Disney World 2020 - Part 4

On Thursday morning, we woke up very early and very excited for our day in Hollywood Studios. We needed to get our boarding pass for the new and uber-popular Star Wars attraction, Rise of the Resistance. I was nervous about this because I had heard that it can be difficult to secure a boarding pass for this ride. At 6:59 a.m., Morgan and I pulled up the Disney World app on our phones (the kids were still fast asleep), so we could hit the "refresh" button at 7 a.m. on the dot. Somehow - thankfully! - we managed to book a boarding group for about midday, which meant that our chances of getting to ride RotR were pretty good. Morgan is a huge Star Wars nerd, so getting to ride this attraction was at the tip top of his list. 

With a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance secured, we woke our snoozing kids and got ready to catch the sky buckets from our resort to Hollywood Studios! I will say that the sky bucket lines for Hollywood Studios were LONG...

Thankfully, we still managed to arrive early!

I LOVED the retro Christmas decorations! Even the music they played fit that retro vibe, jazzy Christmas numbers from the 1940's and 50's. The whole atmosphere really transports you to Golden-Age Hollywood. I was way into it. The last time I visited this park, it was called MGM Studios, so things looked very different. In a good way.

First up, we rode Hollywood Studio's newest attraction, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. This ride, which is inside the Chinese theater, usually has a pretty long wait since it is still such a novelty. But since we got to the park so early, we were able to move through the line quickly. We all adored this ride. It is very cute and actually really fun.

Look whose prints we found in front of the Chinese Theater!

After Runaway Railway, we headed down Sunset Boulevard for Tower of Terror! I had never been on this attraction, which is themed to the Twilight Zone. I have to say: even though I have never liked rides with sudden drops, I loved everything about Tower of Terror. The theming was incredibly detailed, and you really feel like you are a part of the story, which is exactly what a Disney attraction should accomplish. I thought it was perfect.

Lucy and Alice liked it as well, although I think Alice thought it was a little scary. But she still went back for a second ride!

After Tower of Terror, Morgan took the girls on Star Tours. I was not eager to ride another simulator attraction, so I kept Esme company outside. While we were waiting, enjoying a churro, a mini parade of Pixar characters walked and / or drove by. We spotted Woody, Buzz, and Jessie from Toy Story, along with the green army men, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, and Edna Mode. It was super cute, and Esme loved it.

Echo Lake was all decked out for Christmas...

Even Gertie the dinosaur was wearing a Santa hat!

I love Alice's pose in this picture!

For lunch, I had made a reservation for a character meal at Hollywood and Vine. This was one of the few restaurants offering a meal with characters at the time. Because Esme is a huge fan of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto, I knew that we had to do at least one character meal while we were in Disney World.

 Trying to get a picture of my kids is near impossible.

Here we are, doing our best.

Goofy! Look at Esme's sweet wave!

Pluto! 

The characters could not come up to our table or hug the kids, but it was fun to get to see them and interact with them. Esme was beside herself.

She was literally speechless when she saw Mickey Mouse.

So much joy!

Ice cream sundaes!

I have heard that ordinarily, this restaurant is a buffet and not very good. Due to the pandemic, it was a regular sit-down meal instead of a buffet. I thought the food was delicious. I had a Caesar salad for my appetizer. I can't remember what I ate for my entre, but I know I liked it. The kids had ice cream sundaes for dessert, and the grownups had a variety of cream pies - chocolate, banana, and coconut, I believe. 

 After lunch, it was time for us to rush to Galaxy's Edge (Star Wars Land) to ride Rise of the Resistance! 

Galaxy's Edge was so impressive! I really felt like I was in a galaxy far, far away...

This is the marketplace area. We did not have much time to 

 explore, because we needed to board the attraction.

Rise of the Resistance was amazing!!!! I won't even try to describe it because I can't. (Esme was too little to ride it, so I hung out with her while Morgan took the older girls.)

After Rise of the Resistance, we watched the Muppet Vision 3D show, which is one of the things I remember from my childhood. It was just as charming and funny as I remember. Then, we made our way over to Toy Story Land.

This land is also very immersive. The idea is that you "shrink" down to the size of a toy, and everything in this land looks like it was built by a child out of blocks and Tinker Toys.

We immediately hopped in line for Slinky Dog Dash, which is a roller coaster. Lucy and Alice really enjoyed this ride. 

It was getting pretty late by the time we got off Slinky Dog, so we went to restaurant called Baseline Tap House for some beer and a quick bite to eat. We enjoyed this place because of the outdoor seating, and the food, even though it was mostly appetizers, was pretty good as well. We got a cheese and charcuterie board and some soft pretzels. Since we were still full from our big lunch at Hollywood and Vine, this was a perfect light dinner.

For our last ride of the night, we wanted to ride Rockin' Rollercoaster. This attraction has the highest height requirement of any current Disney World attraction, and we were not sure if Lucy would actually be able to ride. Lucy, who is a roller coaster addict, really really wanted to ride this one. We decided to take a risk and hopped in line. When they measured her, we held our breath. They let her on! She was SO excited. This was her first ever upside-down coaster. She got to ride it twice.

Finally, the park was closing, and we had to call it a night. Even though we were exhausted, I think we were all sad to leave Hollywood Studios.

Hollywood Studios Day

New Experiences: Even though I had visited this park back when it was MGM Studios, I had a lot of new experiences! The park has changed so much. We got to visit two brand new lands (Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land), ride brand new attractions (Ride of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway), and eat at new-to-us restaurants (Hollywood and Vine and Baseline Tap House). Basically, the only things we did that were not new to us were Muppet Vision and Star Tours. And everything was new to the girls because they have never visited Hollywood Studios before.

Things we had to skip: Of all the parks we visited, this was the park I felt like I wanted to spend more time in. We did not get to do a LOT of things we wanted to do because there just wasn't enough time. We didn't ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run in Galaxy's Edge or Midway Mania in Toy Story Land. 

Woody's Lunchbox, a quick service restaurant that I have always wanted to eat at because the food looks so yummy, was closed while we were there, so we didn't get to try the gourmet Pop Tarts. 

Also, there were not many shows running while we were there because of the pandemic. I used to love the Beauty and the Beast show when I was a kid, and believe it or not, that show is still around! (At least, it was until the pandemic hit.) Even if the shows had been running, I don't think we would have had enough time to see them. There is just so much to do in Hollywood Studios, and one day is not enough time.

Things we wish we'd skipped: We loved everything about this park.

Favorite Treats: There are so many things I wanted to try at this park - the Lunch Box Tarts at Woody's Lunch Box, the Ronto Wrap and Blue Milk in Galaxy's Edge, cocktails at the Brown Derby Lounge, friend chicken and the PBJ milkshakes at 50's Primetime Café... Sadly, the only "treat" I had were some churros from a churro cart. They were good but not memorable.  

Favorite Attraction: Rise of the Resistance is definitely the winner, no contest. But I really enjoyed Tower of Terror as well. Lucy loved Rockin' Rollercoaster, and Alice liked Slinky Dog Dash. Esme's favorite was Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Memorable Moment: Letting the kids meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy was pretty special. Esme especially was so excited to see them, and she still talks about it at least once every day. 

Also, while we were on Rise of the Resistance, I did not realize that the Disney World cast members who work on that attraction are actually in character the whole time. While we were waiting to board part of the ride, one of the cast members, who was dressed as an imperial commander, started to interrogate me about the rebellion, and I just lost it. He stayed in character and told me that I would "pay for my insubordination". Lucy thought this was hilarious, but I think Alice was actually worried. 

Disney World 2020 - Part 3

The next day, we got up and headed for Animal Kingdom! This was a big day of firsts for most of us. Even though Morgan had been to Animal Kingdom before, the girls and I had not. I was so excited to visit this park, and it surpassed my expectations...

Animal Kingdom was also decorated for Christmas, although the Christmas decorations here were a lot more understated.

The Tree of Life, which is in the center of the park, really is so impressive in person. I wish we had had time to get a closer look at it, but we were excited to ride some rides. Rather than following the crowds to Pandora, we went the opposite direction, towards Dinoland...

Even though character meet-and-greets were canceled due to the pandemic, characters were everywhere. On our way to Dinoland, we spotted Donald, Daisy, and Launchpad McQuack (from the Disney Channel cartoons of my childhood) cruising around on a boat!

Our first ride of the day was Dinosaur. I had heard this ride was a little intense, and it lived up to its reputation. There were lights flashing and dinosaurs popping out at us... I'm surprised my kids wanted to ride it a second time! But they did.

Next we hopped on Tricertop Spin, which is like the Dumbo ride in Magic Kingdom, but with dinosaurs instead of elephants. Esme was a fan.

Next up was a roller coaster - Expedition Everest. This is the ride I was most excited about, and it is definitely one of my new favorites. The theming is incredible, and it is thrilling without being too scary. Lucy and Alice were huge fans as well.

After our quick journey up Mt. Everest, we decided to head to Africa for a little safari. I did not realize how close we would be able to get to the animals! Esme especially loved this attraction.

Esme loved seeing the "el-fonts".

After our safari, we had a quick snack break. Some of us had a giant Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll, and some of us had Dole Whip treats. After our snack break, we headed to the land of Pandora (which is based on the Avatar film). I still don't really understand why this land exists or what it has to do with animals, but I have to admit, it was really cool to look at...

There were these massive floating islands and waterfalls and beautiful, exotic plants growing everywhere (some were real and some were imaginary and only looked real). 

Like this one... real or imaginary?

It really did feel like we were on another planet, or in some sort of fantasy world...

We rode Flight of Passage, which is probably the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom. It was sort of a simulator ride (similar to Soarin' in Epcot), and it made me feel so motion-sick. I did not enjoy it at all, but I can see why it is so popular. The rest of my family really enjoyed it, especially Lucy. 

After riding Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, we grabbed some lunch in Pandora at Satu'li Canteen. We loved this quick service restaurant. The atmosphere was awesome (we sat outside with a nice view of Pandora), and the food was even better. The food offerings at Satu'li Canteen were mostly build-your-own bowls, similar to a Chipotle. But my favorite eats here were the cheeseburger pods. I am still dreaming about them.

After lunch, we went back to India. Morgan and the older girls went on a water ride called Kali River Rapids. Meanwhile, Esme decided to have a massive diaper blowout, and I spent about half an hour in the restroom with her. Thankfully, I had packed her a change of clothes. After the rest of the family got off Kali River Rapids (a little wet but not soaked), we walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek, which is a walking path with zoo-quality wildlife exhibits. We saw all sorts of animals, including the beautiful tigers. Then it was back to Expedition Everest for a second ride!

We finished our time in Animal Kingdom with cocktails (mocktails for the girls) at Nomad Lounge. We loved this place so much. It was so relaxing and quiet; we were the only people there. And the cocktails were delicious.

After we left Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge resort to have dinner at Sanaa. I was super excited to try this restaurant. I had heard really good things about the food, especially the naan bread and dipping sauces. The food definitely lived up to the hype. I had the butter chicken, and we also tried the bread service for our appetizer. The only problem with this restaurant is that we attempted to dine here after a long day at the park. The kids were tired and grumpy. They were not on their best behavior, which made the grownups tired and grumpy. And, because of Daylight Savings time, it was dark by the time we sat down to dinner at 6 p.m., which means that we did not get to enjoy the beautiful views of the animals - zebras, giraffes, and gemsbok. But I learned some valuable Disney lessons. Next time we want to eat here, we will go for lunch. Or without the kids.

Here is Esme passed out after our long day at Animal Kingdom. We all looked like this a few minutes later.

Animal Kingdom Day

New Experiences: The day was full of new experiences for most of us! Morgan had been to Animal Kingdom before, but the rest of us were first-timers.

Things we had to skip: Because of the pandemic, one of the things I most wanted to see at Animal Kingdom was not open - the Festival of the Lion King Show. We will have to catch it next time!

Things we wish we'd skipped: As I mentioned above, I would probably have skipped dinner with our tired kiddos at Sanaa - especially after it was too dark to see the animals. Even though the food was incredible, I would consider it more of an adult spot. 

And, sadly, I will not ride Flight of Passage again. It is not a great ride for people who get motion-sick.

Favorite Treats: Cocktails and mocktails at Nomad Lounge. Also, the cheeseburger pods from Satu'li Canteen! 

Favorite Attraction: Expedition Everest was a favorite all-around! Lucy really liked Flight of Passage too, even though I did not. Esme's favorite was the Kilimanjaro Safari.  

Memorable Moment: Esme's blowout! And getting to ride Expedition Everest with Lucy and Alice. We screamed our heads off. 

The next day we were headed to Hollywood Studios!

Disney World 2020 - Part 2

We woke up at Disney World on Tuesday morning, following a long day of driving and a whirlwind evening in Epcot. Morgan made coffee in the room, and we all scarfed down granola bars and fruit before heading out the door. The weather was actually chilly. I couldn't believe it! Thankfully, I had packed sweatshirts and jackets for everyone. 

We were all very excited for our first full park day in Magic Kingdom. There is nothing quite like riding the monorail and seeing a view of Cinderella's castle and Space Mountain out the window.

Main Street Train Station, as we are getting ready to walk through the gates... Even though the weather was cool, it was sunny and beautiful!

Main Street U.S.A. all decked out for Christmas

I love Main Street! It's so charming, especially at Christmastime.

I still don't know how I feel about Cinderella Castle's new paint job, but it certainly looked pretty this morning!

First, we headed to Frontierland to ride Splash Mountain...

This was Alice's first time riding it!

Splash Mountain was my favorite ride when I was a kid. It's about to be reimagined as a Princess and the Frog ride, so I'm glad I got to ride it before the transformation.

Next, we rode Haunted Mansion. Sadly, the stretching room preshow was cut because of physical distancing restrictions. I feel like that preshow sets the spooky tone for the ride so well. I missed it!

Next up was Peter Pan's Flight...

...then Small World!

Esme LOVED this ride.

After riding Small World, we took a break to eat lunch at Pinocchio's Village Haus. This quick service restaurant was the opposite of Les Halle in Epcot, where we ate the previous evening. Pinocchio's has a great atmosphere. You really feel like you stepped into the film, and depending on where you sit, you have a view of the Small World ride below. But the food was not very magical.

After lunch, we rode Dumbo! This was Alice's favorite ride the last time we came to Disney World. She used to call them "the Bumbos". 

Even though she's more into the thrill rides now, we had fun riding this together!

After Dumbo, we rode Space Mountain. This was Lucy's first time to ride it (she wasn't tall enough last time), and - as expected - she loved it. Alice wasn't tall enough to ride this one, and she was really sad about it. We needed an ice cream treat to cheer her up, so we made our way to Adventureland for Dole Whips.

Meanwhile, Esme took a nap in the stroller.

We rode a lot more rides - Magic Carpets, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain, Mad Tea Party, Winnie the Pooh, and Under the Sea. Finally it was time for us to get to our dinner reservation at Be Our Guest.

This restaurant is inside the castle from Beauty and the Beast. It really does look a lot like the castle from the movie, complete with a bridge and stained-glass windows and gargoyles. By this time, it was pretty dark, so I was not able to get very good pictures. And the inside was even more impressive. There were suits of armor and more stained-glass windows. The ballroom looked like it had been taken right out of the movie, with the ceiling painted with clouds and cherubs. Out the long "windows", you could see snow falling. And the best part of all was the West Wing. We did not eat in this room because we thought it might scare Esme, but it was incredible. The shredded portrait of the prince slowly transformed into a portrait of the beast. The enchanted rose gradually lost its petals as you looked at it. And this was also a character meal - the Beast made an appearance to welcome us to his castle. He did a formal bow and waved at the kids, who were beyond excited to see him. I thought Esme would be scared of him, but she just kept waving and saying, "Hi, Beast!"

The food was really amazing too! I regret not taking any pictures of it. I had lobster bisque for my appetizer and roast chicken with a savory bread pudding for my entre. And, of course, "the grey stuff" for dessert! We left very full and very happy.

After leaving Be Our Guest, we decided to try to hop in line for Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train. This roller coaster is probably the most popular ride in Magic Kingdom, so it had a long wait all day. (Due to limited park capacity, there are no FastPasses right now, so you actually have to stand in line, just like we used to when I was kid back in the 90's. Since capacity is so limited, most lines were super short, but these very popular lines stay at about an hour wait all day.) BUT, since it was so close to park closing, and we had Esme with us and needed to do a Rider Swap, they let us go to the front of the line. It was amazing to have that be our last ride of the day and not have to wait at all. Lucy and Alice were so excited!

As we were leaving the park, there was a holiday projection show happening on Cinderella Castle. Due to safety constraints, there are no fireworks or nighttime shows at Disney World right now. But as someone with kids who are afraid of loud fireworks, I thought these castle projections were a nice alternative. As we were leaving the Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A. was all lit up and twinkling, and bubbles from all the little souvenir wands were floating through the air. It was magical - the perfect ending to our day in Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom Day

New Experiences: Eating dinner at Be Our Guest. This was the most immersive restaurant, and the food was delicious! It was definitely the highlight of our day. 

Lucy was finally tall enough for Space Mountain, so she got to ride that for the first time. Alice was tall enough to ride a few new-to-her rides: Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train. She loved them all. 

Things we had to skip: At Christmastime, the Jungle Cruise ride in Magic Kingdom becomes the "Jingle Cruise". It is pretty much the same ride, but with holiday-themed jokes and puns. I had hoped to get to do this, but the wait actually stayed pretty long all day, and we ran out of time.

Things we wish we'd skipped: We loved it all! As I mentioned, the food at Pinocchio's Village Haus was nothing special, but the atmosphere was cute and the location was good. I'd eat there again, just for the convenience factor alone.

Favorite Treats: As delicious as the "grey stuff" at Be Our Guest was, nothing beats a good Dole Whip! 

Favorite Attraction: Lucy's favorites were Splash Mountain and Space Mountain; Alice loved the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train. Esme's favorites were Peter Pan and Small World. Morgan's favorite has always been and remains Space Mountain. I have to say that my favorite ride of the day was Pirates of the Caribbean. It was closed the last time we were in Disney World, so I had forgotten how much fun it is!

Memorable Moment: While Morgan and the older girls were riding Splash Mountain (first ride of the day), I was hanging out with Esme and waiting for my turn to ride it. When they all got off the ride, the girls ran to me, so excited and bursting to tell me all about it. I threw up my own hands in excitement, completely unaware that there was a giant cactus growing up directly behind me (remember, we were in Frontierland after all), and my hand smacked the cactus. I had to pull little cactus spines out of my hand. I might be the only person in history to have gotten a cactus injury at Disney World.

Also, getting to ride the Mine Train last thing of the night without waiting in line was pretty special. And I don't think I will ever forget walking down Main Street U.S.A. with the Christmas lights twinkling and the bubbles floating through the air. I felt like I was in a Disney World commercial.

We caught the monorail back to our car and headed for our resort to get some much-needed sleep. The next day was going to be a big day of firsts, because we were headed to a park I had never been to before...