At first they didn't want me to come, now they don't want me to leave! April 2021 F&G TR (Updated 9/6!)

[VAtink]

I had the same thing happen to us when we went to AK - good intentions to get there early but 10-15 minutes makes a HUGE difference in that FoP line!

You are so right about that, the line gets long fast! I wish they were more consistent with getting buses to the resorts early enough so people can be at the park to actually RD!

We have some flights booked for this summer and fall and they are changing almost weekly. I feel a little crazed trying to keep up!

So frustrating! I think I'm going to wait before I cancel these to see if it changes again. The odd thing is, they reduced the non-stop flights each day from two to one, but instead of getting rid of the one that was hardly booked at all, the removed the one that was already filling up. I mean, I guess it probably has to do with getting a plane there at a certain time, but still seems silly that the got rid of the fuller flight!

 

[VAtink]

You are jinxed! You should have gotten the name and # of that pilot on your last flight down and texted him for his schedule and/or other tips!

I really am ....and not gonna lie, when I saw that my flight was bumped to the afternoon one, it also went from being on an E190 to an A320, and my first thought was "YES! I may have the hot pilot again now!" But then had to remind myself I don't want to be getting into Orlando at 7pm.

 

[CruellaNY]

Do you think it's harder these days to have meet ups with having to have the park reservations?

Mmm not really. I guess a little? This particular trip we didn't match up with anyone really and even if we'd had FP's instead of park reservations I don't know that anyone would have easily switched. Most trips post-COVID meet ups have worked fine and it looks like in June I'll be able to meet up with a few ladies, April just was an off trip lol!

FoP was amazing as always, and oddly wet.

So funny I said the same thing last month!

Ok, this is too funny I just have to post. So, I think most of you know by now that I have issues with my flights getting to my destination at the originally scheduled time. Well, my bad luck just hit again! I just found out my flight down to Orlando in September (which I booked yesterday!) just changed from arriving at 9am to not arriving until 7pm! The powers that be clearly do not like me arriving at Disney in the morning!

Ok, off to find a different flight! At least this time I have the opportunity to find a different flight down. ​

OMG!!! Well that stinks!
Our flights next month have changed like 4x. Our July Punta Cana flights have changed twice. Our Sept. Disney flights changed for the 3rd time the other day, FORCING us to add a night I also deal with other peoples' flights all day long for work and this is happening way too often, with all airlines to all destinations and it needs to STOP!

 

[VAtink]

Mmm not really. I guess a little? This particular trip we didn't match up with anyone really and even if we'd had FP's instead of park reservations I don't know that anyone would have easily switched. Most trips post-COVID meet ups have worked fine and it looks like in June I'll be able to meet up with a few ladies, April just was an off trip lol!

Ohhh, got it. Well I hope you have fantastic meet ups in June! (also, super jealous you're going in June!)

So funny I said the same thing last month!

Ha! Glad I'm not the only one! I thought it was so weird I've never noticed it before!

OMG!!! Well that stinks!
Our flights next month have changed like 4x. Our July Punta Cana flights have changed twice. Our Sept. Disney flights changed for the 3rd time the other day, FORCING us to add a night I also deal with other peoples' flights all day long for work and this is happening way too often, with all airlines to all destinations and it needs to STOP!

Yeah, it's annoying. Hopefully the airlines settle down with their schedules soon, I'm not a fan of these changes!

 

[VAtink]

Day 2, Part 2: A Yeti, Some Dinosaurs, and an Octopus

After getting off the amazing safari I booked it over to EE, although in hindsight I really didn’t need to rush, that line doesn’t seem to grow very fast in the morning. When I arrived it was a posted 10 min wait, but it was walk-on. I love that ride, it is always so much fun!

I wanted to post the picture here, but it looks like it never made it into my account. Whomp whomp. I’ve let PP know, so if it appears I’ll post it later! For now here are pictures from the queue.





While I was waiting in line for EE it suddenly occurred to me that I totally forgot to put sunblock on that day! I couldn’t believe it, who forgets sunblock in Florida?!?! So once off the ride I asked a CM in the store at the ride exit if they had any. They didn’t but they thought the shops at the front of the park might have some.

Running over there at that point didn’t really fit into my plans, and I figured it was still early and there was lots of shade, so I opted to hit up my next ride first and then go find the sunblock.

So I headed over to Dinosaur! The posted wait was 5 minutes but it took closer to 15 minutes.

The line here I found to be super hard to follow the distancing markers. To keep people spaced where the lines were next to each other, the markers were spaced out a lot, so far that it was hard to tell which ones the group in front of you would stop. I tried, but sometimes the group in front of me would stop sooner than I had thought and the group behind me was already on the marker behind me, so I just awkwardly got stuck in the middle. I tried my best, but I was THAT guest. Sorry everyone around me that day!

Anyways, soon I was on the ride and got the first row, yay!

By the time I was off Dinosaur it was 10:00, so I decided it was time to go find some sunblock. I finally found some in the store at the front of the park, and went to sit on a wall nearby to apply and get some water.

I still had about 25 minutes left before my next “activity” at that point, so I decided to go find some PP photographers and get pictures around the park!









Finally at 10:25 I went to go sit in front of Nomad Lounge and wait for it to open. I’m glad I got there when I did, within a minute someone else came to get in line and by 10:40 there a bunch of people had joined the line.



I ended up chatting with the guy in line next to me, and had a great conversation. Love when there are friendly people like that to chat with to help pass the time.

They ended up opening Nomad a bit early this day, the CM came out at 10:50 to start seating us. Since I was first in line she let me pick my table, so I picked one of the small ones by the railing. My goal was to watch all the cavalcades go by on the river!

I was happy to see they had an expanded menu than what is shown online, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the food items on the online menu.



The waiter came out really quickly once seated, and I put in an order for the Leaping Lizard while I figured out what I wanted to order to eat.

While perusing the menu, I overheard the table behind me talking with the waiter, and heard that while they can’t get most menu items from Tiffin’s at Nomad, they CAN get the octopus appetizer!

Now, I get the octopus every single trip to Disney, so I was super excited when I heard this!

So when the waiter came over, I of course ordered it!





It was sooooooo good! I love this dish. The drink was also delicious, but went down way too fast.

Next Up: More Nomad!​

 

[suse66]

While I was waiting in line for EE it suddenly occurred to me that I totally forgot to put sunblock on that day! I couldn’t believe it, who forgets sunblock in Florida?!?! So once off the ride I asked a CM in the store at the ride exit if they had any. They didn’t but they thought the shops at the front of the park might have some.

Running over there at that point didn’t really fit into my plans, and I figured it was still early and there was lots of shade, so I opted to hit up my next ride first and then go find the sunblock.

EE is so fun! Glad you were able to get sunblock.....wasn't there a shortage of it in the parks just a month ago or so??

I still had about 25 minutes left before my next “activity” at that point, so I decided to go find some PP photographers and get pictures around the park!

Cute picture with Kevin!

Finally at 10:25 I went to go sit in front of Nomad Lounge and wait for it to open. I’m glad I got there when I did, within a minute someone else came to get in line and by 10:40 there a bunch of people had joined the line.

I love, love, love Nomad's!

The waiter came out really quickly once seated, and I put in an order for the Leaping Lizard while I figured out what I wanted to order to eat.

Love the appies and drinks there. It's so great that you can order from the app menu for Tiffins too (well at least you could pre-Covid).

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Since the line is outside I wasn’t overly concerned about social distancing, but it was really annoying to have her keep slamming her stroller int

Ugh! Seriously what is wrong with people?!?!

The only other people in the room with me were these two women from Texas, so you would think with there being 8 seats, they would have sat at least one seat away from me. But nope, the two of them sat right next to me. Um….ok….

Also, what is wrong with people?

I just found out my flight down to Orlando in September (which I booked yesterday!) just changed from arriving at 9am to not arriving until 7pm! The powers that be clearly do not like me arriving at Disney in the morning!

Oh not! At least you have time to change it..

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a great morning! And looks like you were having a great time at Nomad Lounge!!

 

[VAtink]

EE is so fun! Glad you were able to get sunblock.....wasn't there a shortage of it in the parks just a month ago or so??

I love EE! I never understand why it usually has a pretty low wait (at least the times I'm there)! And yes! I had read about the sunblock shortage so was worried I wouldn't be able to find some. Fortunately they did have some at the store at the front of the park, but it's not on display, they have it in a drawer behind the checkout counter so you have to ask for it.

Cute picture with Kevin!

Thanks! I hadn't seen that magic shot before, but I love it!

I love, love, love Nomad's!

Me too! I had never sat outside before, but I'm so glad I did, it was beautiful out there! Plus having the cavalcades going by every few minutes was so fun!

Love the appies and drinks there. It's so great that you can order from the app menu for Tiffins too (well at least you could pre-Covid).

The food there is so good, and I am obsessed with the octopus appetizer. Not sure if you can still get all the Tiffins appetizers at Nomad, I wasn't paying super close attention to what the waiter was saying to the other table only heard they couldn't order off the Tiffins menu, but that may have been the main dishes. Didn't really start listening until he mentioned they could get the octopus!

 

[VAtink]

Ugh! Seriously what is wrong with people?!?!

I know! Like once I can see being an accident, but to keep doing it is just crazy rude.

Also, what is wrong with people?

Haha, yup!

Oh not! At least you have time to change it..

Yeah, glad I have time to find a different flight, or potentially have this flight go back to being an early morning one. I'm ready for the airlines to stop messing with their schedules!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Thus far I've been too chicken to try EE. I may need to suck it up and give it a go. Dinosaur is now one of my faves. But I'll never forget my first ride. It was after a long Disney hiatus (college and early 20's when I was too poor and too cool) and I'd done no research. I imagined something easy and gentle like Universe of Energy ... I often wish I could still access the photopass picture (if it even existed at the time - ~2006) because I think mine must have been hysterical. LOVE Nomad. Good to know they serve some stuff beyond the online menu. Such a gem of a spot. I could seriously happily while away an entire afternoon there.

 

[VAtink]

Sounds like a great morning! And looks like you were having a great time at Nomad Lounge!!

Such a fun morning, and pretty productive! Nomad lounge was amazing! I can't wait to post the continuation, but first I need to pull together the videos of all the cavalcades. Those were so awesome, I hope they keep them around!

 

[VAtink]

Thus far I've been too chicken to try EE. I may need to suck it up and give it a go.

It's fun! Although while I find it to be less intense than ToT or RnR, my mom finds it to be the most intense of the three, so clearly depends on the individual!

Dinosaur is now one of my faves. But I'll never forget my first ride. It was after a long Disney hiatus (college and early 20's when I was too poor and too cool) and I'd done no research. I imagined something easy and gentle like Universe of Energy ... I often wish I could still access the photopass picture (if it even existed at the time - ~2006) because I think mine must have been hysterical.

Oh my goodness, I wish you had that picture! I can't even imagine, that must have been quite the introduction to that ride!

LOVE Nomad. Good to know they serve some stuff beyond the online menu. Such a gem of a spot. I could seriously happily while away an entire afternoon there.

It is such an amazing place, and I came pretty close to spending the whole afternoon there! Sadly I had other plans, and I couldn't afford to keep ordering more food and drink to justify hogging a table for a full day!

 

[VAtink]

Day 2, Part 3: More Nomad!

A bunch of cavalcades went by while I was eating, I swear a new one goes by every 10 minutes.

They were super cute, I love that they do this! One of the times Meeko and Pocahontas went by I didn’t stand up to look over the railing since I had food, but instead looked through the slats. Well, Meeko somehow saw me doing this so bent over as if he was trying to see under the railing and waved at me. It was super cute.

Once I wrapped up with the octopus, I ordered the sliders as well and a glass of white wine.



I took my time eating and drinking, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It was so amazing out there on the porch, not too hot, a nice breeze, in the shade, it was just awesome. Not surprisingly it was only a day after the perfect date…

I really could have spent the entire day there, it was so relaxing. Honestly, if they put hammocks out there, they could totally sell them for nap breaks throughout the day and I would pay a lot of $$ for that!

I was also surprised how after the first initial seating, the place really emptied out. By the time I left I would say half the tables were empty! I did overhear a waiter talking to another guest about how uncrowded it was, and he said that usually it’s more crowded when it’s hotter outside and towards the end of the day. Good to know!

By the time I wrapped up at Nomad, it was about 1:10, and it was getting close to the next activity I wanted to do. So I booked it back over to Asia and got in line for the bird show!

Next up: Day 2, Part 4: Some Feathered Friends!​

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Hammocks at Nomad is a genius idea! Love those yucca fries that come with the sliders. So good. It really is the best addition to Animal Kingdom ever - including Flight of Passage! I love the cavalcades too. I really hope they keep them up even as we return to normal.

 

[suse66]

They were super cute, I love that they do this! One of the times Meeko and Pocahontas went by I didn’t stand up to look over the railing since I had food, but instead looked through the slats. Well, Meeko somehow saw me doing this so bent over as if he was trying to see under the railing and waved at me. It was super cute.

Love that!

I took my time eating and drinking, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It was so amazing out there on the porch, not too hot, a nice breeze, in the shade, it was just awesome. Not surprisingly it was only a day after the perfect date…

I love Nomads so much ...it s my favourite place to relax and enjoy a drink and nibblies.

 

[disneyAndi14]

I swear we were thinking alike on our AK day!, I won’t say much since I haven’t written about it yet. I totally agree on the Nomad vibe, love it!

I also found Dinosaur confusing at times with the markers, we love this ride and managed to get 4 rides in during our stay lol

 

[missangelalexis]

The cavalcades look so fun! Sounds like you had such an enjoyable time!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Nomad Lounge sounded perfect! We have gone there once now. But we had to sit inside as there was the only place with an empty table.

 

[Araminta18]

Nomad Lounge is my FAVORITE! It's the one place I told my husband we absolutely have to go next week. Definitely planning on showing up early so we can get a seat outside to watch the cavalcades!