"We Have You in the Swan Foot Suite": A Fall 2021 Trip Report. COMPLETED 3/2

[Verstehen]

We were also there the night of the rolling blackout! We woke up to the sound of the power returning. And then promptly fell back asleep lol. I’m so sorry April didn’t do so well. We didn’t even think about the heat because we were so worn out.

I was shocked at how hot it got so quickly! I felt so bad for her.

Great report and pics. Thanks.

Thanks for being here!

 

[Verstehen]

Hope everyone who celebrates had a great Thanksgiving! We went to St. Pete for DH's sister's wedding the day after and had a glorious Airbnb. We had a wonderful time on the west coast overall. On Saturday we attended an art exhibit called Fairgrounds St. Pete which I would 100% recommend if you're in the area. It's like a trippy but family-friendly installation project with elements of an escape room (without the need to escape, just a fun mystery to solve if you want, or you can just look at the art). April was a flower girl in the wedding and I was a bridesmaid so I expect I'll be able to share some professional pics soon.

Day 3, Part 3

We left Diamond Horseshoe unsure of where to start our evening, but April seemed to have something in mind. She took my hand and we started walking.

And walking.

I urged Dad to walk behind us with the stroller, sure that at any moment she would stop and demand to be carried or put in the stroller. We started in Frontierland, went under the walkway to Adventureland, and just kept going. She was very interested in everything going on around her, and it helped that by now the crowds had thinned out so there were less people to be overwhelmed by.

We entered the hub and went right on through it to the bridge to Tomorrowland. At this point we’d pretty much walked clear across the park. I wish I knew what was going on in her mind as she walked from land to land, taking it all in.

We walked through Tomorrowland, and there was a dance party going on the main stage. That seemed to be the vague thing she’d been looking for, so she pulled me, and all of us, in that direction. Hooray! We were going to start our night off by dancing. What a great start!

And then she promptly got freaked out by the lights swirling around on the ground, and demanded to be held.

Go figure. It was fun while it lasted.

If you’re wondering if she was willing to walk around at all for the rest of the night, I’ll give you a spoiler: Not really. But we still had a lovely time!

We did spend some time at the dance, just with me holding April. It was a lot of fun and a good way to get pumped up for the rest of the night.

After that we saw a lot of people lined up, so naturally we had to find out what they were in line for. We were hoping it was candy, but it turned out to be free snacks and soda. I grabbed a Diet Coke to help me get through the night, and we also grabbed some popcorn and water bottles. But this was a Halloween party, right? It was time to get some candy!

Our first stop was the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, where they had a similar setup to the setup from MNSSHP. The Monsters were on screen and interacting with guests, but there were no set showtimes; you could just go in and out as you pleased and there was candy before and after the auditorium. We had a lot to accomplish in just a couple of hours so we chose not to sit around and just went through for candy, but as I walked past the screen, Buddy Boyle recognized my costume! He called me a Sully impersonator though. My dad trailed behind me with April, and I don’t think Buddy realized we were together because he encouraged me to look at Boo.

We left Tomorrowland and went back to the hub. The Mickey and Minnie cavalcade was about to start so we waited a few minutes for that to come by. April loves Mickey and Minnie so this was very exciting for her.

Next we went through the castle into Fantasyland to seek out more candy and things to do. My Dad saw the carousel and was immediately struck by this urge to take April on it, and asked if we could. DS decided to sit it out but it was a walk on so I said sure.

When we got onto the carousel, though, April started to freak out. I’d taken her on a carousel before, but it was the smaller one at Disney Springs which I guess was less intimidating. We tried to get her on a horse but she wasn’t having it. I could tell Dad was disappointed but I insisted we get off the ride so we wouldn’t delay it any further. I do think she’s a bit young for such a large carousel, especially since I can’t be on the horse with her.

We brushed off that stressful event and went to Pinocchio’s Village Haus for some more candy. I think Gideon and Honest John were on the balcony as we walked in. It was a quick line, but when we exited the building, we got separated for some reason. Maybe Dad and DS had to go to the bathroom? Or maybe DS got lost and Dad went to find her. Either way I sat on a bench at the building’s exit next to a sweet family with a little baby. April was very fascinated and was eager to tell them that I was her Mom, which I gotta tell you, didn’t suck too much! Lol

Once we were all reunited, we decided we wanted to go on a ride. Winnie the Pooh had a short wait so we got in the queue for that. I believe this was the first time since the pandemic that I saw the queue activities open again, so April got to play with those a bit before we got on our vehicle.

After a lovely jaunt through the Hundred Acre Wood, our bellies were rumbling for something sweet too, so we went to Pete’s Silly Sideshow for another candy stop!

By now, April had picked up on the fact that we were collecting candy, because we shouted, “Candy! Candy! Candy!” every time we saw a candy stop. So now she was shouting it too, and bouncing along in her carrier, which as you can imagine did wonders for my hips. After Pete’s, we got more candy at the nearby stop at Ariel’s grotto. April loves mermaids so I hope this meet and greet reopens soon!

I checked the time, and raced us back to the hub for the Maleficent cavalcade. I had been really eager to see this one, since I hadn’t seen Maleficent or any of the other Festival of Fantasy floats since before the pandemic. We got there just in time to see her rounding the corner and got to see some great fire breaths as well. This float is just amazing! If you’ve never seen it in person, it’s really emblematic of the magic of Disney imagineering.

We went over to the Haunted Mansion at this point because it’s just not a Halloween party if you don’t go on the Haunted Mansion? The line was pretty long so we asked about a return time and were able to get one for I think about forty minutes from that point.

While we waited, we might as well get more candy! We headed over to another stop in Frontierland. I believe it was near Splash Mountain? I know we definitely went over the bridge because when we were on our way back across it, DS’s scooter died again. But this time, Dad knew how to switch out the battery, so he did that while we watched the villains cavalcade go by.

That was the last cavalcade I’d really wanted to see (I’m not super into NBC so didn’t care about seeing that one), so we made our way over towards the Haunted Mansion. Along the way, we spied Chip and Dale up on a balcony.

I love their outfits! Chip and Dale are probably my favorite characters to meet. I can’t wait until I can hug them again.

We went back to the FP (or LL I guess) entrance for Haunted Mansion to ride and as we were waiting to talk with the CM, a lady asked him if she could get a return time, and he told her they’d finished giving them out for the evening, I think because the wait time now exceeded the remainder of the party time. She walked away, and I mentioned something along the lines of, “It’s a good thing we got one when we did!”

And the cast member turned to me and said, in what I can only assume was complete sincerity, “Wow, that was a really savage thing to say.”

It did sound really judgy from where I was standing, but at this point we were all tired and I think I just said something about not meaning it to be savage, and we all awkwardly tapped in and went into the queue, while I tried to figure out if I’d really said anything rude. Maybe something ultra-white person, but not necessarily rude, maybe? I sure hope not.

As we passed the main facade, there was a butler character talking to guests who walked by. Honestly, I could hang out all night by the HM characters. They’re so funny! It's impossible to get good pictures of them though, which only convinces me that they really must be ghosts!

The last couple of times I was on the HM with April, she acted a little spooked at some parts, so I wasn’t sure how she would do tonight, but she did fine, thankfully, so I didn’t have to feel like a bad mother on top of feeling like a rude person.

We saw the other character as we left the mansion, I wanna say she’s an opera singer? She was great.

We headed towards the park exit. The party was going to end soon and we’d done everything we set out to do. On the way, we had to take some pictures of our costumes for posterity. The Photopass lines were all really long, so we just took pictures of each other.

And yes I know it's weird that my dad and sister were Mike and Celia lol. DS just really wanted to be Celia and it felt weird to have Dad go as anyone other than Mike. But aren't those Celia ears great??? I thought they were well done for fanmade ears. She got them on Etsy.

Looking back, I’m a little bummed that we didn’t get an official picture with all of us, but we got a lot of compliments on our costumes and I’m glad we at least got these pics.

We left the park and boarded a Boardwalk bus stop. It was super late by the time we got back, and I have in my notes that April went to bed at 1, and I went to bed at 2.

So, would I recommend Boo Bash? That’s a tough question, made more difficult by the fact that as of this writing, it’s late November and there are no more Boo Bashes anyway. I know that the Christmas event is quite different so I don’t think you can compare one to the other, and I know that next year the Halloween event might be totally different. We could even get Mickey’s Not So Scary back! That would be awesome.

Overall, there’s a bit of irony in charging more for a shorter event with arguably less going on. I get that it’s an “After Hours” event and that means the number of guests is smaller, but honestly I would be willing to pay the same amount for a MNSSHP that had less people than the one I had in 2019, which was insanely crowded and one of the reasons my dad was hesitant to do this one until I told him it was lower capacity.

So the lower crowds is really the only thing that gave the party an added value. Other than that, there was nothing standout-ish compared to what you’d get at a standard party, and of course there was even less than normal. No fireworks, no real parades, no castle show, no getting to hug characters. It also felt like some of the little touches that made the party extra special to me were gone, like the classic creepy Mickey cartoons playing in the Philharmagic auditorium (although that might have been because the show was being refurbished, to be fair). Overall, besides the crowds and some free non-Halloween related treats, there was nothing included that was more than what you were getting at an earlier year’s party. So I can’t say that if it happened again next year, I would do it again. But I’m glad we tried it and got to do some Disney Halloween stuff. I also think one of the downsides is it’s harder for families with little kids to do, because it starts later so you can’t go early, hit the stuff you want, and then leave so your kids can sleep at a semi-reasonable time. Even my night owl girl was put to bed much, much later than normal.

I’ve never done a Christmas event before, but if you’ve done both events this year, let me know how they compare! I’m very curious.

Next up, a much-deserved rest day. Sort of.

 

[Verstehen]

Day 4 (Saturday, September 25), Part 1

We slept in today, and enjoyed every second of it. My notes say that I woke up around 11. I believe the rest of my family did too.

I casually got ready, and while I did I attempted to add DH to our Sci-Fi reservation for the next day just in case, as he had mentioned maybe wanting to go to the park with us last minute the next day. I wasn’t having any luck so that was stressing me out, but I figured worst case scenario we could ask at the podium. But again, I wasn’t even sure he was coming.

Speaking of DH, he was planning to come to the resort today! We chatted on the phone a bit that morning and decided that 3 would be a good time for him to come over. April was getting excited to see her daddy!

We had park passes for Epcot that day, but only Dad and I wanted to go. DS wanted to rest in the room. So we took April around 1 for a quick jaunt around World Showcase.

On our way to the Boardwalk, we peeked by the fitness center again, and were delighted to see the scented towels had returned! It was glorious. We got a couple to refresh ourselves for the day ahead. I think they were eucalyptus scented this day. Our faith in the Boardwalk was restored!

Alas, our good fortune would run out quickly, because when we got to Epcot, we discovered it was crowded AF, as the kids say. On a Saturday during Food and Wine??? Who would have guessed????

But the advantage of being a frequent visitor is that a little crowding isn’t going to bum us out. We had no particular goals for today, so there was nothing to upset. We just enjoyed the atmosphere and didn’t worry about getting anything in particular done.

We passed by Jasmine in Morocco, then we sat on a bench between Morocco and Japan to do some people watching and relax. While we were there, April decided my dad was a drum kit. Poor Dad! Though I don’t think he minded.

We continued on through World Showcase and passed actual drums in Equatorial Africa. April absolutely was in her element here, and even now when we go to Epcot she requests to play with the drums, even before she can see them.

Once she’d had her fill, we went to Norway, where Queen Anna was greeting guests! We got some great pictures here, considering the required distance.

I checked my Lines app and saw that the Mexico boat ride had a pretty short wait, so we went inside to check that out as well. After that, I was in the mood for something sweet, so we went over to Canada. Dad got in line for a popcorn refill, and I went into the theater for an apple cake.

It was very good from my recollection, but my mind was a bit distracted. It was around this time DH was texting me and asking what he’d have to do to be allowed to park, and I realized it was a fair question. I started to get nervous that he wouldn’t be allowed to park because his name wasn’t on the reservation. It had never been an issue before, but for some reason I always get concerned about this at the last second. I called DVC, who said they added him to the reservation, but when I checked MDE, I didn’t see any changes.

I was starting to get a bit nervous that getting him into the parking lot would be a whole to-do. We left Epcot and made a stop at the Boardwalk front desk so I could confirm whether or not DH had been added to the reservation.

Surprise, surprise, nothing came up on their end. But they said they could add him right then as a day guest, no problem, and they gave me a key card to give to him when he arrived. They also said that since he has the same last name as me, the guard would have let him in. I’ll just have to remember that from now on.

It was a little past the time that DH had planned to come, so he texted me an update about some errands he was running on the way. It looked like he was going to be there in about another half hour. I’d originally been planning on staying in the lobby to wait for him, but since he was still a ways away, I decided to take April up to the room for a nap while we waited.

We all chilled out in the room while we waited. My dad practiced his drums on the balcony.

And soon enough, DH texted that he was parking, so I went down and got him! Our family afternoon/evening could finally begin! That’s up next.

 

[Verstehen]

Day 4, Part 2

April woke up around 4:30 and was very happy to see her daddy. We decided the first order of business was to get some pool time in while we still had some daylight and time before we had to go to dinner.

We went down to the quiet pool and had fun playing in the water together. No pictures, so you’ll just have to trust that we were making sweet memories, lol. April gets a little nervous about the water, especially if it’s cold. I really need to get her swimming lessons as she tends to try very hard to swan dive out of our arms whenever possible. We also got some hot tub time, according to my notes.

Once we’d worked up a good appetite, we went back to the room to change for dinner.

I went down to the parking lot to get the big car that would fit all of us. I think I’ve said this before, but I haaaaaaate the Boardwalk parking lot. It’s such a hike from everything else.

The family met me at the carport and we were off for our dinner at Disney Springs! We were trying a new place tonight that was new to all of us in terms of food, though I’d been there for drinks before: Enzo’s Hideaway!

We checked in I believe a bit early or right on time, and were seated fairly quickly in a recessed booth, which was really nice because it felt like our own private spot. Since the booth was in a narrow hallway leading to the main bar and dining room, a high chair wasn’t really feasible so I asked for a booster seat. We put it down on the booth but she wasn’t going for it, so I stored it on the ledge above the corner of the booth.

I know we got the Caesar salad to start, though I didn’t get a picture. It was very good. Pricey, but a good size for all of us to have about two portions each. I know we offered some of it to April but she basically said, “What’s this green stuff? I only eat starchy carbs,” and that was that.

I believe my drink was the Luciano Spritz, judging by the color and the flavors I remember. DH and my sister shared a jug of sangria, and I’m sure my dad got some kind of beer.

For dinner, I had the Pasta de la Nonna, which was basically rigatoni with a sampling of meatballs, short rib, and sausage. It was really, really good.

I think DH got the spaghetti and meatballs and between the two of us we were able to give April a decent amount of pasta and meat.

Just looking at these pics with her beautiful romper and no tray or bib make me so nervous! She was going through a phase where the bib was hit or miss (she still kind of is, but now I only make her wear it if she’s eating something messy and that seems to help). But you’ll be relieved to know that washing the romper in cold water right when we got back to the villa did the trick, and it is stain free. It’s amazing what cold water washing can do, honestly!

I think Dad got the eggplant and I want to say that DS also got the spaghetti and meatballs, but without the chili peppers because she doesn’t like spicy food. We all agreed that it was a good meal. Dad is pretty picky about Italian, so I’m glad it worked out.

Towards the end of the meal, I unfortunately got a little too enthusiastic with my cocktail glass, and it broke! That wasn’t fun. Luckily my drink was pretty much empty at this point, but we had to quickly remove April to keep her from reaching out for the broken glass. We were able to clean it up quickly, and then paid the bill and left.

By now, Disney Springs had gotten considerably more crowded, which isn’t fun even in non-COVID times. We walked around a bit but April was getting tired and clingy.

I was interested in maybe getting some donuts from Everglazed, but the line was very long so we decided to just head back to the Boardwalk.

Not 100% sure when we got back, I’m guessing around 10. I had some homework to finish up for an assignment that was due by midnight, so I worked on that really quick while everyone else entertained April.

Once it was done, DH and I put her to bed, and my logs say she fell asleep around 11:15.

DS went to bed around that time too, but DH still wanted to hang out a bit, so the three of us remaining awake adults gathered on the balcony to chat. We determined pretty quickly that DH decided not to come to Hollywood Studios with us the next day. He was interested in seeing Rise, but not enough to buy an expensive one day ticket at that point, and he’d have to go home and then drive back in the morning since he’d left our dog in her crate, and another drive back and forth wasn’t appealing to him, which I understood. I was a little bummed, but the silver lining was that I wouldn’t have to worry about adding him to our Sci-Fi reservation (I’ve since read in a lot of Facebook groups that you’re allowed to add a person at check-in, which feels…incorrect? Like how would that work if everyone wanted to add a person to their ADR?).

The three of us sat on the balcony for a bit, looking at the view of the pool area and the Swan hotel, when suddenly, I had a thought.

“How many swans do you think could fit in one of those big swans?”

My dad and DH both looked at me, and an epic debate followed, consisting of the following points and questions:

• How big are the concrete swans? (we estimated about 10 stories tall, by maybe about that much wide)
• How big is a regular swan?
• Are we measuring them in terms of fully grown swans? Can we use baby swans to fill in the gaps?
• Would the swans be stretched out, or scrunched up? (We determined the swans could be scrunched, but not so much that they would be dead)
• What about the swan’s feet? My proposal was that you don’t count the feet since they’re not part of the statue. DH wondered what if they had been built, and they were just protruding out the top floor. And what if someone booked that room expecting a luxurious penthouse, but then they walked in and there were just two huge concrete swan feet jutting out from the ceiling.

We tried to do math to determine the answer, but we were so tired and slap-happy that it really didn’t matter. So I hope that from now on, whenever you look at the Swan hotel, you’ll think to yourself, “What about the swan foot suite?”

DH decided to head home around 1 am, and I went to bed after seeing him off. It was a lovely day overall. Our vacation was over half over, but we still had big plans ahead. Next up, our Hollywood Studios day!

 

[rdkeim]

Finally caught up! Enjoying reading about your family trip! Interesting to read how the new Halloween party went for you. I really hope they can eventually return to the parties of old. I've never been to MNSSHP but loved MVMCP. Not sure I would pay more money for a lesser experience? But, so nice you had the quality time with your Dad and sister. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Verstehen]

Finally caught up! Enjoying reading about your family trip! Interesting to read how the new Halloween party went for you. I really hope they can eventually return to the parties of old. I've never been to MNSSHP but loved MVMCP. Not sure I would pay more money for a lesser experience? But, so nice you had the quality time with your Dad and sister. Thanks for sharing!

I'm the opposite with MNSSHP and MVMCP. I always thought MNSSHP was worth it, even during the more crowded parties. I really hope they can get back to them next year!

 

[Verstehen]

Day 5 (Sunday, September 26th), Part 1

We woke up around 9 am but were in no hurry as there wasn’t a ton we wanted to do at Hollywood Studios, especially with a little one in tow. We thought about what we wanted to do for dinner and I found a table available at Big River for that evening, which I quickly snagged.

I wore my Jungle Cruise dress from the Disney Dress Shop today. Not super appropriate for a Hollywood Studios day but most of my other clothes needed a wash so whatever. It’s all Disney!

We left the room at about noon. We decided to walk from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios rather than wait for a boat. I have to say, I don’t think this was the smarter choice. It was so hot and April refused to go in her stroller so I had to put her in the sling, which I think had been twisted so it wasn’t on properly. It was hard to put her down to readjust because she would immediately throw a fit. Oh well, lesson learned…for now.

We made it to the park and immediately went to Galaxy’s Edge to get a return time for Rise. I know that now you can just get a return time in the app once you’re in the park, which is way more convenient, but we were a few weeks shy of that change. I think the line was about 90 minutes so we had some time to kill while we waited.

We decided to go to MuppetVision, as it had no wait except for the remainder of the preshow. We waited in the wheelchair area for the show to start.

April does better and better with this show every time we do it. I’m always a bit nervous because DH and I took our niece several years ago when she was about a year older than April is now, but she HATED it. She was apprehensive enough most of the way through, and then when Sweetums came out she was inconsolable and we had to leave. But April doesn’t seem bothered by it; she just doesn’t love wearing the 3D glasses for very long.

As we were leaving, we hung out in the covered back area a bit to figure out what to do next. After a few minutes, we were the only ones there save for a cast member cleaning out the bins of used glasses. I opened the Lines/Touring Plans app again and suggested we go check out the Mickey Shorts theater. The castmember, who overheard me, said something along the lines of, “Oh, that sounds like the Touring Plans app, which is the superior version of Genie.”

I kid you not. She said that. I was so amused and shocked I didn’t know what to say except, “It sure is!”

Now it’s important to note that at this point, Genie hadn’t launched yet, but already she seemed to know it would be inferior. Would it actually be? I didn’t know, and I kind of hoped not! After all, the planning portion of Genie was free, and Touring Plans isn’t (though it’s not expensive by any means) so I sure would like a free version of what I was using.

Alas, she must have been something of a prophetess, because a couple of months after Genie’s launch, it seems the results are clear: Touring Plans is WAY better than Genie. It’s more accurate, easier to use, and actually directs guests to where they want to go, as opposed to Genie, which seems to direct guests to where Disney wants them to go (go figure). I hope it improves with time, but it seems like its purpose is mainly as crowd control, rather than actually helping guests have a more productive day, which Disney has no motivation to actively help with, unless guests are paying extra $$$$ for a private tour. I know that’s cynical of me to say, but every bit of evidence suggests that it’s true.

Aaaaanyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

We passed by the Muppets fountain, and I took a picture of a detail I'd never noticed before. Some rats fishing change out of the fountain. Those jerks!

We went over to the Mickey Shorts theater to watch the cartoon, which I’d heard wasn’t really a completely new short, but a compilation of footage from other shorts with some new stuff to connect it all together. That’s basically true, but it was still cute. I may be in the minority among adult Disney fans, but I like this style of animation.

We got some pictures on our way out of the theater. Here we are admiring the Potatoland potato. It is a good potato, a kind potato.

And here we are with the cheeky panda.

I checked the app again and there was really nothing good to do next. All the attractions we wanted to experience had long waits and we couldn’t get another return time yet because we were still waiting for our Rise return time. It was about 1:30 by this point, and our lunch ADR wasn’t for another hour, but we were hungry and bored and so we wandered over to the Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater to see if they could seat us anyway. I warned my family that the chances were slim, since it was such a popular restaurant and we were arriving at peak lunch time.

We got to the podium and I asked politely, and to my surprise they said yes! The very nice CM said that it would be just a few moments. We parked the stroller and the scooter, and very soon our name was called and we headed inside.

We were placed in a car in the back and to the side of the theater, but we still had a great view. I noticed that there were large plexiglass dividers between our car and the one right next to ours. April and I sat up front, and Dad and DS sat behind us.

April wanted to sit right next to me, so we nixed the idea of a high chair and tried a booster seat, which again she wouldn’t go for, so she spent the majority of the meal standing up, which was fine by her. Here she is in her true Muffin Heeler mode, playing with silverware. She’s the flamingo queen (if you know, you know!).

It’s nigh-impossible to get good food pictures in Sci-Fi, but I ordered the buffalo chicken tenders with fries. I got a side of mac and cheese for April as well. I knew she wouldn’t eat all of it, but my sister and I were happy to help her out. I can’t remember what the back seat members of my family got, but I want to say someone got a burger and someone else got pasta? IDK, the food here is good but not super memorable. You come for the show. April also got a water cup with a straw, which inspired me to get her a straw sippy cup for home after this trip.

We finished up lunch and I double checked the MDE app. It was finally time to ride Rise!

 

[Verstehen]

Day 5, Part 2

We moseyed on over to Galaxy’s Edge. We’d actually already arranged the rider switch when we picked up the return time (they apparently prefer you to get both at the same time; not sure how it works now with you being about to get return times in the app). Dad and DS rode first. My goal while they rode was to try to get April to nap in her stroller.

Haha! What an idiot I was.

She went into her stroller without much fuss, which I foolishly took to mean that she was primed for sleep. So I wheeled her around Galaxy’s Edge, trying to be as soothing as possible. I didn’t even try the Baby Care Center this time, because it was up at the front of the park and I knew it was too small yesterday. I thought about where I could take her instead that was quiet. I knew One Man’s Dream was usually quiet, but they didn’t allow strollers in there.

April and I watch the Tim Tracker YouTube channel. I generally don’t care for vlogs, but they have a son who’s April’s age so I like to get ideas of what kinds of local activities to do with her, and she likes watching their son play, and I remembered from a recent video Tim had mentioned a spot in Hollywood Studios that’s actually pretty quiet and a good place for a rest, but is outside. It’s the alley that was once (or is still?) Municiberg, where the Incredibles characters used to do meet and greets back when that was a thing. You’ll find it just before the entrance to Toy Story Land, when you’re coming from the front of the park.

I went over there, and there were indeed very few people there, including another family trying to rock their baby to sleep. I guess the word is out!

I pushed April in a loop around the alley, too many times to count. I must have looked like an idiot, but I didn’t care. She kept looking sleepier and sleepier, but she never fully fell asleep. At some point, I took a picture of these cute Jack-Jacks.

I tried and tried to get her to sleep, but she just couldn’t commit. Finally, after about half an hour, I got a text from my sister that they were done with Galaxy’s Edge and they wanted to know where I was. I didn’t think I could give good directions, so I told them to just stay near the ride exit and I would meet them there.

I abandoned my strategy and went back to Galaxy’s Edge. April still wasn’t asleep. Why did I think this would work? I was mostly feeling guilty that we were pushing her wake window so hard.

DS had liked Rise so much that she wanted to ride again, which surprised me! I thought it would be a bit rough for her. Since Rider Swap allows you to bring one person to accompany the parent who waited, she went with me, and I handed the stroller off to Dad. I asked him to text me if April fell asleep and just try to keep her moving. I also asked him to pick us up a return time for Runaway Railway. He asked where it was. I tried to give him directions, but I am overall terrible at giving directions, and he is terrible at following directions, so in the end I told him it was in the Chinese Theater, and if he got lost just ask a cast member.

We hadn’t added DS to my rider swap since everyone, including her, had assumed she wouldn’t want to ride twice, but they didn’t give us any issues about her tapping in after me. She stayed in her scooter and asked me to help her make sure she could stay in it as long as possible, because she felt she would have an easier time if she didn’t have to walk much.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR RISE OF THE RESISTANCE AHEAD, IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T RIDDEN IT AND DON’T WANT IT SPOILED

We were in the first pre-show area fairly quickly, and then we were loaded into the shuttle. The last time I rode Rise, every party had to stand in a specific spot both in the preshow and in the shuttle, but now it was pretty much a free-for-all.

When we arrived at the First Order base, where again we did not have to stand on a specific circle, a First Order officer approached us and said, “Resistance scum, are you comfortable transferring out of your mobility device and walking a short distance? It’s okay if you’re not.”

I had to keep myself from laughing, because that’s probably the funniest thing a CM has ever said to me at a Disney park. My sister, I think, wasn’t 100% sure what was being asked of her, so I quickly got over my amusement and said that she could go into the ride vehicle, but that she preferred to be in her scooter as long as possible.

He replied, “Very good. Come with me.”

We followed him into the next room and were directed to a circle, and told to wait there. We had a short wait before we were brought into the interrogation room (way shorter than the last time I waited, if you’ve read my last TR), and then after being unsuccessfully interrogated by Kylo Ren, we were rescued by the Resistance (wow, what a whirlwind of a day!), and taken to our ride vehicles. DS was able to stay in her scooter right up until boarding, which she said made the experience a lot more pleasant for her.

The ride was as great as I remembered. I can’t wait to take April when she’s big enough. I was a bit worried about how the jerky movements would affect DS, but she said she had a great time, and that she liked it even more than the first time with Dad, because she kept her Loungefly backpack on, and she felt like that insulated her from the bumpier moments.

SPOILERS END!

We finished the ride and met up with Dad, who was near the popcorn stand in front of Runaway Railway. I asked if April had slept and he said no, but of course the moment she saw me she wanted out of her stroller. By now it was already time to tap in for MMRR. I could tell April really needed a nap, but DS had never ridden MMRR and she and Dad didn’t want to stay in the park without me. I figured it was just one quick ride, so we got on and had a good time. It was my first time getting to see the pre-show, since it hadn’t been turned on last year, so that was cool to see.

I know this ride has gotten a lot of hate, and even though I miss the Great Movie Ride, I do like this one a lot. I think it uses some new technology in interesting ways. Could it be better? Sure, but I’m hard pressed to think of anything like it at Disney World, and to me that makes it special.

After MMRR, there was only one ride left in all the park that my family wanted to do: Toy Story Mania. Now, it was pretty clear by now that April was tired, but it was just one ride with a pretty low wait (I think around 20 minutes posted), so we decided to slog over there.

The wait ended up being not too bad. I think we spent most of our queuing time waiting to board after we got our 3D glasses.

Then we rode!

I got a decent score. April did surprisingly poorly.

Dad and Sis did alright. Actually, I think Dad got best in vehicle!

Now, finally, it was time to head back to Boardwalk. At this point it was just after 5 pm and April could not have been crankier if she tried. I tried putting her in the stroller again but this time she was not having it. She screamed and wailed and thrashed about and I could tell everyone we passed was staring at us. I held out hope that she would pass out but it was not to be. Finally, sometime right before or after the park exit, I relented and put her in the carrier. Being close to me seemed to help, and she calmed down very quickly.

Up next, the rest of our day!

 

[rdkeim]

You got a lot accomplished in HS even with a toddler in tow. Trying for a nap in a park must be very stressful! Nice your DS got to ride Rise twice. I've only been on it once and I was kind of overwhelmed by what was going on around me I definitely need to ride it again. Hope the rest of your day went well!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

following!

what kinda carrier do you use for April? My son just turned 1 and is 25 lbs. Baby-wearing was a lifesaver on our trips so far but I’m not sure my back can handle it anymore with him at this size lol

 

[Verstehen]

You got a lot accomplished in HS even with a toddler in tow. Trying for a nap in a park must be very stressful! Nice your DS got to ride Rise twice. I've only been on it once and I was kind of overwhelmed by what was going on around me I definitely need to ride it again. Hope the rest of your day went well!

I do think we were able to accomplish a lot, but at what cost???? lol

following!

what kinda carrier do you use for April? My son just turned 1 and is 25 lbs. Baby-wearing was a lifesaver on our trips so far but I’m not sure my back can handle it anymore with him at this size lol

Welcome! I use a ring sling. April isn't always willing to walk or be in her stroller so I need to baby wear or my arms would fall off from carrying her. I like ring slings because they're easy to use and don't need to be adjusted for each wearer (like with buckles and such). It'll work until she's about 35 or 40 pounds. At the time of the trip I was using a sling I got from a store called Studio Tekhni but I have since lost that sling and got another one from a company called Nalakai which sells on Amazon.

 

[Verstehen]

Day 5, Part 3

A boat was pulling away just as we exited the park, and we didn’t see another one on the horizon, so we decided to walk back to Boardwalk. It was just as miserable as the morning walk, and I think from now on we will always take a boat. But the advantage was that the walking movement calmed April down a lot, and soon enough she had fallen asleep in her carrier.

It was a stressful end to our park day, but now we could just relax. We made it back to the villa, and I was for once grateful that our room was so close to Hollywood Studios, because it meant a slightly shorter walk. But with the scooter my sister would still have to take the path between the pools over to the elevator. Dad went with her and I took the stairs right up to the room and put April down for a nap. Luckily, she stayed asleep. Poor baby.

We had a quiet afternoon. DS and I really hadn’t gotten to spend much time together on this trip. Normally, we like to get away for an afternoon and do something like the tea room at the Grand Floridian. But since that wasn’t in the cards this trip, we decided to just go to the pool instead, so Dad hung out in the room while we did that. It was really nice to take some time to reconnect; she and I aren’t very close normally, but I love her a lot and value our bonding time. We spent our time in the quiet pool and hot tub. It was very lovely.

After awhile we went back up to the room. I have in my notes that April woke up around this time, and I’m not sure if she woke up before we got back upstairs, but either way, she was up now. So I took her back down to the pool area for some playtime before dinner.

We went and checked out the kiddie pool next to the main pool area. I was a bit disappointed that Boardwalk didn’t have a splash pad area; for some reason I assumed they had put one in when they refurbished the slide recently. Instead, there’s just a shallow kiddie pool, which definitely looks a bit dated. Hopefully they will install a splash area soon, because a kiddie pool is nice, but there’s just not much to do. It’s cool for little kids to have other options for playtime in the water.

Dad went to do some laps in the main pool while April and I played in the water. We made friends with a little girl who was a bit older than her, but she and her family left soon after, and then my Dad came and took some sweet pictures of us.

The water was warm and April got used to it quickly. It was nice but like I said, I do hope a themed splash area is forthcoming!

Then it was time for dinner. We went back to the room for a quick change and then headed back down to the Boardwalk to check into Big River.

I think that Big River is one of those hidden gems of Disney dining. It’s pretty easy to get a table here and if you’re staying at the Boardwalk or one of the other Epcot resorts it’s very conveniently located. It’s also one of the few Disney property restaurants that takes reservations on Open Table. The menu is decent and well priced, and it also has outdoor seating options, which we requested when we checked in. We waited a few minutes at a bench by the water for our table to be ready, but soon received a text telling us to go back to the podium to be seated.

If you’re not aware, Big River Grille is a microbrewery so they have several beers on tap which rotate. I can’t remember which one my Dad ordered but you won’t be surprised to hear that while he liked it, it probably wasn’t dark enough.

I tried a pineapple mojito and I think my sister also got that, or maybe just the regular mojito. She likes to indulge in alcohol on occasion but doesn’t like anything too strong so something like a mojito is perfect for her.

We’d worked up a big appetite since lunch had been ages ago, so we ordered the jalapeno-spinach cheese dip to share. As soon as it came out, April eagerly reached for the tortilla chips, and I was reluctant to let her have any since they’re so hard, but my dad convinced me to let her try one. To my surprise, she ate it safely and loved it! I guess it softens quickly when she ate it. She even liked it with a bit of dip on it, and it did have a kick to it!

I can’t remember what everyone else had for their mains, but I got the classic mac n’ chicken to share with April. It was basically mac and cheese with bits of grilled chicken. Simple, but filling and delicious. I shared it with April, who loved the mac, not so much the chicken.

Overall, it was a great, relaxing meal and nice to be able to enjoy the weather while we ate. We were right by a window and April made friends with a lady at an inside table who enjoyed playing peekaboo with her, which was just about the cutest thing ever.

When we finished our meal, we took the time to walk around the Boardwalk a bit, but there wasn’t much to do or see since the live entertainers had not returned (but I know they since have, which makes me very happy!). So we ended up back in our room soon after. April needed to practice her drumming before bed.

https://imgur.com/2RTNpri

Then Dad needed a picture of April in her pj's to send to his girlfriend because I guess she loves unicorns? lol

After, Dad and I sat on the balcony a bit. I think this was the night I finally played some music from a Nemo’s Dreamscape video. This is a YouTube channel I’ve really come to love over the past year. It’s a series of videos that play old music from the beginning of the 20th century (in other words, public domain music and the perfect music for the Boardwalk) with various sound overlays depending on what mood you want. For example, some have rain or thunder sounds, some play the low hum of an airplane, etc. I found one that plays the music with the sound of waves crashing, to give you the idea that you’re listening to an old record player at night by the sea. I thought this was the perfect video to play as I decompressed from the day on my Boardwalk balcony.

I can’t remember what my dad and I talked about, but I do remember that it was very chill and that at one point, a beautiful golden-colored owl flew out from a tree in view of our balcony and over the rooftops. I know not everyone wants a balcony when they go to Disney. I know for many families, the room is just the place to crash at the end of the day. But for me, moments like this, with and without the owl, are the cornerstone of my vacations. Especially being a local, if I want to just sleep, I can just go home. When I do overnight stays, I like that I’m able to immerse myself in this other world that’s really just a few miles away.

It was a very sweet and beautiful note to end the day on, and soon enough I went off to bed. Tomorrow was our last full day, and we still had a lot we wanted to try to do.

 

[rdkeim]

What a nice dinner and beautiful end to your day!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Welcome! I use a ring sling. April isn't always willing to walk or be in her stroller so I need to baby wear or my arms would fall off from carrying her. I like ring slings because they're easy to use and don't need to be adjusted for each wearer (like with buckles and such). It'll work until she's about 35 or 40 pounds. At the time of the trip I was using a sling I got from a store called Studio Tekhni but I have since lost that sling and got another one from a company called Nalakai which sells on Amazon.

thank you! I’ll have to try it. Robert isn’t walking yet and recently protests the stroller like it’s his job so baby wearing is gonna continue to be a necessity for us too.

 

[Verstehen]

Sorry it's been awhile since my last update! Work has gotten very busy and DH and I are in the process of buying a house! So life in general has been crazy but I hope to get a real update going here soon.

What a nice dinner and beautiful end to your day!

It was!

thank you! I’ll have to try it. Robert isn’t walking yet and recently protests the stroller like it’s his job so baby wearing is gonna continue to be a necessity for us too.

I hope it works out! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Hubie]

The Big River Grille is our favorite option when we arrive to WDW late in the day or early evening and we're anywhere near the BW. The beer selection isn't huge, but you can usually find one that's worthwhile. They have great burgers, and I also really like their Chicken Mac & Cheese option. Sounds like you had a neat and relaxing evening on your balcony, especially seeing that owl.

 

[Woth2982]

Sorry it's been awhile since my last update! Work has gotten very busy and DH and I are in the process of buying a house! So life in general has been crazy but I hope to get a real update going here soon.

Congrats! That is so exciting and SUCH a process! I joke my next home is the cemetery! Best of luck to you and DH!

 

[Verstehen]

The Big River Grille is our favorite option when we arrive to WDW late in the day or early evening and we're anywhere near the BW. The beer selection isn't huge, but you can usually find one that's worthwhile. They have great burgers, and I also really like their Chicken Mac & Cheese option. Sounds like you had a neat and relaxing evening on your balcony, especially seeing that owl.

It was definitely one of the best nights of the trip!

Congrats! That is so exciting and SUCH a process! I joke my next home is the cemetery! Best of luck to you and DH!

Thanks!

 

[Verstehen]

Hi everyone! Sorry again for being MIA. We closed on our house a little over a week ago and it's been a whirlwind from start to finish. We are in the process of moving and will be out of our current house in a couple of weeks. We are only moving two miles up the road but obviously moving houses is a big endeavor no matter the distance. Still, we are very excited to be able to call the house our own!

I have a trip coming up in May, so I'd like to try to get this wrapped up soon so I can focus on that trip and tell you all about it!

Day 6, Part 1

I woke up around 8:30 and got ready for our final park day. A beautiful morning at the Boardwalk!

For my outfit, I decided to wear the same shirt that I’d worn for our Disney Springs evening, my new Trader Sam’s shirt from Park Candy (I had washed it since then, don’t worry!). It was so insanely comfortable and cute. DH had teased me saying that I would be mistaken for a CM, but I never had that problem. I do think it looks similar to the shirt that Trader Sam’s CMs wear, but it was just never an issue, maybe because I was always very obviously lugging a small child with me.

April woke up at about 9:45 and my goal was for us to leave for the park as quickly as possible after she woke up. We left the hotel room at about 10:15 so I’d say I met that goal! According to my notes, we arrived at about 10:45.

Our goal today was to have as much fun as possible until we had to return to the Boardwalk for nap time. There were a few attractions we definitely wanted to do, but for the most part we were flexible. We went through the gates just in time to see the Dapper Dans cavalcade come by. I love them and am so glad they’re still performing!

Buzz Lightyear was one of the rides we really wanted to do, and it had a fairly long wait, so we went over to Tomorrowland to get a return time (have I mentioned how happy I am that you can now get DAS return times via the app? Because I am very happy). On our way over, I snagged a pic of the Stitch statue.

We were also really determined to do the Carousel of Progress this trip, because it’s both one of my and my sister’s favorite attractions, so we headed straight over there from Buzz. We were among the first in the holding area and stood patiently in front of the doors to await our turn. Then the theater started to move, and we knew that meant we were just about to be let inside.

Until a father and his young son suddenly opened the exit door, was stunned to see the area outside him moving, and quickly closed the door and went back inside. I’m pretty sure he and I made stunned eye contact in the few seconds that door was open.

Of course, the whole theater stopped moving immediately, and the CM’s scrambled to figure out what to do. After a few minutes of waiting, it was clear they wouldn’t be able to restart the carousel any time soon, so we decided to cut our losses and head over to the Peoplemover, which had a fairly short and quick line. I hadn’t ridden this one since before the pandemic so I was excited! It was just as lovely as I remembered. I want to say this is an underrated attraction but the long lines that were there the day it reopened tell a different story. I’m just glad it’s back.

The CoP was back up and running when we exited, so we went over to enjoy the show. April especially loved seeing the doggy in every scene, as she always does.

Then we rode Buzz Lightyear. I did pretty well, but didn’t get Galactic Hero. Usually the ride needs to stop for me to achieve that level.

Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor had recently returned as well, so we went into that. I don’t remember any standout performances, but it was just nice to see it in action.

We decided to head for the other end of the park at this point, and made our way across the hub in time to see a Pooh character cavalcade! Great timing. I swear the characters are out more often now with the distancing in place.

We wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise since none of us had done that in awhile. I think I hadn’t been on it since before April was born, since the day we were at MK when she was only a few weeks old, right before the pandemic, that was the day one of the boats sank. It was definitely time to go back! We went down and got a return time, but while we waited it was time to get some snacks.

I had noticed a sign at the Citrus Swirl stand that they were also selling potstickers, which happens to be one of April’s favorite foods. We found a table in the shaded area near the Adventureland gift shop, and I put in a mobile order for the potstickers plus a soft serve citrus swirl for me, and an orange Dole Whip with the Orange Bird sipper for DS.

We enjoyed our midday treat. I felt bad that Dad couldn’t have any of the potstickers because they have pork in them, but he claimed he wasn’t very hungry. April enjoyed both the potstickers and some of my ice cream.

We still had some time before our Jungle Cruise wait ended, so we went over to one of April’s favorite attractions, the Tiki Room!

She will not stop asking us to play the songs on our Alexa and the show itself on our TV at home. So the live version is always a big hit for her. She likes any music that she can dance to. We had a bit of a wait in the preshow area, where Dad bonded with April over some selfies.

Then we headed in and enjoyed the show and the air conditioning.

After that it was finally time to head over to the Jungle Cruise. I don’t know that April had a super special awesome time here. It’s hard to see the animals when you’re small and of course she didn’t get any of the jokes yet. But I think overall it was a fine ride around the rivers of the world.

At this point we’d been at MK for about four hours, which was the maximum I wanted to spend in order to have a naptime at a decent hour. We were all satisfied with what we’d accomplished in a short amount of time, so we headed back to the front of the park and to the Boardwalk bus stop.

Up next, our afternoon at Boardwalk, and evening at Epcot!

 

[rdkeim]

Sounds like a good morning in MK! That was an odd thing to see at COP. It's one of my favorite attractions but I wish they'd give it some love. I also love the People Mover - sometimes the non-exciting rides are the most fun. We're taking our young grandsons (3 and 5) in March for the first time. Hoping for reasonable crowds but it's not looking good. Hope the rest of your last day was good!