Trip Report: Covid Tests (Day 7, Part 1 | November 2020)

 Today was Covid test day. We have to get a test in Florida before returning to New York. I rented a car so we could get off property-there was a testing site very close to Animal Kingdom. You could take rideshare but I felt uncomfortable doing that. I was 99% sure we weren’t sick, but I didn’t want to make the driver feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

We got our rental car from the location on property. There was a shuttle picking us up at the hotel at 8:45 AM. The shuttle driver was very chatty and friendly. The car we got was a Hyundai Accent. And it had NY plates, because we can’t escape!

It took us about an hour to get our test. There was a pretty long line, but it moved pretty fast. Today they switched over to Rapid tests. We were a little worried about a false positive, but what are you going to do? 

We stopped at Walmart before returning our car. Dad wanted to break a 20 for tips and we were waiting for our test results. They were negative! After returning our car, the same nice shuttle driver took us to Epcot. The park was just opening when we got there. The later opening time was very convenient for us. We purposely schedule Epcot on test day for this reason.

Up Next: The Donut Box 

Trip Report: Cavalcade Surprises (Day 6, Part 4 | November 2020)

 After lunch we stopped in to watch the animated short which was “Vacation Fun.” When we came out a cavalcade came by. THis was a nice surprise because we thought the rain would keep them away all day. And this one had Santa!

Then, we walked through One Man’s Dream. It’s always nice to see all the displays. The original movie about Walt was playing which made me happy. I don’t remember the last time we got to see that. I think it’s important for people to learn about Walt and remember he’s a real person. 

Next we got in line for Slinky Dog Dash. I really like Toy Story Land at night. We ended up waiting about 50 minutes, but we didn’t mind. I was brave and kept my eyes open the whole time!

We stopped into Muppet Vision 3D glasses. Fortunately, we’ve seen this countless times he didn’t miss very much.

There was still some time to kill before our late dinner reservations. We walked down Sunset Boulevard so I could take some pictures. This is another place I think is beautiful at night. 

There were projections on Tower of Terror which I loved being able to see Christmas is my favorite time of the year and these projections are part of why.

On our way to Sci-Fi we saw another Cavalcade! I’m so happy we got to see characters today.

We haven’t eaten at Sci-Fi since I was a kid. I like the atmosphere and the food was good, but I got way too much. I would eat here again, but it isn’t a must do.

The park closed at 7 and we left the restaurant a little after 8. So, we got to walk through a mostly empty park. A bus was waiting for us when we got to the bus stop. Second night in a row!

Good night!

Steps Walked: 20,013

Trip Report: Victory! (Day 6, Part 3 | November 2020)

 It was still raining sporadically as predicted. We headed to Toy Story Land since it’s right next to Galaxy’s Edge. We did Midway Mania which is always a fun time. I beat my dad which makes it even more fun! We were going to ride again because it looked like a short line. In reality there was a weird gap in the line by the entrance. A woman yelled at us for cutting the line so we peaced out.

Instead we got in line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway-another attraction we haven’t been able to enjoy yet. The line ended up being about 45 minutes, but it was totally worth it. The rain kept coming and going which was annoying since most of the extended queue was outside with no cover. As much as I loved this and would recommend it, I can’t wait to do it with the actual pre-show.

Then, we headed to Star Tours. I really enjoy this, but as I get older, it makes me a little nauseous every time. I’m not sure I can ride it two times in a row anymore. We shopped in the gift shop. My nephew likes Baby Yoda so we wanted to get him some Star Wars stuff for Christmas.

Because it’s apparently our thing to do something Star Wars and then something Toy Story, we were off to Toy Story Land again. We rode Midway Mania two more times. I’m definitely liking this reduced capacity with no FastPass thing. Of course, I won again-both times.

My victory made me hungry so we got lunch at the ABC Commissary. I’m not sure we’ve actually eaten here before. It was good, but nothing special. I got another kid’s meal-grilled cheese this time.

Up Next: Cavalcade Surprise

Other Disney Transportation

 I’m wrapping up my series on transportation options at Walt Disney World. These are some other forms of transportation available to you.

First, is a car. You can drive your own car or rent a car. There’s even a rental location on Disney property near the Speedway. We’ve rented a car twice here so we could get Covid tests before returning to New York. Having your own vehicle can give you control, but you will have to keep in mind the cost of parking. At the parks you may have to park farther away from the entrance than the Disney transportation would drop you off. This is especially bad at Magic Kingdom.

Another car option is an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Of course you can use this for all your transportation needs, but that can add up. A lot of people use this to travel from the airport to Disney property. It can also be great if you would have to take multiple forms of Disney transportation to get somewhere.

Then, there’s Minnie Vans. They actually don’t exist right now, but there’s rumors it will be returning. It was a Disney-run transportation method that costs money. It’s similar to Uber and Lyft-you even ordered your car through the Lyft app. The vehicles were red SUVs with white polka dots (hence the name) and were driven by Disney CastMembers. They were a little pricey, but I always thought it was worth it everytime I used it. I definitely hope it comes back.

The final option may not seem like a transportation option, but I consider it one. And that is walking. You can’t walk everywhere, but can get to certain places. You can walk to the Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian. Since you can walk from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian, you can also get to the Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian. It’s a longer walk but an option for you. There’s also a walkway from Hollywood Studios to Epcot. Other stops on this walk include Yacht and Beach Club and the Boardwalk. The last place you can walk is between Disney Springs and Saratoga Springs.

Also did a video talking about this if you want to check it out: 

Trip Report: Rise of the Resistance (Day 6, Part 2 | November 2020)

 Hollywood Studios was scheduled to open at 10 AM and we got there around 9:40. Our boarding group was called right after we walked in the gate so we were off to Galaxy’s Edge. 

We walked right on. It was kind of stressful because they rushed us through. It definitely contributed to the whole feel of the ride. I also tried to limit the photos and videos so I could really enjoy the appearance.

It was a really good attraction. There are so many steps which I liked because it keeps you moving and makes it feel like a very immersive experience. The First Order CMs were so committed and kind of scared me.

When we finished helping the resistance the line for Smuggler’s Run was only a 15 minute posted wait so we got in line. As we were walking in the outdoor extended queue, a couple got engaged in front of the Falcon. He was shaking trying to put the ring on her finger. It was very cute. Congrats to them! They were still only putting one party in at a time so we got to be pilots. That was fun because we hadn’t had that opportunity yet. 

The line was really long when we got out so I guess we made a good call to ride when we did.

Up Next: Victory!