The Trip Where Nothing Really Bad Happened - The End 6/1, Bonus Features: Disney 100 Celebration, Mickey Minnie Runaway Railway queue 2/8

[franandaj]

Hi folks!

Welcome to another franandaj Trip Report! Now you may wonder why I chose that particular title...well think about it. We are in the middle of a pandemic, no matter what the "alternative facts" people say. Then again maybe we actually reached endemic status, OK, hold on (insert sound of record skipping here, kids–ask your parents about that). I wrote that jokingly before the trip when I had no title or anything, the day after I returned from the trip, it’s all over the news that California is shifting from a pandemic approach to an endemic solution. Woah!

Well regardless, before we left on this trip, Fran was terrified of catching "the rona". No, she didn't call it that. In fact, Covid, Omicron, SARS-Covi 19, call it what you will, it's all like Voldemort with her: That Which Will Not Be Named. I'm not sure I have ever actually heard her call the disease by its name out loud. But we didn't. At least not so far. We still have a few days since our plane ride home, in which case I'll need to change the title.

Now you might think, why would bad things happen on a trip? Well here's a few things I can think of:

• Maybe we get a voice mail that one of our tenant's bathroom angle stop on the toilet blew and her apartment goes down for 2 months where we not only lose income, but have to cover replacement accommodations? (Jan 2010)
• Or the entire trip gets canceled anywhere between 1 day to 30 days prior (Oct. 2011, Dec. 2011, May 2012, Oct 2012)
• We end up with mystery sunscreen that is not “Baby formula tear free”, and the sweat from my forehead drips it into my eyes and they sting for a day and a half. (Sept 2013)
• Frans scooter stays in Houston and arrives a day and a half later than us? (Oct 2017)
• Or even worse, Fran's scooter totally dies, and we have to leave it there, though we ship home the battery. (also Oct 2017)

Any number of things can go wrong on a trip, and I'm happy to report that none of them happened this trip. Sure we had transportation delays, and weather wasn't the greatest, but usually something happens during the trip that gives me a great idea for a title, and I kept waiting for that definitive moment. In the last few days it still never materialized and I realized what I would call the trip. I waited until we got home and pulled into our driveway to reveal the name to Fran so as not to jinx the title.

Going in I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was my first trip on a plane masking up, and first time out of the state of California since all this went down. So the only way to deal with it, was just to go right in and see what happens!

Now for those who know me, you’ll know we used to travel to WDW a lot. I have a bunch of DVC points so we would visit usually once a year and sometimes two. Living on the West Coast and being older, travel is hard, so we don’t do whirlwind trips. We stay at least a week and usually 10 nights. Our last trip was in February of 2020, almost two years to the day before this current one! One thing about this trip is that I was really tired, especially leading up to the trip. Normally I make a bunch of plans, but this time I didn’t. I made some ADRs, but not as many as I normally would. On my trips I usually take a ton of pictures to document almost everything, but this trip, sometimes I just wanted to be in the moment and I forgot to pick up the camera.

Don’t get me wrong, there will be plenty of food porn, and I still took a lot of pictures, but there will be gaps when we didn't eat anything or go on any rides, and just took in the Disney ambience. For me it's not about running from ride to ride, it's just being in the Disney environment. I realize that every inch has been "manufactured", but I like that people have taken the time to create such a fun and interesting place where you can be out in "nature" and then moments later be sipping cocktails in a comfortable air conditioned lounge. Face it. I'm past the roughing it hiking and camping days of my youth! I’m not even sure I could even handle glamping at this point! I like living in somewhat-luxury.

Anyways, this trip is even more about relaxing and fun than previous trips, which all have been pretty laid back to begin with. Over the years, I’ve met a lot of friends on the DIS, and am lucky to meet up with many of them either at DL or in Florida. This trip there’s a ton of meet ups, and that’s what it was more about this time.

We are locals at Disneyland (live in Long Beach) and if you want to read about our reintroduction on the West Coast you can do so here. Otherwise, some introductions:

This is me on one of the CM preview days for the DL reopening. I was lucky enough to get an invite and I was super excited!



HM is one of my favorite rides and I couldn’t resist taking a selfie before riding when the parks reopened after 15 months of closure! This was my first ride upon coming back!



Socially distanced character meetings took some getting used to, but I’m over it now. It’s kind of fun, and I bet the folks on the other end don’t miss being abused by the young guests who don’t know any better!



This is my partner in crime, Fran. We just recently celebrated our 25th Anniversary with family and friends. Here we are on Toy Story Midway Mania, where she has started a winning streak of beating me. I think it’s only because she isn’t trying to unlock the secret stuff, so I’m fighting a losing battle doing it on my own.



I know folks at WDW think our castle is tiny, but we still love Walt’s castle.



Here we are again enjoying Goofy’s Kitchen at the DL Resort.



And if you’ve forgotten what we look like without masks, here’s a romantic nighttime castle shot.



I know what “our parks” are like in this new world. We’re about to find out how much or if any the other US Disney parks have changed!

I hope you’ll join me in reliving this Disney adventure in a new exciting world!

 

[franandaj]

Saved for TOC

 

[jedijill]

Here! Off to a great start. I like Fran's Valdemort approach.

Jill in CO

 

[rentayenta]

I’m heeeere!!!!

 

[pkondz]

Here!
Back to read later. Can’t wait!

 

[oufpat]

So happy your back!!

 

[pkondz]

Welcome to another franandaj Trip Report!

Now you may wonder why I chose that particular title

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess.... because nothing really bad happened?

We are in the middle of a pandemic, no matter what the "alternative facts" people say.

Oh, Lord... I hope we're not in the middle.
I'd like to hope we're more than halfway through this awful mess.

insert sound of record skipping here, kids–ask your parents about that

Well regardless, before we left on this trip, Fran was terrified of catching "the rona". No, she didn't call it that. In fact, Covid, Omicron, SARS-Covi 19, call it what you will, it's all like Voldemort with her: That Which Will Not Be Named. I'm not sure I have ever actually heard her call the disease by its name out loud.

I don't blame her. I'm guessing that she might have some health issues that make catching it more than just a little concerning.

We still have a few days since our plane ride home, in which case I'll need to change the title.

I'm really hoping you don't have to change the title.

Maybe we get a voice mail that one of our tenant's bathroom angle stop on the toilet blew and her apartment goes down for 2 months where we not only lose income, but have to cover replacement accommodations? (Jan 2010)

Or the entire trip gets canceled anywhere between 1 day to 30 days prior (Oct. 2011, Dec. 2011, May 2012, Oct 2012)

That many! That's a lot.

We end up with mystery sunscreen that is not “Baby formula tear free”, and the sweat from my forehead drips it into my eyes and they sting for a day and a half. (Sept 2013)

No!
Hadn't heard about that one.

One thing about this trip is that I was really tired,

Why is that, Alison?

On my trips I usually take a ton of pictures to document almost everything, but this trip, sometimes I just wanted to be in the moment and I forgot to pick up the camera.

And that's completely okay.
I've told others this... it's not like we're being paid to write TRs. We do it because it's fun or we want to share our adventures or relive our trips or any combination thereof.
When it becomes onerous... well, you do what is best for you and the rest of us will appreciate whatever you deliver.

Don’t get me wrong, there will be plenty of food porn,

But of course!

but there will be gaps when we didn't eat anything or go on any rides, and just took in the Disney ambience.

And I love that.
When I take a DD with me (of if I haven't been in years), it's a lot of "Go! Go! Go!" Do all the things!
But when I'm solo and have been relatively recently... I like to slow it down and enjoy that ambiance too.

(And that was a whole rabbit hole I went down on the difference (non-existent) between ambiance and ambience.)
Interestingly, I find that I will spell it as I would speak it.
"I love the ambiance of this place. The ambience is really something.)

For me it's not about running from ride to ride, it's just being in the Disney environment.

Face it. I'm past the roughing it hiking and camping days of my youth!

I'm not quite there yet... but it's creeping up on me.

HM is one of my favorite rides

I find that the most intelligent people find that to be the case.

I know folks at WDW think our castle is tiny, but we still love Walt’s castle.

I like your castle! I totally get that it's Walt's.

And if you’ve forgotten what we look like without masks, here’s a romantic nighttime castle shot.

Nice shot of you guys.

I hope you’ll join me in reliving this Disney adventure in a new exciting world!

Can't wait!

 

[pooh'smate]

Here

 

[chunkymonkey]

I’m here! I can’t believe you’ve already started the TR. I’m so behind on my TRs, plus we are still in Disney World! We had a great time hanging out with you both this past week!

 

[franandaj]

Here! Off to a great start. I like Fran's Valdemort approach.

Jill in CO

I’m heeeere!!!!

Here!
Back to read later. Can’t wait!

So happy your back!!

 

[DnA2010]

Wooohooo!!!!!! I’m SO here!

 

[franandaj]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess.... because nothing really bad happened?

Either that or lack of a better title.

I don't blame her. I'm guessing that she might have some health issues that make catching it more than just a little concerning.

Yeah, she often talks about how many underlying conditions that she has.

I'm really hoping you don't have to change the title.

Well here's a fun one. Every time the cats poop we are thankful that we can smell it because it tells us that we don't have Covid!

That many! That's a lot.

That was right around the time I "met" you. I remember trying to explain that all we had was cancelled trips.

Why is that, Alison?

I wish I knew!

And that's completely okay.
I've told others this... it's not like we're being paid to write TRs. We do it because it's fun or we want to share our adventures or relive our trips or any combination thereof.
When it becomes onerous... well, you do what is best for you and the rest of us will appreciate whatever you deliver.

Thats rather generous of you! I hope I can deliver.

And I love that.
When I take a DD with me (of if I haven't been in years), it's a lot of "Go! Go! Go!" Do all the things!
But when I'm solo and have been relatively recently... I like to slow it down and enjoy that ambiance too.

We don't have much choice, back to the tired thing.

(And that was a whole rabbit hole I went down on the difference (non-existent) between ambiance and ambience.)
Interestingly, I find that I will spell it as I would speak it.
"I love the ambiance of this place. The ambience is really something.)

Interesting. Good to know there is no difference.

I'm not quite there yet... but it's creeping up on me.

I suppose if I had kept up with it, I wouldn't be so over it.

I find that the most intelligent people find that to be the case.

Then there is my friend Leonard, he is intelligent but yet he continually argues that the HM is not congruent to the Happiest Place on Earth.

I like your castle! I totally get that it's Walt's.

Nice shot of you guys.

Thanks!

Can't wait!

New installment hopefully coming soon. But not tonight.

 

[franandaj]

Here

I’m here! I can’t believe you’ve already started the TR. I’m so behind on my TRs, plus we are still in Disney World! We had a great time hanging out with you both this past week!

View attachment 648501

I had this update in the "hopper" from before the trip. I just added the details on the plane flight. Future updates may be slower, although I did complete the next update on the plane as well.

 

[franandaj]

Wooohooo!!!!!! I’m SO here!

 

[franandaj]

Travel day


For some reason the day before travel went far more smoothly than on previous trips. Maybe it was the fact that we hadn’t been on a plane in so long that I over compensated. I printed the same message that I did on my last trip asking the TSA to lock my bags after searching them.



Interesting thing, they didn’t leave the little “we-searched-your-bags paper” this time, but it was 50/50 on the bag search. They re-locked the two with padlocks, but not the two with built in locks. Luckily we have padlocks on our scooter bags that we will transfer to the bags built in locks and I kept the signs to put in the suitcases for the ride home.

But here’s a first! This has never happened before. All four of our suitcases are in the foyer ready to load in the car at 5PM the day before we leave! It’s amazing!



I loaded them in the car later that evening. We had planned to order dinner out from a new to us Mexican restaurant that has been around for over 30 years, but it turns out that they close at 2PM on Sundays, so we ended up with my original plan of Frozen pizza for dinner. Not glamorous, but easy. Sorry no pics.

Three of the suitcases were loaded that night and one left in the house for last minute additions. And then I went to bed.

Evidently I am not a nice person when I'm awakened at 5AM. As a result, Fran told me a few weeks ago that she would no longer be waking me up, even when we had to catch a plane. So I downloaded an app called Loudest alarm clock and set it for 5AM. The thing rang for six minutes before I actually heard It!

I'm not a very good at being a morning person anymore (when I was young, I totally was) and I was pretty much a zombie until we got to our second flight. Luckily since the suitcases and scooters loaeded into the car the night before.

This trip we were trying something completely different. Southwest Airlines started flying out of Long Beach about five years ago, but there were never any convenient flights for us. In 2020 they added 17 new destinations and all of a sudden our local airport became a whole lot more convenient than LAX! Parking, however, was $2 a day more than the remote lot at LAX, which would add another 20 bucks to the already over $100 parking costs.

I was considering taxis to take me to the airport after I dropped Fran off with all the luggage. Then I remembered that we have our very own JimUber. Plus with our "still new to us" mini van, we could even fit another person in the car with all our scooters and luggage. Jim arrived promptly at 6AM and we were on our way to the airport with a quick stop at Panera for breakfast and coffee. No pics, but this is a recycled pic of what I got. Four Cheese Souffle and a cup of Dark Roast coffee. Fran got a bagel with cream cheese.



One of the reasons we had never flown out of Long Beach was that I'd heard that boarding the plane was like the 1950s with a staircase to board on the tarmac. However, many people said, "Its just like a normal airport." Well this doesn't look like a normal airport to me. When I think normal airport, I think indoor boarding ramps. I mean what if it was raining, not likely, but it could happen! I'm still on the fence as to whether or not we want fly out of here again.



Both our flights were uneventful. We changed planes in Houston. Now I have a question for my readers in Texas, or anywhere else that can explain this phenomenon. As we landed I noticed all these houses (I’m guessing they were somewhat rural) with HUGE yards, but yet none of them had any landscaping that I could make out from the plane. Maybe one out of hundreds had some sort of pool, but most just had giant yards, many with cars parked on them, but not one seemed to have any type of grass, flower beds and such…Is this just a California thing that we all have nicely manicured yards and gardeners to take care of them?

OK, back to the trip at hand. I had made Roast Beef and Cheddar sandwiches the night before, and brought packets of mayonnaise and Horsey Sauce for seasoning. I ate mine while Fran used the restroom and she ate hers on the plane. Pretty soon we landed, and were on the Fake-O-Rail.



Then there was the painful task of picking up our own luggage. I received the room ready notifications while we waited for our luggage (7612). Then we had to transport it to the bus. The horror! No more Magical Express!



We managed to get over to the bus transport with a stop at Cinnabon (for breakfast the next day). We got on the bus, but didn’t have an empty bus for long.



Soon we were on the way to our resort. It would have been a pleasant trip if the kid in the seat behind Fran wasn't belting out "The wheels of the Bus" at the top of his lungs. He also only knew the first line of the song. I guess I should be grateful he didn't know the other verses, but he just kept singing that first line over and over and over.



Luckily Bay Lake Tower was the first stop, so we got out of that situation. We went directly to the room.













I did a little bit of unpacking. Enough to find the bags for the back of the scooters, and we headed out to Trader Sam's. Normally when we tour, we have large bags on the backs of our scooters that fit a whole bunch of merch. We also have nice soft pads on the seats of our chairs, however not on airplane travel day. I’m sure that the folks at the airport would lose those things faster than a heartbeat, so into the suitcases they go.

Down on the 4th floor of the Contemporary they now do screening for the monorail. They have new screening systems, similar to what my European friends have spoken of. Now you no longer have to have some ultra picky or ultra lax security guard go rifling through your stuff. You simply take all your bags with you, walk through the screening rods, and if there is something suspicious, you get taken to the side for them to check it manually.

Fran learned very quickly (after trying to walk through on this occasion) when they asked her if she could walk through the screeners, she would reply, “Not very easily.” This got her an all expense paid ticket to the guard with the wand where she would promptly proclaim, “I have a ceramic hip, but I have metal knees.” And just on cue the little wand would beep at her knees every time. And then they let her through.

Soon a monorail was arriving, when I boarded, someone called my name…….it was Denise a former DISer, we’re friends on FB, and she commented on my posts throughout the pandemic. We caught up a little bit, and since we were both getting off at the Poly we talked for about 5 minutes before saying goodbye. How hilarious!

By the time we got to the bar, it was almost 10:00 and Sam's wasn't serving food anymore. I put my name in and they said that it would be 35 to 40 minutes. So we went down to Captain Cook's and ordered some food. She got the pulled pork sandwich with fries.



I ordered the garlic parmesan chicken wings and a glass of wine.



It was just over 15 minutes from when I got the first text saying, “you’re on the list” that I got the "We're ready for you text". We hadn't even finished dinner. We were pretty full so we packed what was left into a baggie and headed down the hall.

We were able to snag two seats at the surfboard table in the middle of the room when two ladies left. I ordered my Dark & Tropical Stormy, category 5. The category 5 part is where they add a extra shot of rum, and I think its 151. She got a Spikey Pineapple. It was good, but light on the booze. Mine was nice and strong. Just what I wanted.





I followed up that drink with a Zombie, and when I texted Jenny a picture of the mug, she wanted one, so we got the mug.



After that it was back home to BLT to have our Owner's Locker brought up, finish unpacking and take a bath. Mostly I just got everything out of the suitcases and put the suitcases in the foyer. The only clothes I actually put away were socks and underwear. I just piled all of our other clothes on the dresser and sorted out kitchen food and bathroom bags/stuff. This was all the food, before grocery delivery.



The rest could wait until morning. I had a date with my tub and the soothing bath salts. But first a look off of our balcony at MK.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm here, Alison. Glad I found you! I am not here on the DIS much anymore these days as I have to focus on other things for a while. But the TRs I do read are people I really enjoy and consider friends. Thanks for sticking with me too!

Back to read...

 

[Steppesister]

Going in I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was my first trip on a plane masking up, and first time out of the state of California since all this went down. So the only way to deal with it, was just to go right in and see what happens!

Yep, best practice! Welcome back to the land of the living!

On my trips I usually take a ton of pictures to document almost everything, but this trip, sometimes I just wanted to be in the moment and I forgot to pick up the camera.

I do that too, but even still I can mess up the timeline.

For me it's not about running from ride to ride, it's just being in the Disney environment.

I realize that every inch has been "manufactured", but I like that people have taken the time to create such a fun and interesting place where you can be out in "nature" and then moments later be sipping cocktails in a comfortable air conditioned lounge.

YES!!, Yes, yes!

Anyways, this trip is even more about relaxing and fun than previous trips, which all have been pretty laid back to begin with. Over the years, I’ve met a lot of friends on the DIS, and am lucky to meet up with many of them either at DL or in Florida. This trip there’s a ton of meet ups, and that’s what it was more about this time.

OH how fun! I hope Su-Lynn said hi! Wish I could have joined you all!

Interesting thing, they didn’t leave the little “we-searched-your-bags paper” this time, but it was 50/50 on the bag search. They re-locked the two with padlocks, but not the two with built in locks. Luckily we have padlocks on our scooter bags that we will transfer to the bags built in locks and I kept the signs to put in the suitcases for the ride home.

Mine ALWAYS get checked. I've several things go missing so wonder why exactly they are in the bags. These 3-letter agencies are becoming the newest 4-letter words.

Maybe one out of hundreds had some sort of pool, but most just had giant yards, many with cars parked on them, but not one seemed to have any type of grass, flower beds and such…Is this just a California thing that we all have nicely manicured yards and gardeners to take care of them?

I am wondering if it's a climate thing? There just isn't a lot of rain and it's either HOT or very cold. Maybe too hard to maintain?

Fran learned very quickly (after trying to walk through on this occasion) when they asked her if she could walk through the screeners, she would reply, “Not very easily.” This got her an all expense paid ticket to the guard with the wand where she would promptly proclaim, “I have a ceramic hip, but I have metal knees.” And just on cue the little wand would beep at her knees every time. And then they let her through.

Oh boy, she knows the drill!

We were able to snag two seats at the surfboard table in the middle of the room when two ladies left. I ordered my Dark & Tropical Stormy, category 5. The category 5 part is where they add a extra shot of rum, and I think its 151. She got a Spikey Pineapple. It was good, but light on the booze. Mine was nice and strong. Just what I wanted.

YAY!! TS's is such a fun place to have a bit of fun!

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, she often talks about how many underlying conditions that she has.

There ya go. Totally get it.

Well here's a fun one. Every time the cats poop we are thankful that we can smell it because it tells us that we don't have Covid!

Thats rather generous of you! I hope I can deliver.

You always do!

We don't have much choice, back to the tired thing.

Ah yes...

Then there is my friend Leonard, he is intelligent but yet he continually argues that the HM is not congruent to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Well... he's not wrong...

 

[pkondz]

For some reason the day before travel went far more smoothly than on previous trips.

I printed the same message that I did on my last trip asking the TSA to lock my bags after searching them.

Does that usually work???

But here’s a first! This has never happened before. All four of our suitcases are in the foyer ready to load in the car at 5PM the day before we leave! It’s amazing!

We had planned to order dinner out from a new to us Mexican restaurant that has been around for over 30 years, but it turns out that they close at 2PM on Sundays,

Well, poop. Have you tried it since?

Sorry no pics.

That's okay. I've seen frozen pizza.

Evidently I am not a nice person when I'm awakened at 5AM.

So I downloaded an app called Loudest alarm clock and set it for 5AM. The thing rang for six minutes before I actually heard It!

Holy cow!
You need one of these:

It blares and rolls away and won't stop until you catch it.

Parking, however, was $2 a day more than the remote lot at LAX, which would add another 20 bucks to the already over $100 parking costs.

Hmm... you might save that just in gas. You'll definitely save in time. Worth it.

Well this doesn't look like a normal airport to me.

Heh. It does to me. I've worked at four. None of them had jetways.

Pretty soon we landed, and were on the Fake-O-Rail.

First ride of the trip!

The horror! No more Magical Express!

A travesty. And a tragedy.

We managed to get over to the bus transport

So how does that work? Is that something you booked in advance? Or do you buy tickets when it arrives? Or???

It would have been a pleasant trip if the kid in the seat behind Fran wasn't belting out "The wheels of the Bus" at the top of his lungs.

Ugh! No...

Front seat photo perk.

Bay Lake Tower

Thanks for all the photos. I've wanted to stay there (but almost certainly never will.)
That tub looks great!

we headed out to Trader Sam's.

But of course.

You simply take all your bags with you, walk through the screening rods, and if there is something suspicious, you get taken to the side for them to check it manually.

Huh.

she would promptly proclaim, “I have a ceramic hip, but I have metal knees.” And just on cue the little wand would beep at her knees every time. And then they let her through.

Soon a monorail was arriving, when I boarded, someone called my name…….it was Denise a former DISer, we’re friends on FB, and she commented on my posts throughout the pandemic. We caught up a little bit, and since we were both getting off at the Poly we talked for about 5 minutes before saying goodbye. How hilarious!

And first DISmeet!

It was just over 15 minutes from when I got the first text saying, “you’re on the list” that I got the "We're ready for you text".

Nice.

I ordered my Dark & Tropical Stormy, category 5.

So much rum in that place. Maybe next time I'll just order a Coke.
(They'll probably try to sneak some rum in it.)

After that it was back home to BLT to have our Owner's Locker brought up,

Did you have to pay for that? Just saw yesterday (I think) that they're charging for that now.

But first a look off of our balcony at MK.

What a view!!

 

[Minniemoo15]

I am following along … our trip is next week (!!!!) and I am just PRAYING this TR title will apply to our trip as well. Kind of on pins and needles but we are as prepared as we can be so crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.