think I'd heard about it before, maybe. I know I read about the Epcot Scavenger Hunt on another trip report here on the DIS.
2 - I always pack Ziplocks in a variety of sizes. I always use some. I also started packing a Sharpie; I always seem to need one.
3 - That steak platter looks delicious.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I, uh, might have already found something from that Facebook page to buy.

 

[LLM]

Following along. Thank you for sharing!

 

[GAN]

Great Trip Report so far ...loving your humor. Thanks for sharing!

 

[jameybano]

Day Two February 26, 2021
part three

After refreshing lunch, I still had some time before my ROR boarding group was scheduled to be called. I decided to check to see if MMRR was open before heading over to Galaxy’s Edge. It was indeed open, posting a 35 minute wait. At this point I did make the decision to save my guest recovery pass to use on the Millennium Falcon. So back in line for the second time. Now by this time the heat had begun to build. Be advised of the majority of this line is uncovered on concrete. If it was that hot in February I can’t imagine what this line will be like in July!



I admit I did breathe a sigh of relief when I got on the ride in past the point where it broke down earlier in the day!
Basically the theme of the ride as you are stuck in various classic Mickey Mouse cartoons.


My impression of the ride? Meh. I don’t know if my experience was tainted by being evacuated from a ride earlier in the day or maybe the attraction suffers from the lack of pre- show. I really really loved the Great Movie Ride, I wish they could bring back something like that.
As I was exiting, my boarding group for ROR was called!

I loved the theming of the queue! And it is not exposed to the elements. I really did feel as though I was descending into a secret rebel base on a planet far far away.



I LOVED THIS ATTRACTION!

I am not going to post any pictures here, as I assiduously avoided seeing pictures beforehand so that I did not ruin my first experience. Trust me when I tell you that it is one of the few things that actually live up it’s hype!

Side note: I love all the Harry Potter stuff at Universal Studios and was blown away by the theming there. I can take or leave the rest of Universal. While there are more attractions in the Harry Potter stuff at Universal, it is split between two parks, requiring separate admission tickets. Also, one cannot ride the Hogwarts Express train if you do not have a multi-park ticket. I think that Hagrid‘s Motorbikes is the best ride in Orlando, but I like that the attractions at Galaxy’s Edge are more immersive. You are actually a participant in the attraction rather than a recipient.

Currently you have to wait in a line to enter the marketplace then wait in individual lines to enter the stalls. I honestly can’t wait to revisit when the social distancing requirements are relaxed as I think this takes away from experiencing the hustle and bustle an outdoor market.




Upon exiting the marketplace I ran into an old friend!




Kylo Ren is in town



As a Gen X’er what a thrill to see the Millennium Falcon for the first time!!



It was about 3 PM at this point, and even though it was late February it was HOT ! When I left home it was 23° so I wasn’t going to complain.... but hot is hot! It just goes to show when you book February or March you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get! Turns out the decision to use the guest recovery pass for Smugglers Run was a wise one as the posted waiting time was 85 minutes..
If you have a guest recovery pass, you enter the queue through the fast pass entrance. I basically walked right on. As a single rider, I actually ended up riding alone! I chose to be pilot. Probably should keep my day job, but it was fun!


Afterwards, I walked around a little longer, but the lines for all the shops were long. Olga’s was completely booked up . I decided to head back to Toy Story to see what the line looked like for SDD. On the way out, a photo pass cast member saw my shirt and snapped this photo



I can’t wait to go back and get one without the facial covering!

The posted wait time for SDD was 60 minutes. As I have experienced this attraction before, I took a pass. By this time, a lot of the children were beginning to melt down from being tired and hot and I couldn’t get out of Toy Story Land fast enough.
I headed back to the outdoor bar at the Brown Derby, ordered an adult beverage, found a shady spot and did some people watching. I chatted with a retired couple who had recently received their vaccinations and were taking a slow tour of the South in their RV. It was a fantastic slice of normalcy.
I then headed down to ride the RnR coaster. Posted wait time was 45 minutes, I waited approximately 28 minutes. There is no preshow, so once you are in the building the line loads quickly. The people behind me were not sure who Aerosmith was. Am I really this old?!!
After riding, I took a HARD pass on riding the ToT! This is indeed one benefit of touring a parks by yourself! I’ve ridden it many times with my family and each time I get off I say to myself I’m never doing it again! At this point it was about 5 PM and I exited the park to meet my husband for dinner. Total miles walked: 7.1!

 

[WittyreaderLI]

I have to say, I am loving your photos and your trip report!

 

[jameybano]

Day 3: February 27, 2021 : Magic Kingdom part one

I was very excited for this day as my brother and his family were driving in from Clearwater to join us! They told the children the night before that they were going to MK the next day, but did not tell them that my husband and I would be there!

I should mention that we broke a cardinal rule of visiting WDW: Never visit MK on Fri-Monday! However due to school/work, this was the only day my family could join us. As we drove into the TTC, there was signage that the park was at capacity.



At rope drop, my husband and I made a beeline for 7DMT. We had never ridden it! My brother was still about an hour away. The posted wait time said 45 minutes, but we only waited about 25 minutes. What a fun ride! Afterwards, we walked onto Pooh.



When, I was little, my parents called me Pooh Bear .

Right when we were exiting the ride, my brother texted me that they were on Main Street! We met up under the castle !



My SIL and niece in our matching ears



My nephews. It was nice to be reunited after a very long year!

It was my youngest nephew’s first time at MK, so he got first pick :



Next my up was my niece’s favorite:



My score was quite low, I’m quite sure my laser gun was broken

Next up was my older nephew’s pick :



I have been on Space Mountain many, many times. This was the first time I rode in the front car and my goodness what a ride! It was really intense, a completely different experience!
The line for Space Mountain was the longest of the morning— we waited for about 45 minutes and most of that wait is outside with no shade. While in line, we did the math and mobile ordered our lunch to be available once we exited Space Mountain. The nearby Tomorrowland Terrace was featuring “ Columbia House “ favorites. At MK, you basically have a choice between Quick Service- toddler cuisine at best— or family style priced fixed meals at the table service locations. These TS meals are very heavy and rather expensive for a party of 8 — who really wants to eat a turkey dinner for LUNCH on a hot theme park day?!
The best thing I could say about our lunch is that it was ready at 1:15pm when we exited Space Mountain. My salad was palatable, but the chicken nuggets, fried shrimp and fries the others were eating were rubbery. This is one area that definitely could stand an improvement. If you are staying at a monorail resort, I’d recommend going back to your resort to eat. Also, there is no alcohol for purchase at any QS location at MK.

Next up was MY PICK!



We waited a pretty long time for Pirates, and it was HOT ! A lot of the line is outside in very little shade. Right before we entered the fort, we mobile ordered our favorite treat



There has been a lot of discussion on the boards about social distancing at MK. If this is a concern for you, avoid the Dole Whip stand by Aladdin’s magic carpet ride. It was a hot day and this was a very popular spot. People were all along the fountain area shoulder to shoulder eating their dole whips.

 

[jameybano]

Day 3: February 27, 2021 : Magic Kingdom part two

After finishing our dole whips , we headed toward my SIL’s favorite: the Haunted Mansion.



This queue was the most convoluted line I have ever experienced! Be aware that the entirety of this line is outside in no shade whatsoever. You also climb up and down staircases near and in the Liberty Square Riverboat Building. Once you enter the mansion, there is no preshow, you walk directly through the stretching room onto the ride vehicles. For me, it was very difficult to see inside the attraction. After being outside in the sun for so long, my eyes did not have a chance to adjust to the darkness inside the mansion. It is still a must do, I hope they do not make any changes to this attraction.
Upon exiting, I think it rained on us for about three drops! The sky was threatening but it did not really rain— which means the humidity was high! On our way to my brother’s pick we watched a cavalcade of Disney Princesses



With the smaller crowds that the cavalcades draw, the characters really do a great job interacting with the guests. Belle waved at my younger nephew and said “Hi Cutie”. He is officially in love .
My brother’s pick was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Again, a very long queue that went up and down stairs. Parts of this queue use plastic partitions making the queue extremely narrow. Also, if social distancing is a concern for you I will also avoid this area.
This was a first for my niece and nephews and they just loved it! They were in the front cars and had the time of their life! At this point, we were quite hot, tired, sweaty and hungry. We wanted to still eat dinner together and visit, so we made a decision to leave property to eat dinner. We didn’t want to spend a lot of money on another marginal quick service meal. On the way out however we did some shopping!



We had dinner at a Chuy’s Mexican restaurant on Irlo Bronson Highway. If you leave property please be aware that Covid restrictions are very different.
I must say though the margaritas hit the spot! While we were eating my nephew asked my husband what his favorite ride was. His answer? The monorail going to the parking lot! ( he was kidding.... I think)
All in all, it was a great day. We all got to be together and each of us got to ride our favorite attractions.
Always fun to see this sign upon returning to WDW

 

[jameybano]

Day 4: February 28, 2021- EPCOT day!

This was my favorite day of the whole trip! Mostly, because I got to sleep in finally! The park did not open till 11 AM. After an early flight down followed by two rope drops, I was ready for a good lie in! After a leisurely morning we tapped in at about 10:30am and headed directly for Soarin, which was a walk-on. This is my favorite ride, and this was actually Don’s first time ever experiencing the attraction. We got top row center, which was awesome! Don was quite surprised when we lifted off! And the elephants got him!
Next, we walked right onto Living with the Land. There were only two groups in each boat, and unfortunately we were in the last row, surrounded by the plexiglas. I am reading that the plexiglass has been removed from many attractions, hopefully it will be removed from the land soon.
Brought a little tear to my eye



I just love hunting for the hidden Mickeys!



Next, we headed to the World Showcase for our lunchtime ADR at the Biergarten. We ran into some friends along the way.


And this fun couple



Funny story: One of my (adult) nieces had texted to ask if I had seen Mickey at the Magic Kingdom. My response, “No, not at the Magic Kingdom. He was at Epcot. They have alcohol there.”

Notice the lack of crowds in the photos. It was about noon on a Sunday in between festivals. We experienced very light crowds the entire day.

There were some of the topiaries installed for the upcoming Flower and Garden Festival



We were seated immediately at the Biergarten for our noon ADR. I would say the restaurant was operating at about 25% capacity. The Buffet was not operational. The food was served course by course family style, and plenty of it! You could also request seconds of any of your favorites.
But, first things first!


German whites can be quite sweet, due to the elevation/ cooler climate of the vineyards.
The wines were arranged from most sweet to more balanced. We both enjoyed the middle and the less sweet. The Pinot Gris was really really sweet, but paired well with the cole slaw!



Plenty of meats with a little bit of green beans so you can say you ate your veggies!
I just love the red cabbage too!



The show began at 1:15pm. True to form, I neglected to take pictures of the dessert offerings. I am not a sweets girl, but I do enjoy snacking on anything delivered on a chip! If you look closely you can see some of the desserts on our neighbors’ table.


After lunch, we needed to walk it off. We we decided to turn right out of Germany explore that side of the World Showcase and head around Future World counterclockwise and then see the rest of the World Showcase in the evening. We did ride Frozen Ever After, I believe it was our longest wait of the day at about 25 minutes. Please be advised at this time a lot of that queue is outside and uncovered from the elements. we were in line about 2 PM when the heat of the Florida day was building, so be advised. There was a short line to wait in to enter the Mexico pavilion, but the Three Caballeros ride was I walk on. The line for the tequila bar was long, so we skipped that .
I originally had a trip planned to Epcot in May 2020. I had planned to ride Spaceship Earth one last time before refurbishment. I was really sad when the trip was canceled I thought I had missed my chance. Happily, the refurbishment was postponed indefinitely:


We also experienced Test Track as a walk on. I think this version of the ride really suffers with the pandemic restrictions as you are not permitted to touch the computer monitors to design your vehicle. We then went on Nemo, rode Soarin twice more walking on because DON wanted to , thankfully walked on to Figment to cool down before taking the Friendship launch back across the lake to the World Showcase.

 

[jameybano]

Day 4 : February 28, 2021 EPCOT day part two

we started our evening in France, which is my favorite pavilion.


Don spent a lot of time hanging out by the fountain while I indulged in some shopping. France has the best shops, be advised not all were open at this time but enough to still get your shopping fix! I’m kicking myself because I really loved the Eiffel tower Minnie Ears, I didn’t buy a set —I hope that they still are there when I return in September!
Also, there is plenty of wine !


Beautiful night


The Rose and Crown was closed for refurbishment, I believe it has since reopened. A few of the shops were open in the United Kingdom pavilion.
I ran into another friend



This young lady was checking out the garden



it was time for our dinner ADR at Le Cellier !



Get the Brussel Sprouts! I have been looking forward to getting the maple crème brûlée but could. Not. Do. It. I normally don’t eat a lot of meat, between that and the big lunch and the allllll the drinking I was stuffed! It was all so good



EPCOT was closing, one last look back before leaving.