She's Headed to High School, a June 2024 WL Trip Report: Post Trip DL Update 10/11

[GrandCalifornian]

When we left off, we had just had a ton of fun on Tom Sawyer's Island, but we still had more to do.

We soon caught the next boat off of the island, since we had a Lightning Lane booked for another boat ride.

Ha yes. We headed back over towards Small World. Just a little tip, when moving across Frontier Land stay on the wood walkway right up on the water, I think its 20 degrees cooler down there and way less traffic.

I was skeptical whether it went through the whole way, but Melissa had learned this trick during their girls trip a few years ago, and it was WAY cooler than waling on the main walkway. Small world was pretty full, so the Lightning Lane paid off and we had a short wait inside in the AC.

We enjoyed our slow boat ride and said hello to our old friends, the purple hippo, and the giraffe.

As we left Small World we got a picture of Peter Pan for AliceNDinah who mentioned it in our PTR.

We hadn't snagged a LL for it, but we did have one for Haunted Mansion. Marshall didn't really want to ride it, but we convinced him to go do one more ride.

Again the Lightning Lane paid off here too and our wait was super short and we were in the AC quick. I think this may have been our first time seeing the Hat Box ghost. Honestly it’s hard to remember because we watch so much news in between trips so unsure. But we for sure saw him this time and he’s very cool.

There were a few pauses in the ride when it sat for a bit at opportune times, and I may have slept a little bit. I rode with Allie and she didn't seem to mind a little snoring.

Marshall also looks like he snoozed in the ride picture. Another great reprieve from the heat.

With that we were ready to head out of the park, so we made our way down main street. We did want to stop at Lost and Found to attempt to locate Allie's MagicBand.

The CM at lost and found was pretty helpful but her band was still lost so I filed a lost item report.

I actually got an email a day or so ago saying our item was still lost and they were closing the case. It was a frustrating experience but we didn’t let it get to us too much.

Yeah, it was a bummer that it fell off and didn't get turned back in. I had thought they might have some ability to make a replacement more affordable, but in the end it was a $45 loss and we would wind up buying her a different band so she had one. We headed out of the park at 4:47 and went towards the boats, and our luck improved since a big boat was still loading for WL.

We walked right on the boat which was pretty full, Paul had to stand but at least we didn’t have to wait.

We made it back to WL at 5:02, and up to the room by 5:10. You do have to love the proximity of WL to MK.

I went back down to Roaring Fork for a mug refill which we enjoyed while we changed into dry clothes for the evening.

It felt so good to change, cool off, and get ready for dinner. We were headed to one of our very favorite places.

That's one thing, we particularly appreciated returning to the resort and changing clothes mid-day with the heat this trip. It didn't take long, and we left the room to head for the Jeep at 5:50. We had dinner plans at the Boathouse at Disney Springs.

On the way out of the Lodge we stopped at the Mercantile so Marshall could trade pins.

He loved doing this so much.

We made it down to the Jeep at 6:05, and headed for Disney Springs. I missed a turn by Epcot and had to loop around on I4, which added a little bit of time and gave us an extra trip out of the bubble and back in, but we still made it to the parking garage by 6:25.

It was kind of comical though and we all gave him a hard time. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we passed back through those welcome signs.

Something I noticed this trip that hadn’t really occurred to me last trip was that there aren’t street name signs. The signs just point you in the direction of landmarks. It can make it difficult to follow the map on the phone sometimes.

Yeah, I found it to be fairly easy to navigate driving around Disney, but missing a turn resulted in quite a bit of a detour. Once we were through Security we made our way towards dinner and arrived there at 6:45 for our 7PM reservation. We sat outside and watched the Amphicars for a bit before we got the return text at 7:12.

This restaurant is always a zoo at check in. I’m also never sure if we’re supposed to wait in line again once our table is ready or not.

It’s worth putting up with though because the food is delicious.

We were seated with a nice view of the water and the sun was just low enough to not be in our eyes.

We got things started with appetizers right away, and we ordered the chips and pimento cheese dip and Allie got Oysters Rockefeller

The chips also come with salsa but the pimento cheese is the star of the show. There were some menu changes since our last visit and the filet sliders we enjoy were moved from the entree menu to the appetizer menu. They are still the same but a side isn’t included.

I wonder if this change has to do with the dining plan coming back.

That could be the case. I'm glad they are still on the menu though. It was no problem to order sides to accompany them, and they are still very tasty.

They are very tasty, especially when you save the pimento cheese from your appetizer to add to them. We also ordered some fries and Mac and cheese to go with our sliders.

Allie got a lobster roll that looked delicious.

Marshall ordered chicken strips.

He loves that they serve dinner in the little paper cars.

This still really is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. I miss some of the fancy burgers, but the sliders are great and there is enough variety on the menu to please anyone. The boats are pretty awesome too.

Boathouse is always a hit. After dinner we had shopping to do. Even though the sun was down it was still warm and we’d already had a pretty busy day so we decided to limit our scope a bit and only hit a couple stores towards the Jeep.

We hit World of Disney and checked it out pretty well, but didn't buy a whole lot.

Allie wanted to pose for pictures in her outfit.

Then we made our way to the EverAfter jewelery store because we had heard they had the Stitch Dooney Melissa had been stalking online since before the trip.

I missed the launch of this print and was really disappointed when the bags were sold out by the time I got to them. Stitch is my favorite and I have quite a few Dooney’s and I was looking forward to this print. On Main Street in Magic Kingdom they were out of the tote that I was looking for but when we stopped there earlier in the day the wonderful CM looked up what locations still had them so I was confident I’d find one here. I had a couple to choose from and chose my favorite print placement. I was very excited that they still had them.

Marshall also took advantage of the pin trading here as well, so it was a hit for everyone.

Marshall was pretty tired but Allie still wanted to visit Sugar Boo and Co. so we headed that way and parked the boys on the planter outside while Allie and I shopped a little bit more.

He was done, so I just hung out with him and we waited for the girls to finsh checking out JellyCat stuffed animals.

Oh! The new Cinderella collection had just been released at Vera Bradley. It is so cute.

Then we made our way back to the parking garage for the excitingly quick trip back to the resort.

Driving to and from Disney Springs is the biggest improvement to our trips. Some of our longest most crowded bus rides have been on the way home from Disney Springs. It’s so nice to just hop in the car and get back on our own pace.

It is so nice to know we can have a consistently quick trip back to the resort at the end of the night. It truly is our favorite use of a rental car.

We all walked straight up to the room.

I did make a quick walk with Marshall down to Roaring Fork for a final mug refill of the night. Even though it was only about 10:30 PM, it is nice to not have to worry about when they close (or open) the dining room at Roaring Fork for mug refills anymore now that it is open all night. On many past trips we got back just too late for one last mug fill, but since we could get one more we did.

After that we were done with our first full day, and we were all in bed by 10:45.

It was a great and busy first day. It didn’t take any of us long to fall asleep.

Check back for our trip to Hollywood Studios in our next update.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I think this may have been our first time seeing the Hat Box ghost. Honestly it’s hard to remember because we watch so much news in between trips so unsure. But we for sure saw him this time and he’s very cool.

We just happened to ride HM the day the Hatbox Ghost made its appearance. It had to have been either in October or December. I think that the ghost is a great addition to the ride.

There were a few pauses in the ride when it sat for a bit at opportune times, and I may have slept a little bit. I rode with Allie and she didn't seem to mind a little snoring.

All four of you look tired.

Yeah, it was a bummer that it fell off and didn't get turned back in. I had thought they might have some ability to make a replacement more affordable, but in the end it was a $45 loss and we would wind up buying her a different band so she had one.

That's too bad that the band wasn't turned in. It would be nice if Disney was able to give a price break for a replacement, but not surprised that they don't. One of our grandsons set his refillable mug down when he was in the BC arcade, and it disappeared. They wouldn't give him a free or discounted replacement.

On the way out of the Lodge we stopped at the Mercantile so Marshall could trade pins.

Marshall is the perfect age for the pins. It is nice to see that they brought it back.

There were some menu changes since our last visit and the filet sliders we enjoy were moved from the entree menu to the appetizer menu. They are still the same but a side isn’t included.

The filet slider is a good value. I hope they don't figure out that they could probably charge more for them.

Driving to and from Disney Springs is the biggest improvement to our trips. Some of our longest most crowded bus rides have been on the way home from Disney Springs. It’s so nice to just hop in the car and get back on our own pace

My sister had a rental car when we were there in February. We were staying at WL while she was off site. We hated the parking garage, especially since she kept getting lost in it.

The most crowded bus we ever took was from Disney Springs to WL. The bus was jammed with people going to MK for the fireworks.

 

[KPeterso]

Tip for the magic bands. We got "bit belts" off Amazon. They are kind of like a slider that you put over the 2 ends of the magic band once you put it on and it keeps it in place. Amazon link below. They work well and no issues with magic bands almost falling off again.

https://www.amazon.com/Bitbelt-Prot...&qid=1719238397&sprefix=bit+be,aps,282&sr=8-1

 

[AliceNDinah]

Oh yay! Thank you for snagging that Peter Pan Flight picture That was SO awesome that you remembered!!!! I also love the one of Marshall and his chicken strips---he looks so happy. Thanks again for thinking of me!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We just happened to ride HM the day the Hatbox Ghost made its appearance. It had to have been either in October or December. I think that the ghost is a great addition to the ride.

it is fun that they keep it fresh.

All four of you look tired.

It was time for our early evening nap.

That's too bad that the band wasn't turned in. It would be nice if Disney was able to give a price break for a replacement, but not surprised that they don't. One of our grandsons set his refillable mug down when he was in the BC arcade, and it disappeared. They wouldn't give him a free or discounted replacement.

Yeah, sometimes we just have to make it right as parents and grandparents because Disney won’t always fix it. Even if it is a uniquely identifiable and traceable object that’s un-usable by anyone else. Oh well.

Marshall is the perfect age for the pins. It is nice to see that they brought it back.

The filet slider is a good value. I hope they don't figure out that they could probably charge more for them.

They used to be an even better value as an entree, but it’s still worth buying sides and they are big enough to share. Until they bring back a big burger they are my go to.

My sister had a rental car when we were there in February. We were staying at WL while she was off site. We hated the parking garage, especially since she kept getting lost in it.

The most crowded bus we ever took was from Disney Springs to WL. The bus was jammed with people going to MK for the fireworks.

Yeah it is a big parking garage and gets packed, but the transit time sure beats sitting and waiting for a crowded bus.

Tip for the magic bands. We got "bit belts" off Amazon. They are kind of like a slider that you put over the 2 ends of the magic band once you put it on and it keeps it in place. Amazon link below. They work well and no issues with magic bands almost falling off again.

https://www.amazon.com/Bitbelt-Protect-Magicband-Fitbit-Vivofit/dp/B010OX42WO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25ELTITSPHRYM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.np6VF7sfVp5JlYlotYkNaFwRhrIrDhpMQxIzat8BczF-xkYfOqDpUqwCVJyPztVfsxxr2caarP8fOgHzmLUDV0ouxVDvrConW17cwmg-0r-sjukbdTnrf2-UI-IIj6qPamSKiQgoR3YbjObOeH2R8a7Uj16J8nQcjyTAZRABXxwtvJ9fCzbTxMaih4LpE9ofdcUZteBLNGXBhNCA52XfTMejItddGc0J2O1ETV8LZOo.zy7L-xVOsWx_5usilXPUgRYDub3y7qyz0NwQYO6tIYE&dib_tag=se&keywords=bit+belts+for+magic+bands&qid=1719238397&sprefix=bit+be,aps,282&sr=8-1

Thanks! We had AP and DVC sliders from years ago when the bands first came out, but we had gotten out of the habit of using them. That’s ok, we got more later in the trip. We would definitely agree with pre-buying the Amazon ones though.

Oh yay! Thank you for snagging that Peter Pan Flight picture That was SO awesome that you remembered!!!! I also love the one of Marshall and his chicken strips---he looks so happy. Thanks again for thinking of me!

We wanted to ride it for you, but we’ll see if that works out later. We do try at least. Marshall does get pretty excited about chicken strips and Mac and Cheese.

 

[Stasieki]

Love your reports! Just got caught up. What a great idea to have some hide and seek fun on Tom Sawyer Island!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Love your reports! Just got caught up. What a great idea to have some hide and seek fun on Tom Sawyer Island!

Thanks! We are glad to have you here for this one. It’s been a busy week but we’ve been working on pictures and should be able to write another update tomorrow. We’ve got a great day coming up with a couple of new to us restaurants.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Woody's Roundup and Space 220!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

On Thursday, I got up at 5:25 and went out to take pictures and watch the sunrise.

I took my requisite lobby pictures on the way down, and made it to Geyser Point nice and early.

While I sat on a chair near the lake a raccoon walked right up to me. I was too surprised to get a picture, but he scampered off into the bushes when I didn't have any food to share.

How cute! I slept in a bit but had to get up earlier than I wanted to because I had some actual work to do before we could have fun for the day.

I made sure to be back up to the room by 7 to make our Genie+ selections.

As the early riser this responsibility fell to me, and personally I am so glad to be able to do more pre-planning with this week's changes to lightning lanes. It is a lot of presure to try to grab everything at 7:00 and make decisions to try to plan out a logical day.

We were just talking about how nice it would be to go back to pre selecting a few fastpass selections. I’m interested and optimistic about the changes.

On this day, I got Slinky Dog for 1:20 PM and then tried for the Guardians Virtual queue at Epcot.

Even though I tried in the first minute the queue was full by the time I tried since I did the Lightning Lane for Slinky first

We decided not to purchase the individual lightning lane yet because we still had one more Epcot opportunity to try. We also took the morning a little slower and didn’t try for rope drop.

We knew it was going to be a long day and the kids were both still out at 7:30. Once Marshalll got up we went down to Roaring Fork to pick up breakfast. We got another totchos bowl, one order of Mickey waffles, and the crossant sandwich. One thing we noticed was they now have a hot syrup container instead of the small syrup packages.

They also have done away with the plastic silverware dispenser and have reusable metal silverware for you to use, or as I discovered (better late than never) they have sets of plastic cutlery packaged in napkins for you to take with you to go.

Breakfast was delicious. I really like the tater tot bowls.

We coaxed Allie out of bed with it, and she seemed to have enjoyed the extra sleep. After breakfast and Melissa finishing up sending pay stubs we left the room about 9:00, and got down to the bus stop at 9:04.

We decided to take the bus today because we had a planned park hop to Epcot for dinner after spending most of the day at Hollywood Studios. People watching on the bus was great, watching different family dynamics always fascinates me, especially when the wheels seem to be falling off. Sometimes Disney is just stressful.

The HS bus arrived at 9:14.

There were two different groups of interest, one with a pre-teen boy throwing a fit and another multi-generation group with two infants and one very proud set of grandparents. It was entertaining. The bus arrived to Hollywood Studios at 9:25.

I got flagged for security on the way in with the backpack, but it didn't take too long.

He’s pretty suspicious. Once we got in the park we got to see the giant stage that was temporarily set up for a corporate party. We heard that Maroon 5 was playing which seems really cool. Disney being Disney didn’t just leave the giant eyesore there, they put a DJ up on the stage and made a dance party out of it. It was pretty fun. We decided that we’d go ahead and ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway first even though the line said 50 minutes. We weren’t super hot yet and it just made sense to get it off the “want to ride” list for the day.

The stage was kind of crazy. HS had closed at 5PM the day before for the private party. Runaway Railway showed a 50 minute wait, but after getting in line at 9:38, but were inside in the AC by 9:44, then on the ride by 10:04. It is always a favorite for the whole group.

After that we went towards the Vacation Fun video for some AC time.

Yes, by now it was just hot and we had a surprise reservation we had to plan for. The theater was the perfect cool spot. We enjoyed the show and the AC

After that we slowly made our way through Galaxy's Edge. We had time to hit the shops for a bit, but it was definitely getting hot.

We got to droid depot and did some more shopping, at which point Marshall asked if there was any way that we could get to do it.

We booked him a spot the month before and he was so excited to find out that he could.

It really worked out great. Melissa played it up like she was asking the lady if they had any openings, then told Marshall that the lady said he had the best parents who had booked him a reservation. He really was surprised. Allie was fine with not doing it this time. We did decide to get the fancy backpack carrier for it, since we were concerned about having to carry the droid with us for the rest of the day.

Carrying the dang thing all day was my biggest concern but the backpack was a great solution even if it was pricy. I think it was totally worth it for us. Allie and I grabbed a cold drink and a spot in the shade to sit and people watch while the boys built the droid.

Marshall had a lot of fun building the drioid. He chose one with legs this time (like R2-D2), since his prior droid was a ball style one. He was able to find blue pieces for it which made it custom since it was his favorite color.

Once the pieces were picked out we moved right over to assembly and didn't have to wait for a spot.

He put it together really quickly, since it only invoilved puitting two screws in for the legs. We bought the "personality chip" combo with the backpack, and the CM helped him install it and bring it to life.

He quickly mastered the controls, and was ready to go. He was done with the whole thing by 11:18, but he loved it and had a really cool toy.

He brought it out to show us and the head kept popping off and wouldn’t stay plugged in. So back it went for a new head.

The CM at checkout was super nice about trying to fix it, then realizing it had a problem she took it back to get a replacement part. She brought it back with a head that stayed on, and all was good. We then went over to the droid play area where he got to drive it and play with four or five other kids and their droids.

Allie decided she wanted to try blue milk at this point so while Marshall played with his droid and made some new friends I took her over to the milk stand.

She got the special one with the candy and raspberry syrup. I tried a sip and was not a fan but she seemed to enjoy it.

Once we got him to leave the play area we still had a few minutes to wait before we could check in early for our lunch reservation, so we waited in the shade by the exit between Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land. Allie was hot and cranky, and it was super warm. I did notice the massive Mesquite tree they have there. It is funny because we had just cut one of these down in our yard about a week before, and they are nasty. This one is particularly huge.

They grow like weeds in our yard and we really dislike them but in true Disney fashion this one is beautiful.

It’s also a nice coolish spot to hang out in the shade before heading out onto the surface of the sun that is Toy Story Land. I feel like they could have done so much more with this area in terms of shade or walking surface so it’s not so dang hot.

It, much like dino land, is one of those spots that is always hotter than the surface of the sun. Fortunately we had a cool break coming up, so check that out in the next update.

 

[rdkeim]

Love your early morning pictures! The sunrise with the duck in the foreground is very pretty. Your DS seems to be the perfect age for the droid build. Glad you quickly got it fixed up. I agree with the lack of shade in Toy Story land. You'd think by now they could have figured something out. The heat - ugh. Hope you're able to recharge during your lunch break!

 

[Wood Nymph]

While I sat on a chair near the lake a raccoon walked right up to me. I was too surprised to get a picture, but he scampered off into the bushes when I didn't have any food to share.

That would have been very cool to see! I keep looking for alligators.

How cute! I slept in a bit but had to get up earlier than I wanted to because I had some actual work to do before we could have fun for the day.

There were a few times that I had to do the payroll while on vacation. There was no way to avoid it.

We were just talking about how nice it would be to go back to pre selecting a few fastpass selections. I’m interested and optimistic about the changes.

I'm glad that Disney is adding early selection to Genie+. It might even encourage us to buy it.

Melissa played it up like she was asking the lady if they had any openings, then told Marshall that the lady said he had the best parents who had booked him a reservation. He really was surprised.

Very clever

he CM at checkout was super nice about trying to fix it, then realizing it had a problem she took it back to get a replacement part. She brought it back with a head that stayed on, and all was good.

It's a good thing you were still at DHS when the head fell off.

It’s also a nice coolish spot to hang out in the shade before heading out onto the surface of the sun that is Toy Story Land. I feel like they could have done so much more with this area in terms of shade or walking surface so it’s not so dang hot.

The mesquite tree has an unusual bark.

You can add the World Showcase to the "surface of the sun" category.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Love your early morning pictures! The sunrise with the duck in the foreground is very pretty.

I do love a Geyser Point sunrise pic, and the duck made that one neat.

Your DS seems to be the perfect age for the droid build. Glad you quickly got it fixed up.

He loved it and we are all glad we did it.

I agree with the lack of shade in Toy Story land. You'd think by now they could have figured something out. The heat - ugh. Hope you're able to recharge during your lunch break!

Yeah, it was a particularly hot day, in a hot place, but we love having a TS lunch to cool off.

That would have been very cool to see! I keep looking for alligators.

Me too, but I would have freaked.

There were a few times that I had to do the payroll while on vacation. There was no way to avoid it.

It has to be done.

I'm glad that Disney is adding early selection to Genie+. It might even encourage us to buy it.

Yeah, it brings back the pre-planning aspect of FastPass that was definitely missing.

Very clever

We sure surprised him, which is pretty hard to do.

It's a good thing you were still at DHS when the head fell off.

Yeah, they took care of it and it wasn’t a big delay, but would have been bad at the hotel or back at home.

The mesquite tree has an unusual bark.

And some huge thorns, better them trimming it than me.

You can add the World Showcase to the "surface of the sun" category.

There are some hot spots there too. We are headed that way in the next update.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

When we left off we were hot and ready for lunch. Fortunately it was only 20 minutes before our reservation and we had a five minute walk to go.

We braved the sunshine and headed toward Woody’s Roundup BBQ.

We were all looking forward to trying a new restaurant and we all love BBQ.

This was a second choice for us, as we tried for SciFi Drive In, but we were happy to get to finally give this a try. We checked in at 12:05 and got our table ready text at 12:08. We went through the doors and into the nice cool environment.

We were invited to grab a stick horse to ride to our table. We didn’t take part but it was an adorable idea. The whole restaurant is really cute with a TON of theming.

It really feels like you’re hanging out in Andy’s bedroom or something.

There were actually more tables than I expected, and they were all full capacity.

Our table was in the back behind Bo Peep.

The meal is all included and family style so our only decision was what we wanted to drink

The restaurant was very busy and bustling but our table was pretty quiet because we were kind of in the back corner. Food started coming out pretty quick.

It was a good spot, and again, nice and cool.

The cheddar biscuits are quite good especially with the pepper jelly.

Mmm, those were great. Red pepper flakes in a sweet jelly were really good. For the main courses, there were Ribs, Brisket, Sausage, and Chicken, and all were really good.

There were several different sides too, something for everyone for sure. I had read mixed reviews but there’s not much to dislike. The BBQ was pretty darned good given the environment.

They also had three kinds of BBQ sauce. The Sweet one was our favorite, and it was a little thicker than the others.

For dessert instead of making us pick what we wanted our server just brought out two of everything.

There were a lot of different desserts, but nothing really stood out to me as being that great. We did get to try the forky cupcakes that were brand new at the time.

I have to say the theming extends to the bathrooms here too, they are so adorable. The stalls are like a barn and the tiles are green.

It was a fun meal that we all enjoyed. Allie particularly liked it and asked to put it on the list of meals to repeat.

I don’t know if it’ll be an every trip meal but it’s a good option for theming and decent food.

I would say it exceeded my expectations and was definitely enjoyable, but isn't a must do.

Sometimes restaurants like this try and rush you through your meal and get you out in specific timeframe, we didn’t feel that at all here.

We left at 1:35, which probably exceeded the anticipated dining time based on the activities and audio loop repeating, but we weren't rushed at all and enjoyed the break.

After lunch we had our lightning lane reservation for Slinky Dog but on cue Allison needed a bathroom just as we had left the restaurant area so she went on ahead to the bathrooms while we waited for her under an umbrella by the Slinky Dog entrance.

She did break one of the key rules of group travel at Disney by not taking advantage of the convenient restroom break at the restaurant, but we got the chance to warm up a bit before the ride. While we waited, we saw a family eating on the ground under one fo the few umbrellas. Definitely not a fine dining experience we'd look forward to.

es eating on the ground on a day that hot is not high on my must do list at all. I kinda felt sorry for them, there are so many other options and I’m sure Woody’s lunchbox is tasty but there are for sure tables somewhere in the park and maybe even in the AC. I bet you could walk your food tray from Woody’s over to ABC Commissary and sit in the AC no problem.

Once we got in the fastpass line we had a minimal wait and were on the ride quickly.

We all love Slinky Dog but it has one of the worst waits in the parks. It was really nice having the lightning lane for it.

As we were getting off the ride the CM asked if anyone had any hand sanitizer. I think he was asking his co-workers but I paused and then turned around and asked if he really needed hand sanitizer because I had some. Turned out he had picked up a suspect napkin or tissue and was very icked out by it. I gladly gave him some sanitizer.

The poor guy was so appreciative of just a bit of hand sanitizer. Then he asked us if we wanted to ride it again.

We of course said yes so he sent us right back through to ride it again. It was a fantastic experience.

It was so neat, the CMs put us on the next train and we got to experience double slinky dog dash for the first (and possibly only) time ever all because of hand sanitizer.

Sometimes it really pays off to be paying attention and speak up.

Next up we headed over to Midway Mania, we had a lightning lane so again we had very little wait and it was all in the AC.

Paul and Allie had a bet going but I can’t remember what the prizes were.

Much like last year we bet this time that the looser had to load the dishwasher at the room, and also I had to buy a set of Mouse Ears for Allie if she won. The stakes were high, and I wanted to avenge my loss from last year.

Allie was nervous because she dislikes the dishes. Paul pulled up tips for scoring on his phone while we were waiting in line.

It worked because in the end I had photographic evidence that I won with 155k points to her 112k.

Allie was doomed to do the dishes for the rest of the trip.

With that we were pretty much done with HS, so we shopped on our way out. First we did the shop on the right side of the main street, then crossed over and did the left side.

Allie found the magic band she was looking for to replace the one that she lost and Marshall picked out a couple of pins to trade.

We also bought 4 bottled waters. We normally try not to purchase water in the parks but at this point we deemed it a health expense because of the heat and we all needed it.

Marshall was hot and done with walking, so Melissa carried him on her back towards the Skyliner.

We walked right on it at 2:57.

He is much bigger than he used to be when I would put him in a carrier but we made it to the entrance to the skyliner.

Fortunately the Skyliner ride was uneventful and we arrived at Carribean Beach at 3:04.

Then we headed for Riviera and had a brief stop that Melissa didn't appreciate.

I don’t do heights. I appreciate the Skyliner but don’t love it.

On the ride I tried for a fastpass for Spaceship Earth, but I couldn't get another one because I had gotten one for it earlier in the afternoon that I had accidentally let expire. Oh well. We made it to the International Gateway station at 3:18 anf then walked towards Beach Club.

We stopped in a Beach Club Marketplace for drinks.

This is a favorite rest spot for us, whether we are staying there or not. Allie wanted a set of Beach Club Ears, so we got those and a couple of Coke cups which the CM gave us, saying they were on Mickey.

We rested in the Solarium and met a sweet couple with a baby from the UK.

Marshall made quick friends and told them all about Droid building at Hollywood Studios.

This was so cute. Marshall had a genuine conversation with the guy about building the robot, and the guy was kind of jealous but enjoyed hearing about it. Their baby was only 9 months old but appeared to be having a ball.

We were finally rested enough to carry on with our evening and head to Epcot.

Check out those adventures in the next update...

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Did they have both white and dark meat chicken at Woody's Roundup?

Was the man in front of you on the Slinky ride a cast member? His shirt looks like a uniform.

Couldn't quite see in the picture, what is the theme of Allie's new Magic Band?

So Allie got another pair of mouse ears anyway, even though she lost the bet. Looks like she has quite the collection!

Did you try again for Guardians of the Galaxy?

 

[Wood Nymph]

We were all looking forward to trying a new restaurant and we all love BBQ.

This was a second choice for us, as we tried for SciFi Drive In, but we were happy to get to finally give this a try. We checked in at 12:05 and got our table ready text at 12:08. We went through the doors and into the nice cool environment.

We were invited to grab a stick horse to ride to our table. We didn’t take part but it was an adorable idea. The whole restaurant is really cute with a TON of theming.

We've been a little disappointed with SciFi lately. I can't seem to pick an entree that I like. We're going to try Prime Time for the first in in about 20 years. Hopefully, they don't tease us there.

Woody's Roundup looks like a combination of TSM for atmosphere and Whispering Canyon Cafe for food. It all looks really good.

As we were getting off the ride the CM asked if anyone had any hand sanitizer. I think he was asking his co-workers but I paused and then turned around and asked if he really needed hand sanitizer because I had some. Turned out he had picked up a suspect napkin or tissue and was very icked out by it. I gladly gave him some sanitizer.

The poor guy was so appreciative of just a bit of hand sanitizer. Then he asked us if we wanted to ride it again.

We of course said yes so he sent us right back through to ride it again. It was a fantastic experience.

This is when eavesdropping pays off. That was really nice of the CM.

Paul pulled up tips for scoring on his phone while we were waiting in line.

Did Paul share the tips? I have a few tips for TSM that I won't share with my DH. I like winning too much.

Fortunately the Skyliner ride was uneventful and we arrived at Carribean Beach at 3:04.

That is a really cute picture. I like Allie's shirt.

This is a favorite rest spot for us, whether we are staying there or not. Allie wanted a set of Beach Club Ears, so we got those and a couple of Coke cups which the CM gave us, saying they were on Mickey.

We rested in the Solarium and met a sweet couple with a baby from the UK.

That was really nice of the CM to give you a couple of free drinks. Beach Club is a hidden gem and so easy for anyone to access. I've seen runners crashing on the beach after a Disney marathon.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Did they have both white and dark meat chicken at Woody's Roundup?

I believe they did, but I only noticed the legs. For us the ribs, brisket, and sausage were what we asked for more of.

Was the man in front of you on the Slinky ride a cast member? His shirt looks like a uniform.

Ahh yes in the Photo Pass pic. I believe he was a Disney tour guide for the group ahead of us. He seemed like fun, and appeared to pose like he was sleeping in the photo.

Couldn't quite see in the picture, what is the theme of Allie's new Magic Band?

I’ll find another picture of it, but she chose a pink Minnie band. She is into pink right now and she felt it went with more outfits. Also she’s secretly still hoping for the other one back.

So Allie got another pair of mouse ears anyway, even though she lost the bet. Looks like she has quite the collection!

Yes she got the BC ears but she had to pay for them with her gift card. That’s ok I bought her others later on as well. They are her current favorite souvenir.

Did you try again for Guardians of the Galaxy?

I did try for the 1:00 queue but since we were not in the park yet we couldn’t do it. We would have to wait for another day when we would be willing to do whatever we had to to ride it, even paying $20 or so for the individual lighting lane. But we had a plan to avoid that. Spoiler alert: we all have a new favorite roller coaster before the end of the trip.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We've been a little disappointed with SciFi lately. I can't seem to pick an entree that I like. We're going to try Prime Time for the first in in about 20 years. Hopefully, they don't tease us there.

Looks like we were posting at the same time. We loved the quality of the burgers last year, but couldn’t get a reservation this time so oh well. We have done Prime Time lots of times and had no problem with teasing. Much like WCC they judge the crowd and make it fun for all.

Woody's Roundup looks like a combination of TSM for atmosphere and Whispering Canyon Cafe for food. It all looks really good.

That’s a good summary. The BBQ was good and somewhat unique but in the end it was the same type of food you’d get at WCC. It was plentiful and tasty though. The atmosphere was well done and cute, but not something I felt like was spectacular enough to need to see multiple times. It is a good food option in a location that needed it.

This is when eavesdropping pays off. That was really nice of the CM.

The poor guy really wanted some sanitizer. It sounded gross.

Did Paul share the tips? I have a few tips for TSM that I won't share with my DH. I like winning too much.

I didn’t choose to share and that was the key to my success. It is a neat game.

That is a really cute picture. I like Allie's shirt.

She still puts a lot of effort into her outfits. Reminds me of when she was a little girl with her custom dresses Melissa made her.

That was really nice of the CM to give you a couple of free drinks. Beach Club is a hidden gem and so easy for anyone to access. I've seen runners crashing on the beach after a Disney marathon.

We love BC. It is a great place to stay and a great place to visit. The calm cool Solarium made the perfect afternoon break spot.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Just popping in for a real life / next WDW trip update. We reserved our room for June 2025 at Copper Creek for six nights again in a 1 bedroom. Yeah it will be hot, but it works out so well for the kids school schedule that it is the best time for us to go for the next few years. It does cost more than our current annual allotment of points, but we can borrow from future years to cover it for a while. We’re enjoying these trips while we can.

We’ll hopefully post another trip update later tonight, but overall we had enough fun that we are signing up to do it all again next year on June 3-9.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Wow, you'll see a great fireworks show next July 4! Have you already chosen which park for that evening?

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Wow, you'll see a great fireworks show next July 4! Have you already chosen which park for that evening?

My mistake, I typed July instead of June. We will be there almost the same time as we were this year. I was able to make the reservation this week at 11 months out.

A Fourth of July trip would be fun, but we would rather go earlier and hope to avoid some of the crowds. It would be a tough call between Epcot and MK for a fireworks destination, but we would probably go with MK. It sounded pretty cool this year.