Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
I hope they can pick up the pace too. I am so eager to go places again! lol
There's No Sleeping at Disney! - A Oct-Nov 2020 Trip Report. MINI TR COMPLETE 5/10
- Thread starter Verstehen
- Start date
I hope they can pick up the pace too. I am so eager to go places again! lol
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Day 2, Part 3
Our dinner destination that night was a favorite of ours: The Edison!
We checked in right at our meal time, around 7:30, and were seated almost immediately. For the first time, we were on the first floor, near the bathrooms. That was kind of a bummer, as it meant we were kind of in a corner, but there wasn’t a whole lot going on in the restaurant anyway.
Likewise, the menu seemed to have been severely pared down. The last time we were here I had an amazing pulled pork mac and cheese that must not have been on the menu anymore or I would have ordered it.
But first, drinks! I got a cocktail called the Time Turner.
It’s rum, campari, lime juice, pineapple, and orgeat. Very refreshing. Reminded me of my beloved Trader Sam’s, which I hope reopens soon.
My dad was eager to continue his quest for dark beer, and he was optimistic about the Edison since he’d had a great dark beer here before. Unfortunately, their beer menu had also been slashed due to the pandemic, and I imagine the dark beers were the first to go (again: who wants to drink dark beer in a Florida theme park?). I’m not sure what he got, but I’m sure it wasn’t dark enough, because it never is. A dark enough beer for him would be one that did not reflect light at all.
We ruminated on the menu, and we decided to get two burgers to split: The Edison burger (minus the bacon), and the Beyond burger. We’d both heard good things about the Beyond burgers and wanted to try them. At the time, I wasn’t giving April meat and wanted to get her some kind of side that she could eat. I saw the carrots and thought that sounded great, so I asked the waiter if they were cooked in honey. He said no, so I ordered them. Turns out, I didn’t ask the right questions.
Our food arrived, and while the carrots were delicious, they were not something I would feed to a nine month old who is just learning how to eat.
They were super starchy and I think they’d been grilled. We tried feeding her a couple of the softer ones, just to suck on, but she didn’t really go for them. In the end, I gave her bits of burger bun, some mushed up fries, and some of her baby snacks to supplement. Meal of champions!
We enjoyed our burgers, but they weren’t anything spectacular. Overall, this was the least good time we’ve had at the Edison, though I don’t know that this will stop us from trying it again once the pandemic is over.
We finished our meal and then headed out to the car, then drove back to the Riviera.
Back at the room, we decided it was early enough that we wanted to do some pool time, but I had a slight issue. It’s a little TMI so feel free to skip this next bit.
I’d had a sneaking suspicion since earlier in the day, but now there was no denying it. I had a clogged duct. If you’re a mom and you’ve never had one, you’re lucky. They’re pretty painful and can lead to bigger issues like an infection. And the last thing you want on a Disney vacation is an infection, especially since if I got a fever I wouldn’t be allowed into the parks. It was too late to call my doctor but I decided I would call first thing in the morning. In the meantime, since my dad is a dentist, he said that if I really ended up needing antibiotics, he could find the right one and prescribe it for me so that I wouldn’t have to go home.
I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, and it was too early to worry about that anyway. Right now the big issue was pain and discomfort, and the best remedy is to just nurse as much as possible. So I tried to focus on that and not worry. But it sucks super bad having your vacation interrupted by any sort of pain or medical issue, even a minor one!
Okay, TMI stuff over. Onto the pool!
The Riviera has a really small footprint, and the two pools are actually super close to each other, on opposite ends of the courtyard. We’d experienced the main pool the night before, and now we decided to try the quiet pool and see what it was all about. We hoped, against hope, that the hot tub on this side would be a bit more empty.
Alas, it was not to be. If anything, the hot tub was more crowded on this side. Wah! There should be sign up shifts for the hot tubs. I really can’t wait until I can sit around strangers without worrying about getting them sick, or me getting them sick.
Instead, we sat on the steps of the pool and just enjoyed the water as best we could. I think Dad did a few laps, as is his way. At one point, we were joined by a very sweet but talkative girl who got suuuuuuper close to us to ask about April. What was her name, how old was she, did she like the rides, etc. One thing that sucks about the pandemic is I am NOT good at asking people to step away from me if they’re too close or not wearing masks, and I am especially not going to tell a child to get away. It was really awkward and I spent most of the conversation trying to think of a polite way to ask her to back up.
This might turn into a rant, but it’s one of the (many) things I hate about the pandemic. I LOVE meeting people at Disney. During almost every trip, you’ll find me making new friends in the resort lounge, or chatting with folks in the hot tubs. It’s one of my favorite parts about going to Disney, and one thing I wish for April is that as she grows, she meets friends at Disney too. I hate that I couldn’t just enjoy this nice conversation with a sweet little girl who just wanted to talk to my baby. I hate that the pandemic has taken these simple pleasures from us. Ugh. People, please wear masks and get vaccinated so we can get back to normal soon!
Okay, rant over. Promise.
We finished up at the pool shortly after that, and went back to the room, where we noticed the AC would not turn on. Not good! It was going to get very hot in that room very fast without it. So we called the front desk who sent up a nice cast member to look into it. Before he’d even stepped into the room, he said, “It’s because your balcony door is open.” It turns out that at the Riviera (and maybe at all/most Disney resorts?) the AC is set to not turn on if it senses the balcony door is open. It’s part of their green certification.
The cast member said he’d just override that setting for us, even though we said we were happy to keep the door closed when the AC was on now that we knew. We also asked him if this was such a common issue, why doesn’t the front desk just ask us if the balcony door’s open before sending someone up? He shrugged and said, “I don’t know, but they pay me to come up here, so I’m not complaining!”
Mystery solved, we decided to watch some TV before bed. The Riviera has smart TV’s with Chromecast, and I had figured out how to get my Hulu account running on it. I love the show What We Do in the Shadows and wanted to introduce it to my dad. Anyone else watch it? It’s so hilarious. We watched a couple of episodes before falling asleep sometime around 11 or 12. Oh, and I didn’t bother putting April in her pack n’ play that night. We’ll see how brave I am tomorrow!
Our dinner destination that night was a favorite of ours: The Edison!
We checked in right at our meal time, around 7:30, and were seated almost immediately. For the first time, we were on the first floor, near the bathrooms. That was kind of a bummer, as it meant we were kind of in a corner, but there wasn’t a whole lot going on in the restaurant anyway.
Likewise, the menu seemed to have been severely pared down. The last time we were here I had an amazing pulled pork mac and cheese that must not have been on the menu anymore or I would have ordered it.
But first, drinks! I got a cocktail called the Time Turner.
It’s rum, campari, lime juice, pineapple, and orgeat. Very refreshing. Reminded me of my beloved Trader Sam’s, which I hope reopens soon.
My dad was eager to continue his quest for dark beer, and he was optimistic about the Edison since he’d had a great dark beer here before. Unfortunately, their beer menu had also been slashed due to the pandemic, and I imagine the dark beers were the first to go (again: who wants to drink dark beer in a Florida theme park?). I’m not sure what he got, but I’m sure it wasn’t dark enough, because it never is. A dark enough beer for him would be one that did not reflect light at all.
We ruminated on the menu, and we decided to get two burgers to split: The Edison burger (minus the bacon), and the Beyond burger. We’d both heard good things about the Beyond burgers and wanted to try them. At the time, I wasn’t giving April meat and wanted to get her some kind of side that she could eat. I saw the carrots and thought that sounded great, so I asked the waiter if they were cooked in honey. He said no, so I ordered them. Turns out, I didn’t ask the right questions.
Our food arrived, and while the carrots were delicious, they were not something I would feed to a nine month old who is just learning how to eat.
They were super starchy and I think they’d been grilled. We tried feeding her a couple of the softer ones, just to suck on, but she didn’t really go for them. In the end, I gave her bits of burger bun, some mushed up fries, and some of her baby snacks to supplement. Meal of champions!
We enjoyed our burgers, but they weren’t anything spectacular. Overall, this was the least good time we’ve had at the Edison, though I don’t know that this will stop us from trying it again once the pandemic is over.
We finished our meal and then headed out to the car, then drove back to the Riviera.
Back at the room, we decided it was early enough that we wanted to do some pool time, but I had a slight issue. It’s a little TMI so feel free to skip this next bit.
I’d had a sneaking suspicion since earlier in the day, but now there was no denying it. I had a clogged duct. If you’re a mom and you’ve never had one, you’re lucky. They’re pretty painful and can lead to bigger issues like an infection. And the last thing you want on a Disney vacation is an infection, especially since if I got a fever I wouldn’t be allowed into the parks. It was too late to call my doctor but I decided I would call first thing in the morning. In the meantime, since my dad is a dentist, he said that if I really ended up needing antibiotics, he could find the right one and prescribe it for me so that I wouldn’t have to go home.
I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, and it was too early to worry about that anyway. Right now the big issue was pain and discomfort, and the best remedy is to just nurse as much as possible. So I tried to focus on that and not worry. But it sucks super bad having your vacation interrupted by any sort of pain or medical issue, even a minor one!
Okay, TMI stuff over. Onto the pool!
The Riviera has a really small footprint, and the two pools are actually super close to each other, on opposite ends of the courtyard. We’d experienced the main pool the night before, and now we decided to try the quiet pool and see what it was all about. We hoped, against hope, that the hot tub on this side would be a bit more empty.
Alas, it was not to be. If anything, the hot tub was more crowded on this side. Wah! There should be sign up shifts for the hot tubs. I really can’t wait until I can sit around strangers without worrying about getting them sick, or me getting them sick.
Instead, we sat on the steps of the pool and just enjoyed the water as best we could. I think Dad did a few laps, as is his way. At one point, we were joined by a very sweet but talkative girl who got suuuuuuper close to us to ask about April. What was her name, how old was she, did she like the rides, etc. One thing that sucks about the pandemic is I am NOT good at asking people to step away from me if they’re too close or not wearing masks, and I am especially not going to tell a child to get away. It was really awkward and I spent most of the conversation trying to think of a polite way to ask her to back up.
This might turn into a rant, but it’s one of the (many) things I hate about the pandemic. I LOVE meeting people at Disney. During almost every trip, you’ll find me making new friends in the resort lounge, or chatting with folks in the hot tubs. It’s one of my favorite parts about going to Disney, and one thing I wish for April is that as she grows, she meets friends at Disney too. I hate that I couldn’t just enjoy this nice conversation with a sweet little girl who just wanted to talk to my baby. I hate that the pandemic has taken these simple pleasures from us. Ugh. People, please wear masks and get vaccinated so we can get back to normal soon!
Okay, rant over. Promise.
We finished up at the pool shortly after that, and went back to the room, where we noticed the AC would not turn on. Not good! It was going to get very hot in that room very fast without it. So we called the front desk who sent up a nice cast member to look into it. Before he’d even stepped into the room, he said, “It’s because your balcony door is open.” It turns out that at the Riviera (and maybe at all/most Disney resorts?) the AC is set to not turn on if it senses the balcony door is open. It’s part of their green certification.
The cast member said he’d just override that setting for us, even though we said we were happy to keep the door closed when the AC was on now that we knew. We also asked him if this was such a common issue, why doesn’t the front desk just ask us if the balcony door’s open before sending someone up? He shrugged and said, “I don’t know, but they pay me to come up here, so I’m not complaining!”
Mystery solved, we decided to watch some TV before bed. The Riviera has smart TV’s with Chromecast, and I had figured out how to get my Hulu account running on it. I love the show What We Do in the Shadows and wanted to introduce it to my dad. Anyone else watch it? It’s so hilarious. We watched a couple of episodes before falling asleep sometime around 11 or 12. Oh, and I didn’t bother putting April in her pack n’ play that night. We’ll see how brave I am tomorrow!
KathyM2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2011
Ugh, I hope this didn't become a big problem for you!! Last thing you need right now! Also...I remember how painful that is!
YESSSSS and please get the vaccine train rolling NOW!!!!
lvcourtneyy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
How is your dad feeling post-vaccine? I got an email from my hospital yesterday that I could make an appointment to get it even though I'm on a leave of absence but I'm hesitant to get it while breastfeeding.
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
From your lips to God’s ears!
He felt fine after the first dose but he has not gotten the second dose yet. I’m still breastfeeding as well but I plan to get it when it’s available to me. I know it’s a personal decision but from what I’ve read the benefits far outweigh the risks, and I haven’t seen anything to suggest it causes issues with breastfeeding.
lvcourtneyy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
Yeah I've done a lot of reading/thinking about it and ultimately decided to get it. Hopefully some kind of return to normal is on the horizon.
rdkeim
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
Sorry your dinner wasn't everything you hoped for. Good that you're willing to give it another try when things are more normal. Hope your medical issue clears up and doesn't interfere with the rest of your trip. Our trip is 46 days and counting. I hope it's a good experience or I might never get my DH back to Disney!
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Hey all, just wanted to have a brief life update. I mentioned previously that I'd been laid off. Right after the holidays, I was contacted by the CEO of a software company I used to work for, who asked if I'd be interested in heading up customer education and optimization for their biggest product. Apparently he'd been thinking for awhile that they needed someone to do this job, and when he heard I was available he thought I'd be perfect for it. I actually asked to come back part time, because having a kid at home has shown me that full time work, while doable, is way more stress than I need. Also, I still plan to go back to school this summer to get a certificate in Instructional Design at UCF, and I'll need time to set aside for that. I negotiated a good hourly rate so I'm making about the same as I was working full time at my last job, so that's a big load off my mind. I start next week!
I know I mentioned that my dad is getting his Covid vaccine, but I can't remember if I said he plans to visit in February, after he's built up immunities to his second shot. Yesterday he told me that his brother, my uncle, is also getting his second shot soon and asked if he could visit as well. He and his brother were actually supposed to come visit last April, but obviously that didn't happen. But now finally, almost a year later, it looks like we'll finally have a semi-normal visit. I think I would be okay with a day at Epcot or something, but overall, we'll probably stick with quieter activities closer to my house.
Also, yesterday was April's 1st birthday! I had been hoping to have a party with family and friends in our backyard, but cases keep going up and it just didn't feel like a safe idea. So we celebrated at home with just DH and me. I did decided to get a fun custom smash cake, which a few of my friends generously offered to pay for as a birthday gift for April. And I also got a gorgeous dress for her on Etsy, which she will definitely be wearing to the parks someday! As you can see, I was going for an Alice in Wonderland theme, and I had all sorts of ideas for an actual party, but the dress and cake are all that remain. Oh well! We still had a lovely time with our little family.
I'll be back soon with a proper trip update!
I know I mentioned that my dad is getting his Covid vaccine, but I can't remember if I said he plans to visit in February, after he's built up immunities to his second shot. Yesterday he told me that his brother, my uncle, is also getting his second shot soon and asked if he could visit as well. He and his brother were actually supposed to come visit last April, but obviously that didn't happen. But now finally, almost a year later, it looks like we'll finally have a semi-normal visit. I think I would be okay with a day at Epcot or something, but overall, we'll probably stick with quieter activities closer to my house.
Also, yesterday was April's 1st birthday! I had been hoping to have a party with family and friends in our backyard, but cases keep going up and it just didn't feel like a safe idea. So we celebrated at home with just DH and me. I did decided to get a fun custom smash cake, which a few of my friends generously offered to pay for as a birthday gift for April. And I also got a gorgeous dress for her on Etsy, which she will definitely be wearing to the parks someday! As you can see, I was going for an Alice in Wonderland theme, and I had all sorts of ideas for an actual party, but the dress and cake are all that remain. Oh well! We still had a lovely time with our little family.
I'll be back soon with a proper trip update!
piglet1979
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2015
I can't believe she is a year old already. I love the cake and the dress. They were both very cute.
I am glad to hear that your dad and uncle will be able to visit soon. Congrats on the new job. sounds like it will be the perfect fit for right now.
I am glad to hear that your dad and uncle will be able to visit soon. Congrats on the new job. sounds like it will be the perfect fit for right now.
Eeyore daily
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2019
Just popping in to say your daughter is so adorable! Happy birthday April!
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lvcourtneyy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
Congrats on the new job and happy birthday April! That dress and cake are both gorgeous!
Woth2982
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2008
Yay for the new job! That is awesome you negotiated part time hours to your full time salary! Such a weight lifted!
Happy birthday April! She has gotten so big! She is such a beautiful girl. It looks like you really made the best of her birthday! My friend did an Alice in ONEderland birthday for her oldest too. It is so sad in a way how we missed so much of our children's first milestones in a way. Savannah just started Day care this week, and I REALLY didn't think the pandemic had affected her since well, she's just a baby, but she did not handle it well. Masks scare her because she can hear our voices, but not see our faces. She doesn't do well with "strangers" because she has not met many people outside our immediate families. Outside of our home, she has only been to my parents, in laws and my friend Brooke's house, and only once to Brookes when she was 2 months, so this is all new and scary to her. I pray every day the vaccine works and enough people take it. Sorry, didnt mean to go on a tangent, but so few of my friends and family actually get it.
Happy birthday April! She has gotten so big! She is such a beautiful girl. It looks like you really made the best of her birthday! My friend did an Alice in ONEderland birthday for her oldest too. It is so sad in a way how we missed so much of our children's first milestones in a way. Savannah just started Day care this week, and I REALLY didn't think the pandemic had affected her since well, she's just a baby, but she did not handle it well. Masks scare her because she can hear our voices, but not see our faces. She doesn't do well with "strangers" because she has not met many people outside our immediate families. Outside of our home, she has only been to my parents, in laws and my friend Brooke's house, and only once to Brookes when she was 2 months, so this is all new and scary to her. I pray every day the vaccine works and enough people take it. Sorry, didnt mean to go on a tangent, but so few of my friends and family actually get it.
footballmouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2008
Wow, she really went to town on that cake! 
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Thanks! I guess my uncle isn't coming after all, but he is getting his vaccine!
Thank you both!
I totally get it. I am so eager for things to get back to normal and for our kids to have the typical kid experiences they deserve.
Wow, she really went to town on that cake!
I know! We did help a little
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Hey all! So my birthday was actually two days after April's. It was much more low key, no cake smash or anything. 
But my dad sent me this awesome gift. It's a purse!
Back to the report.
Day 3 (Friday, October 30th), Part 1
We woke around 9 am, and first thing I did was pick up my phone and call my doctor. They said the next available appointment was Tuesday at 3, which was just after when my dad would need to be at the airport at the end of our trip, so it worked out perfectly. I booked that time and Dad said if the issue got worse, he would prescribe antibiotics. Still hoped it wouldn’t come to that! I already felt a little better but didn’t want to take chances.
After that we got ready for our day. It was Halloween costume day! I put April in her costume first and she was NOT happy. I don’t know why she found it so uncomfortable since it was really just a shirt, but she crawled around the room obviously sad. I think she might have also been a little tired, since she wasn’t getting the best sleep on this trip. This was the day that the lack of sleep really became clear, and her mood became a lot more temperamental.
We left for Magic Kingdom around 11 am. We took my car, which in non-COVID times I wouldn’t do if I had the option to take Disney transportation. But obviously, we were trying to avoid busses.
On the drive over, my dad and I debated whether he should try to take the plastic sword that was part of his costume past security. I said that the rules specifically stated that while costumes were okay, fake weapons, even obviously fake ones, were not. He argued that there was no way anyone would think his fake sword was dangerous. After all, I’d accidentally bent it on the way to the car (trying to use it to press an elevator button, haha I thought I was being so cool).
My argument was that maybe they would let it through, but there was a chance they wouldn’t. And if they didn’t, that meant that we would have to walk all the way back to the car, in literally one of the world’s largest parking lots, to drop it off there. It just didn’t seem worth it to me.
We tried asking the cast member working the parking booth, but of course he couldn’t answer for us. Ultimately Dad decided to keep it in the car, but he grumbled about it all the way to security. We did have a long walk to the front (and the shuttles aren’t operating right now) so I was glad we weren’t risking a walk back. I made sure to take a picture of our row again!
We got to security, and the guard checked our bags. Dad took that opportunity to ask about the sword. The guard said that while some of them might let it through, it was up to the individual guard’s discretion and some were being more strict than others, so better to not risk it. Dad was disappointed, but it was clear I had made the right argument.
We assessed our options and decided to take the ferry to the park. I’m normally a monorail girl but again, closed area with other people was something I was trying to avoid. We boarded right away and had enough time to get settled on the bottom floor while the other passengers boarded.
It was a smooth ride across the lagoon, and soon enough we were at the park gates, and in the Magic Kingdom! Yay!
First we did was take a moment to enjoy a performance by the Cadaver Dans, who were singing from the train station.
This is one of the COVID changes I like. There’s nothing lost with them performing at a distance, and since there’s not a crowd forming around them, more people can see them.
While we were watching, Dad tried to get some pictures of me and April. She was not very interested.
But as you can see, we were dressed as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! Dad was also a makeshift Captain Hook, hence the hullabaloo around a sword.
By now we had just enough time for one attraction before our lunch reservation. I took a look at the Lines app, and it looked like Pirates of the Caribbean would be a good choice. If you read my previous fall’s trip report, I really enjoyed the enhancements this attraction got during the Halloween party, and I was disappointed we wouldn’t get to experience them this year. But it was still a classic attraction that April hadn’t experienced during her first trip (pretty sure), so we decided to check it out anyway.
I think the wait was predicted at about 30 minutes, maybe a little longer. I do remember it was accurate, even though the line stretched almost all the way over to Jungle Cruise. That’s a socially distanced queue for you!
Once we got into the actual building, it seemed like an optimal time to take some group selfies and pictures.
If you couldn't tell, April trying to eat Dad's hook was a common theme of the day.
Soon enough we were on the boat. I’m pretty sure this was where I banged my shin getting on the ride vehicle. It was a nasty bruise, and it happened because I had trouble balancing the baby with navigating getting into the boat safely. From that point on in our trip, I either had Dad get in first with her, or I would get in first and have him hand her to me.
I was worried she would be scared of the drop but it didn’t seem to phase her too much. She just sat nicely and took everything in.
After Pirates, it was time to check in for our lunch reservation at our favorite MK spot: Skipper Canteen!
We checked in and were seated pretty quickly towards the back of the cafeteria. This is like the third trip in a row that I’ve meant to ask to be seated in the SEA room and totally forgot. Oh well. At least we weren’t in the middle of the room this time. We were in a nice quiet corner, so if April were to get fussy, at least all eyes wouldn’t be on us.
Dad continued his quest for dark beer and was, as usual, disappointed with the options. I got a white sangria and it was AMAZING. If he can’t find a beer that will make him happy, he should really just switch to a different libation altogether.
Like other Disney restaurants, Skipper Canteen has pared down their menu somewhat. I think most options were still available (it was a small menu to begin with), but my dad’s favorite, the whole fried fish, is not currently there. We took a look and debated what to get. I usually get (and really enjoy) the Tastes Like Chicken with sauce on the side, but I was interested in trying something new. Dad won’t eat pork and isn’t a steak fan so that limited our options somewhat. I was intrigued by the vegetable curry with tofu, and he was interested in the Thai noodles, which came with either tofu or chicken.
We’re a little picky. Dad and I like tofu, but generally only if it’s fried. We’re not fans of soft, mushy tofu. We weren’t sure how either dish prepared its tofu, so we asked. It turns out the tofu in the curry stew was fried, while the tofu in the Thai noodles was soft. So I got the stew and Dad got the noodles with chicken, and we decided to split the dishes. I also ordered a side of steamed vegetables for April.
Our meals came, and as usual, everything tasted amazing. I’ve yet to have a bad meal at Skipper Canteen, obviously. Most of the vegetables weren’t quite soft enough for April (she’d probably be able to eat them now though; how quickly they change!). Dad gave her some of his noodles, and she happily slurped them down at first, but then she started crying and didn’t want to eat anymore. Not sure what happened, but Dad thinks she might have been spooked by the pepper and other spices. In any case, she was fussy for much of the meal, which seems to be a theme with her at Skipper Canteen now, but oh well. We took turns eating and consoling her.
At one point I got up to use the bathroom, and Dad let her crawl around on the bench. She’s always happiest when she’s not contained.
We took care of the bill, and then debated as to where we should go next. Stay tuned to find out where the day took us!
But my dad sent me this awesome gift. It's a purse!
Back to the report.
Day 3 (Friday, October 30th), Part 1
We woke around 9 am, and first thing I did was pick up my phone and call my doctor. They said the next available appointment was Tuesday at 3, which was just after when my dad would need to be at the airport at the end of our trip, so it worked out perfectly. I booked that time and Dad said if the issue got worse, he would prescribe antibiotics. Still hoped it wouldn’t come to that! I already felt a little better but didn’t want to take chances.
After that we got ready for our day. It was Halloween costume day! I put April in her costume first and she was NOT happy. I don’t know why she found it so uncomfortable since it was really just a shirt, but she crawled around the room obviously sad. I think she might have also been a little tired, since she wasn’t getting the best sleep on this trip. This was the day that the lack of sleep really became clear, and her mood became a lot more temperamental.
We left for Magic Kingdom around 11 am. We took my car, which in non-COVID times I wouldn’t do if I had the option to take Disney transportation. But obviously, we were trying to avoid busses.
On the drive over, my dad and I debated whether he should try to take the plastic sword that was part of his costume past security. I said that the rules specifically stated that while costumes were okay, fake weapons, even obviously fake ones, were not. He argued that there was no way anyone would think his fake sword was dangerous. After all, I’d accidentally bent it on the way to the car (trying to use it to press an elevator button, haha I thought I was being so cool).
My argument was that maybe they would let it through, but there was a chance they wouldn’t. And if they didn’t, that meant that we would have to walk all the way back to the car, in literally one of the world’s largest parking lots, to drop it off there. It just didn’t seem worth it to me.
We tried asking the cast member working the parking booth, but of course he couldn’t answer for us. Ultimately Dad decided to keep it in the car, but he grumbled about it all the way to security. We did have a long walk to the front (and the shuttles aren’t operating right now) so I was glad we weren’t risking a walk back. I made sure to take a picture of our row again!
We got to security, and the guard checked our bags. Dad took that opportunity to ask about the sword. The guard said that while some of them might let it through, it was up to the individual guard’s discretion and some were being more strict than others, so better to not risk it. Dad was disappointed, but it was clear I had made the right argument.
We assessed our options and decided to take the ferry to the park. I’m normally a monorail girl but again, closed area with other people was something I was trying to avoid. We boarded right away and had enough time to get settled on the bottom floor while the other passengers boarded.
It was a smooth ride across the lagoon, and soon enough we were at the park gates, and in the Magic Kingdom! Yay!
First we did was take a moment to enjoy a performance by the Cadaver Dans, who were singing from the train station.
This is one of the COVID changes I like. There’s nothing lost with them performing at a distance, and since there’s not a crowd forming around them, more people can see them.
While we were watching, Dad tried to get some pictures of me and April. She was not very interested.
But as you can see, we were dressed as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! Dad was also a makeshift Captain Hook, hence the hullabaloo around a sword.
By now we had just enough time for one attraction before our lunch reservation. I took a look at the Lines app, and it looked like Pirates of the Caribbean would be a good choice. If you read my previous fall’s trip report, I really enjoyed the enhancements this attraction got during the Halloween party, and I was disappointed we wouldn’t get to experience them this year. But it was still a classic attraction that April hadn’t experienced during her first trip (pretty sure), so we decided to check it out anyway.
I think the wait was predicted at about 30 minutes, maybe a little longer. I do remember it was accurate, even though the line stretched almost all the way over to Jungle Cruise. That’s a socially distanced queue for you!
Once we got into the actual building, it seemed like an optimal time to take some group selfies and pictures.
If you couldn't tell, April trying to eat Dad's hook was a common theme of the day.
Soon enough we were on the boat. I’m pretty sure this was where I banged my shin getting on the ride vehicle. It was a nasty bruise, and it happened because I had trouble balancing the baby with navigating getting into the boat safely. From that point on in our trip, I either had Dad get in first with her, or I would get in first and have him hand her to me.
I was worried she would be scared of the drop but it didn’t seem to phase her too much. She just sat nicely and took everything in.
After Pirates, it was time to check in for our lunch reservation at our favorite MK spot: Skipper Canteen!
We checked in and were seated pretty quickly towards the back of the cafeteria. This is like the third trip in a row that I’ve meant to ask to be seated in the SEA room and totally forgot. Oh well. At least we weren’t in the middle of the room this time. We were in a nice quiet corner, so if April were to get fussy, at least all eyes wouldn’t be on us.
Dad continued his quest for dark beer and was, as usual, disappointed with the options. I got a white sangria and it was AMAZING. If he can’t find a beer that will make him happy, he should really just switch to a different libation altogether.
Like other Disney restaurants, Skipper Canteen has pared down their menu somewhat. I think most options were still available (it was a small menu to begin with), but my dad’s favorite, the whole fried fish, is not currently there. We took a look and debated what to get. I usually get (and really enjoy) the Tastes Like Chicken with sauce on the side, but I was interested in trying something new. Dad won’t eat pork and isn’t a steak fan so that limited our options somewhat. I was intrigued by the vegetable curry with tofu, and he was interested in the Thai noodles, which came with either tofu or chicken.
We’re a little picky. Dad and I like tofu, but generally only if it’s fried. We’re not fans of soft, mushy tofu. We weren’t sure how either dish prepared its tofu, so we asked. It turns out the tofu in the curry stew was fried, while the tofu in the Thai noodles was soft. So I got the stew and Dad got the noodles with chicken, and we decided to split the dishes. I also ordered a side of steamed vegetables for April.
Our meals came, and as usual, everything tasted amazing. I’ve yet to have a bad meal at Skipper Canteen, obviously. Most of the vegetables weren’t quite soft enough for April (she’d probably be able to eat them now though; how quickly they change!). Dad gave her some of his noodles, and she happily slurped them down at first, but then she started crying and didn’t want to eat anymore. Not sure what happened, but Dad thinks she might have been spooked by the pepper and other spices. In any case, she was fussy for much of the meal, which seems to be a theme with her at Skipper Canteen now, but oh well. We took turns eating and consoling her.
At one point I got up to use the bathroom, and Dad let her crawl around on the bench. She’s always happiest when she’s not contained.
We took care of the bill, and then debated as to where we should go next. Stay tuned to find out where the day took us!
suse66
When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2008
Happy Birthday to April and Happy Birthday to you! I love her dress and the theme for her birthday. Alice is always perfect! Congratulations on your new job too...it seems like everything is falling into place!
I felt so bad for you when you were feeling poorly on your trip. Been there, done that when I was nursing my oldest and it is no fun at all!
I adore the Jungle Cruise dress on you! I don't have that one in my collection as yet. Although I found a Disney gift card I had forgotten about and treated myself to the new Cats dress yesterday.
Great costumes for Halloween, you really never can go wrong with Peter Pan! Glad you had a yummy lunch too, I love Skippers!
I felt so bad for you when you were feeling poorly on your trip. Been there, done that when I was nursing my oldest and it is no fun at all!
I adore the Jungle Cruise dress on you! I don't have that one in my collection as yet. Although I found a Disney gift card I had forgotten about and treated myself to the new Cats dress yesterday.
Great costumes for Halloween, you really never can go wrong with Peter Pan! Glad you had a yummy lunch too, I love Skippers!
rdkeim
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
Love the first birthday pictures! April has such big, beautiful eyes. She looked so cute in her dress. MK is the perfect park to visit when celebrating Halloween. Glad you had a good lunch at Skipper. The menu never has appealed to me but I'm not too adventurous. Hope the rest of your day went well!
KathyM2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2011
Hey congrats!! That seems like the best possible scenario for you! Part time work is the best, esp with full time pay!! I don't think anyone should have to work full time, there's just not enough time to enjoy life!!
That cake was amazing!!!
Man, these days I could use a good cake smash!!
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