“Would You Like an Adventure Now?" A July PTR *Updated 8/1

[amazingact21]

Day 11:



Would it sound mean of me to say that we’ve reached the point in the plans I’m most excited about?

*sigh*

It’s not that I don’t love touring Disney with my kids. I really do. The anticipation of seeing Evie’s reaction to “the backwards part” on Everest is killing me. Curiosity is overwhelming me on whether or not Landon will brave Rock N Roller Coaster.

My kids are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, and I love that I can give them a vacation like the one we will be experiencing. I know by the following summer they will have to say goodbye to this little world they’ve created here in England, and it will be devastating. So giving them a few weeks to play and eat sugar and watch entertainment, not worrying about where Alex’s job will take them in a year’s time, is precious to me.


BUT.


I’d by lying if I said Alex and I don’t get downright giddy at that the thought of four nights in the parks without the kids. We are the original parkgoers here! Before Landon and Evie came along, it was me and Alex, taking on the four WDW theme parks.

Back in 2010, at the start of it all:




Right after we got engaged:




On our honeymoon aboard the Disney Magic and then 2 days in the parks:




Ditching the kids for 1 day in 2019:




Last summer when we stayed at the Swan without going into the parks:




There’s something special about being in the parks with Alex. Not worrying about tiny humans and their hydration levels or whether they like sitting through a long show or are willing to eat at a nice restaurant or breaking up a bickering fest.

Now, mind you, we’ll probably spend the entire time talking about Landon and Evie, and I’ll call my mom multiple times a day to hear their little voices.

But we’ll be kid-free.



I feel like we’re two youngsters set free in a candy store.
“What do we do first?!?!”



It’s actually been a little difficult planning for these four days, because Alex and I want to do all the things! Narrowing down our musts has been a challenge, but I think we’ve got it.

So for this day…


We’ll wake up and say goodbye to the kiddos. They will be leaving with my mom, brother, and SIL. Alex and I will have to check out of our AirBnB by 10 o’clock.

Tentatively, the plan is to go do some shopping this morning. In case you all aren’t aware, my husband is the ultimate browser. He wants to check every shelf, scan through shirts and souvenirs and whose its and what nots. Whereas, I loathe shopping. I don’t have the patience for that madness. But I promised Alex that since we won’t have the kids, I’ll allow some time to meander. At least this way, I won’t be listening to the kids who would sound like they're in agony, explaining to them for the hundredth time that it’s THEIR SCHOOL SHIRTS WE NEED.

(Can you tell this came from a recent real life experience? I’m still traumatized by the ordeal.)



Once I’ve reached my limit, I’ll make Alex take us to our hotel for the next two nights.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!!!!



My friends, this is exciting.

Do you know why?

Because Alex and I have never even SEEN Wilderness Lodge before!

This is a brand spanking new resort for us. A completely new Disney experience. And we get to stay there.

I cannot wait.


I doubt our room will be ready early, but at least we can drop our things off. (Actually, as I type this, maybe we’ll go here first then go shopping. Hmm.)

If we’re feeling peckish, we’ll grab a bite to eat at Geyser Point. I need to try this spot for myself. It’s been talked about so much on the TR threads that I feel like it’s a necessity!



Then, Alex and I will head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! I’ll have hopefully stacked us some Genie + attractions earlier in the day. This is Alex’s least favorite park (shameful) so anything we do I’ll consider a win in my book. Besides, I know Evie and I will have hit the park hard and heavy earlier in the trip.







Unfortunately, the kids are going to miss Festival of the Lion King while we’re there, because it’ll be closed to get ready for the return of the Tumble Monkeys and Ariel Birds. I’d really, really love to catch a show on this day, but that all depends on how quickly we get to the park. I don’t want to make Alex rush. Fingers crossed it happens, though!







For dinner, I’m thinking we might try and hit up the Sannaa Lounge over at Kidani in order to try their bread service. Regardless, Alex and I definitely want to go to Jambo House and grab some zebra domes and Tusker beer.

These became a favorite on our last trip, and I love Animal Kingdom Lodge. Relaxing and watching the animals roam while enjoying some snacks sounds wonderful.





Now, for the big ambition of this day.

It was recently announced that guests qualifying for Extended Evening Hours at Epcot can try and join a virtual queue at 6 p.m. for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.

Well, we’d be crazy not to try for it, right??

So if all goes well and the stars align and our fingers are fast enough, then Alex and I are hoping we can go to Epcot from AKL and ride the newest attraction at Epcot!!!

We've never tried to join a virtual queue before so I'm trying to stay optimistic we can figure it out with our old phones.

I’m more than a little worried about motion sickness and Alex. Flight of Passage did a number on him when we rode it, but I’ll carry Bonine with me and give us both a full dose beforehand.



What a way to cap off our first kid-free night together that would be! Visiting each other’s favorite parks and crossing off two Disney firsts in one night!

We would be starting the week off with a bang.



Goals for Day 9:
- Zebra Domes at AKL
- Check out Wilderness Lodge
- Ride Expedition Everest
- Ride Guardians

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Oh I really hope your plans work out. They sound amazing. I’d love to stay a WL and try GP some day. Sounds perfect

 

[suse66]

To say the kids are excited about these Universal days would be an understatement. Just yesterday Landon asked if we could take away a Disney day and add a day to Universal. Both are bursting with anticipation at seeing the Wizarding World.

It will be such a great experience for them!

The positive side to this is that there will be an abundance of people to hang out with Evie while others take Landon on the attractions he wants to do. There will be no shortage of adults willing to take Evie into a shop or let her practice magic with her interactive wand, hopefully distracting her from any disappointment she’ll feel at not getting to go on Forbidden Journey or Hagrid’s.

That is a great positive!

Alex and I pretty much figure the two days at Universal will be centered around the WWoHP, but Alex does hope to break away and ride the Hulk and Velocicoaster. I told him I’d ride the Hulk with him, but he would need to get my brother to go on the oV

Velocicoaster does look a little intense!

It’s so funny to me that the least days I have concrete plans are the ones that Landon and Evie are most looking forward to. They want to don their favorite HP shirts, pick their wands (that’s going to have be one of the first things we do) and look at every little detail in the land. No Pigmy Puff will go unseen, no shelf in Diagon Alley unlooked. My kids are going to live their best HP lives, and I can’t wait to go along for the ride. As long as I get to see their happiness and share in their joy, that’s all I want out of our Universal days.

Awww, that's perfect!

It’s not that I don’t love touring Disney with my kids. I really do. The anticipation of seeing Evie’s reaction to “the backwards part” on Everest is killing me. Curiosity is overwhelming me on whether or not Landon will brave Rock N Roller Coaster.

My kids are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, and I love that I can give them a vacation like the one we will be experiencing. I know by the following summer they will have to say goodbye to this little world they’ve created here in England, and it will be devastating. So giving them a few weeks to play and eat sugar and watch entertainment, not worrying about where Alex’s job will take them in a year’s time, is precious to me.

So, so precious. Change and uncertainty are hard. Knowing your little family through the Dis, I am sure you will do your utmost to create and a safe and stable world for your littles, wherever life takes you next.

There’s something special about being in the parks with Alex. Not worrying about tiny humans and their hydration levels or whether they like sitting through a long show or are willing to eat at a nice restaurant or breaking up a bickering fest.

You two are going to have the best time!

Once I’ve reached my limit, I’ll make Alex take us to our hotel for the next two nights.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!!!!

Yay! So excited for you!

Now, for the big ambition of this day.

It was recently announced that guests qualifying for Extended Evening Hours at Epcot can try and join a virtual queue at 6 p.m. for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.

Well, we’d be crazy not to try for it, right??

So if all goes well and the stars align and our fingers are fast enough, then Alex and I are hoping we can go to Epcot from AKL and ride the newest attraction at Epcot!!!

Best plans ever!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm excited for your Adult Disney Time. Fingers crossed your get the virtual que for Guardians.

 

[amazingact21]

Oh I really hope your plans work out. They sound amazing. I’d love to stay a WL and try GP some day. Sounds perfect

WL has been such a fan favorite here on the trip report boards that I felt like I had to check it out and see what the hype is all about.

So, so precious. Change and uncertainty are hard. Knowing your little family through the Dis, I am sure you will do your utmost to create and a safe and stable world for your littles, wherever life takes you next.

I do hope the transition will be as smooth as possible for them. This is the biggest downside to being in the military. Just when you are settled someplace and established a good life, it's time to up and move again.
Evie's best friend from kindergarten moved a few weeks ago, and it was hard. Fortunately, she bounced back quick but seeing her upset was one of those times where I wished they could grow up in one place.

You two are going to have the best time!

I just read your monorail bar crawl update and am now excited all over again for this part of the trip.

Yay! So excited for you!

I'll have to toast to you when I make it to Geyser Point, for introducing me to the best spot in WL.

I'm excited for your Adult Disney Time. Fingers crossed your get the virtual que for Guardians.

I figured I would give the virtual queue experience a trial run on our first Epcot day. Evie is tall enough to ride it, so if we luck out and get a boarding group, we might decide to ride it with the kids. But if nothing else, it'll familiarize me with the system so I'm not totally confused on this evening.

 

[amazingact21]

Day 12:

If there’s one thing you can count on with Alex and myself, it’s that we are going to focus our days around food.

We love to eat, and while the kid portion of our trip only encompasses two TS restaurants, our sans kid part more than makes up for that.



For this day, we’re starting off with an early breakfast at Steakhouse 71.

Yes, we will be eating lunch and breakfast here on this trip. But both menus have items we’re interested in, and the convenience to the MK really drew us in.



The plan is to get through breakfast and then walk (or monorail) over to the Magic Kingdom, where we will hopefully have Genie + attractions to enjoy.

If I can get us turns on Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad then I’ll be a happy camper.


Our day is wide open. What a wonderful prospect. An entire day to do whatever we want. The possibilities are endless.



Eventually, we’ll head back to Wilderness Lodge and get ready for our early dinner. The two of us will be going to Disney Springs this evening for a meal at Wine Bar George!



Neither of us have eaten at Wine Bar George before, and we’re both looking forward to it. In fact, every meal we’re eating during our kid-free portion will be new. How exciting!


Depending on how we’re feeling after our dinner, Alex and I might stay at Disney Springs and peruse the shops or lounges. Or we might head back to the MK and catch Enchantment. Or possibly we’ll be tired from a previous late night at Epcot and decide to cap off the night strolling around Wilderness Lodge.


There’s plenty of options. I love that this day revolves around food and the Magic Kingdom. Talk about a magical day.


Goals:

- Eat breakfast at Steakhouse 71
- Eat dinner at Wine Bar George
- Ride Haunted Mansion

 

[suse66]

For this day, we’re starting off with an early breakfast at Steakhouse 71.

Yes, we will be eating lunch and breakfast here on this trip. But both menus have items we’re interested in, and the convenience to the MK really drew us in.

A perfect pre park breakfast within walking distance to MK....who could ask for anything better?

Eventually, we’ll head back to Wilderness Lodge and get ready for our early dinner. The two of us will be going to Disney Springs this evening for a meal at Wine Bar George!

Oh my gosh....yum! WBG is so good!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I can almost feel you winding down and relaxing just reading that last update. Perfect day with lots of opportunity to do whatever takes your fancy

 

[vamassey1]

So many possibilities for your day. You're starting with a great breakfast, time in my favorite park and having an adult dinner.

 

[rdkeim]

I can feel your excitement - sans kids portion. WL is my sentimental favorite place. I think you will love it! I didn't know the tumble monkeys were coming back - awesome! Our last trip was not great (group of 7) so I'm anxious to go back just DH and I. I will plan a couple nights at Universal just for something different. Your trip is getting close!

 

[cindianne320]

Loving your plans!! I can't wait to get back to Disney with my hubby sans kids. It hasn't happened since 2014!

 

[Dugette]

Love catching up on your plans! I know you'll have a bunch of family joining you for part of it, but I bet you'll all make lots of great memories together. I hope Landon is an awesome Millennium Falcon pilot! I rode it with Izzy and Aria this last trip and they piloted - and we had two strangers with us who thankfully got a kick out of having child pilots lol. Glad you have some time to relax and visit in the AirBnB - it's so nice to have your own space! And I love that you and Alex are planning some time for just the two of you - I'm sure you'll have a blast together.

 

[amazingact21]

Hello everyone!


Long, long time no see. Kind of the opposite of a typical pre-trip report, right? Normally, the closer one gets to their Disney vacation, the more posts that are made.

Unfortunately, June did not go exactly as I planned.


My parents did make it over to England, which the kids were over the moon about. Shortly after they arrived, we all went to Scotland for four nights.


And then came back with Covid.


(We were all vaccinated/boosted so I’ve said.)



Alex, Landon, and myself got it first, then my dad two days later, and Evie a week after that. My mom managed never to get it.

The sickness ended up delaying my parents flying back home and stuck us all inside our house for the duration of their trip.

Alex and the kids had pretty mild symptoms overall, but it knocked my dad out for almost a week.

And it completely pummeled me. Took 13 days to get a negative test, and I’m at Day 17 still with mild symptoms. It was the sickest I’ve ever been in my life, with fever off and on for two weeks and complete fatigue and body aches.

I actually ended up having to go the doctor to get muscle relaxers because I damaged my intercostal muscles coughing so much. I also had to get approval to fly next week.



To say this was unexpected is an understatement.

In truth, I suspected we might catch Covid while in Florida, but I never dreamed we’d all get sick the month before and get put out of commission right when things need to get sorted! Now, Disney is going to look a tad bit different than I imagined it would be. I have to continue to let my ribs heal, so I’m not thinking coasters will be in my future during the first part of the trip.

Plus, there’s a possibility I might be parked on a bench for much of the day.

Because I was bedridden for so long, my energy isn’t what it used to be, and as of today I’m only up to about 5,000 steps a day. Walking around the theme parks might still be too much for me, especially in 90 degree Florida heat.



While it’s not the outlook I ever dreamed of, I’m just grateful that I’m finally better and healthy(ish) enough to go on vacation. There was a day or two there where I was thinking we’d have to scrap this trip.

And another positive…my appetite and taste never went away. So I am going to enjoy as many theme park foods and snacks as I can!


I’m coming for you soon, Butterbeer and Ronto Wrap!




So this update isn’t a complete Debbie Downer and very “whoa is me” I’ll include some pictures of our Scotland trip. Before everything took a dive.


Here is the view from the house we stayed at:




The Royal Mile:




Edinburgh Castle:






HolyRood Palace:







Alex at the Scotch Whiskey Experience Tour:




Fellow fans of Outlander will appreciate this photo. It’s the sight of the infamous print shop:





And to round out this little update, here is a picture of the hedgehog who likes to stop by our house:





We fly out in 6 days. SIX!!!!! Hopefully between now and then I can get us packed, order our last minute necessities, and come back here to finish out my daily goals! Wish me luck!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

The sickness ended up delaying my parents flying back home and stuck us all inside our house for the duration of their trip.

Alex and the kids had pretty mild symptoms overall, but it knocked my dad out for almost a week.

And it completely pummeled me. Took 13 days to get a negative test, and I’m at Day 17 still with mild symptoms. It was the sickest I’ve ever been in my life, with fever off and on for two weeks and complete fatigue and body aches.

Oh no!!! My kids got it mid-May, very mild symptoms, adults made it through unscathed. Then, mid-June, Hubby tested positive and it was the real deal, fever, chills, etc. Took a full 10 days to get a negative on a rapid and his stamina is non-existent. Any physical labor or attempts at exercise knock him out fast. I managed to come out unscathed a second time, so maybe I'm one of the lucky few whose genetic predisposition coupled with vaccination is enough to protect me?

Fingers crossed you're able to rebuild quickly for the trip. And, maybe this is the year to invest in the neck fan, liquid IV, cooling towels, etc to throw everything at that July heat?

We fly out in 6 days. SIX!!!!! Hopefully between now and then I can get us packed, order our last minute necessities, and come back here to finish out my daily goals! Wish me luck!

Oh wow, so soon!!!! You're going to have a blast, even if it's not the trip your were expecting.

 

[rdkeim]

Holy crap! I'm so sorry you and your family went thru that (minus your Mom)! It's strange how it affects people so differently. I'm glad you had some good days touring Scotland before the virus came calling. Some of your pictures look so familiar - in May we had a 2 night stay in Edinburgh as a part of our Scotland/Wales/England adventure. Loved Edinburgh! I hope you can quickly muster some energy - international travel can take a lot out of you. Anxious to hear more about your plans! Take care!

 

[amazingact21]

My kids got it mid-May, very mild symptoms, adults made it through unscathed. Then, mid-June, Hubby tested positive and it was the real deal, fever, chills, etc. Took a full 10 days to get a negative on a rapid and his stamina is non-existent. Any physical labor or attempts at exercise knock him out fast. I managed to come out unscathed a second time, so maybe I'm one of the lucky few whose genetic predisposition coupled with vaccination is enough to protect me?

It is wild how it effects everyone differently and/or not at all.
Landon got the GI symptoms. (Let me tell you, trying to deal with a kid vomiting while both parents have fevers and chills was something I'd like to scrub from my memory forever. )
Evie got a little stuffy but otherwise was fine. Honestly, the only reason we tested her was because we heard her cough once and were checking her periodically because of everyone else's condition.
Alex had three rough days and then was good to go. He was back to running on Day 8. I shot him glares from bed as he donned his shoes.

I really hope your husband's stamina starts to return. My doctor told me when I return to working out to start at 25% and then increase by 25% each week. Which sounds incredibly frustrating, but I guess patience is key.

You're going to have a blast, even if it's not the trip your were expecting.

It's hard to believe this time next week we will be in a Disney park!

 

[amazingact21]

Holy crap! I'm so sorry you and your family went thru that (minus your Mom)! It's strange how it affects people so differently. I'm glad you had some good days touring Scotland before the virus came calling. Some of your pictures look so familiar - in May we had a 2 night stay in Edinburgh as a part of our Scotland/Wales/England adventure. Loved Edinburgh! I hope you can quickly muster some energy - international travel can take a lot out of you. Anxious to hear more about your plans! Take care!

It is frustrating that you never know what version of the illness you might end up getting! Just within my family, we covered most of all the bases. Landon had the GI version, Evie didn't show anything, really. Alex had the minor cold, etc. Thank goodness none of us loss taste or smell. That'd be the worst before Disney! (Well, maybe not smell. Disney in summer has a distinct odor... )


What a great place to start off your trip! Edinburgh is beautiful. Did you visit the castle and the Royal Mile?

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Honestly, the only reason we tested her was because we heard her cough once and were checking her periodically because of everyone else's condition.

This was all of my girls, too. B was coughing a bit doing homework and I realized it was more frequent than her normal allergy-throat-clear. She got the positive rapid. A & C were maybe a little more congested than their regular allergies, but pollen was really bad that week. If we hadn't already had a positive in the house, I wouldn't have thought twice about them!

Taking care of sick kids when you're sick is the worst!!! At least one of yours didn't go down too hard?

My doctor told me when I return to working out to start at 25% and then increase by 25% each week. Which sounds incredibly frustrating, but I guess patience is key.

I feel your pain, I'd be twitching! I sprained my ankle in the fall training for a half. Had to pause training, find a different race 6 weeks later, etc. I was so darn annoyed at myself. At least you'll have some Disney to distract you.

It's hard to believe this time next week we will be in a Disney park!

Woo hoo!!!!!

 

[rdkeim]

It is frustrating that you never know what version of the illness you might end up getting! Just within my family, we covered most of all the bases. Landon had the GI version, Evie didn't show anything, really. Alex had the minor cold, etc. Thank goodness none of us loss taste or smell. That'd be the worst before Disney! (Well, maybe not smell. Disney in summer has a distinct odor... )


What a great place to start off your trip! Edinburgh is beautiful. Did you visit the castle and the Royal Mile?

As far as I know, neither of us has had COVID. Not sure if we did have a mild case at some point or just lucky (up to this point). It's so strange how it can hit people so differently.

We ended our bus tour in Edinburgh. We stayed at a hotel right on the Royal Mile. Loved walking up and down the RM - it's really a workout though! Saw the castle and palace. I'd love to go back and spend a little more time there.

 

[cindianne320]

Hugs! I am currently in bed with Covid, so I empathize with you! I hope you are all doing well and ready for a fabulous trip!