h2odivers...Ray

A couple of weeks ago, we saw that our passes that my wife has from her retirement from Disney were finally unblocked for both of us to enter the parks.  So we were able to grab a nice reservation at Fort Wilderness and finally get back.  It was a great trip and I'll try to add some pictures here to give some info on what everything is like.  First I should say that the parks weren't bad the first weekend, and EMPTY the week prior to Labor Day weekend.  Our park passes were blocked again starting the Friday of Labor Day weekend, which was fine because it got pretty crowded.
 

 
We checked in near noon on Friday August 28th.  There was certainly no problem getting a site! The campground was really quiet and many loops were closed.  It was very peaceful.  
 


 
P&J's was open and that was the only food option.  However, they opened up the dining area of Trails End and you could sit inside and eat and/or drink.  It was actually very nice.
After setting up the camper we headed to the Magic Kingdom.  It was a little strange taking a selfie in front of a castle wearing face masks.

 
The Magic Kingdom was empty every day we were there (Friday, Monday Tuesday and Wednesday).


 
Disney did a good job with the social distancing and making sure people wore masks.  There were very few people not following the rules.  The wait times were great.  We rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train about 9 times total and our longest wait was about 30 minutes; most were about 10 - 15.  The Haunted Mansion line is great without the stretching room.  The line moves quickly and I had the chance to look around and see details inside I never saw before.  Longest wait there was about 10 minutes.  We rode Peter Pan several times since the wait there averaged about 10 minutes as well.  Each time we went, we would stay about 3 hours and be able to get on MANY rides.  The Plexiglas dividers were great, much better than the chains.  At least kids couldn't occupy their time swinging the chains around and hitting everybody around them.Then we would head back to the campground and relax.
 
On Saturday, we headed to Animal Kingdom.  It was not crowded, but it was not set up for COVID as well as Magic Kingdom.  The lines weren't as conducive to distancing nor were there as many Plexiglas dividers up.  The crowds were down as well, and we waited about 10 minutes for Flight of Passage and less for the River ride as well as the Safari.

 
Sunday we went to Epcot and it was more crowded.  However, we walked onto Soarin and were able also walk onto Test Track and Spaceship Earth.  One of the strangest factors at Epcot was the absence of the International Program cast members.  Walking into Japan and seeing mainly American workers just felt strange.

(Above:  Sunday at Epcot)
We ate lunch at the quick service restaurant in Japan.  Both of us got the Beef and Chicken Teriyaki.  It was delicious.

 
We returned to Epcot on Thursday.  It was MUCH emptier, really a pleasure to walk around:



 
The pictures above were taken around 1PM.
We quickly walked onto The Seas and Imagination while heading to lunch at the UK.  When we got there we walked through the store a bit.  There we met a nice young woman from Scotland who lives in the US, so she fit the UK well as did another young woman from London.  When we went to check in, the hostess was from Bulgaria, and was VERY nice as well.  We requested a window seat and she got us a great one with an amazing view.


 
She even came into the restaurant after someone else seated us to make sure we liked the table.  We started the meal with the soup of the day; Tomato Bisque (delicious):

 
Then my wife got the Bangers and Mash and I got the Sheppard's Pie:


 
Both were outstanding, as was the server who was an Asian American who obviously worked a high end restaurant at Disney because he was so friendly, professional and great at his job.  
 
After the meal we took the Skyliner over to Caribbean Beach.  First, let me say that the Skyliner was pleasantly cool even the temperature was around 90 and it was humid and sunny.  
We got a good view of the construction in France for Ratatouille:


 
 On Friday, since we were blocked out of the parks, we went to Disney Springs.  Nothing much new there to report, but the crowds weren't bad.  From there we took the bus to the Grand Floridian.  It was eerie seeing it so empty:

 
The band is not playing and they moved the piano up onto the band stand:

 
On Saturday, we took the bus from the campground to the Wilderness Lodge.  The bus now rides along the road between the Fort and the Lodge.  From there we could see that the walking trail no longer exists.  It has been completely torn up and they were installing water pipes.  However, there were new concrete spillways in place which indicates the intent to restore the trail.  I'm sure that won't happen for quite a while though.
Like the Grand, Wilderness Lodge was pretty empty, although it was a bit more crowded for Labor Day weekend:

 
The next day we checked out and headed home.  It was a great trip; a nice combination of going to the parks and relaxing at the Campground.  Disney did a great job both at the Fort and the parks.  While I am looking forward to things getting back to normal, there were some changes I really enjoyed and makes me glad we booked our stay.
 
 
 
 

We just got back today from 9 days at the Fort.  The boats were running regularly to and from the Magic Kingdom, two boats.  At least while we were there, they were boarding well over 4 families and they were allowing people to sit outside in the front as well as the back.  They have a sign saying the bus to the Magic Kingdom leaves from the Settlement.  The bus to Wilderness Lodge also leaves from the Settlement now and runs the old route, using the road between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.
Until Friday, the campground was empty.  Starting Thursday night it started to fill up.  Today, all loops are open and full.  It was a madhouse Thursday night.  Golf carts driven by kids lucky they didn't kill anybody.  For Friday the Rangers were out all day directing traffic and enforcing the mask rules.  Much better.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Walt Disney World and Universal Studios hit capacity on Saturday, according to the parks’ websites.
https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county/universal-hits-capacity-saturday-disney-booked-up-through-weekend/EL6DRFCJKFEORLY5YJJBHMTVT4/

I’ve ridden it twice but DD hasn’t. And she really wants to. 
both times I rode it I was there before park opening and my MDE locked up.  
the first time I was next to a CM and they reset my app and got me on last group.  
the next time I was at guest relations and told them what had happened before. I was talking with a supervisor and he told me to stay next to him when it opened up. 
when it opened up he had my phone and it locked up on him.   So he went on his tablet and gave me a return time.  I’m just glad it wasn’t my stupidity that caused it to lock up.  Lol 

My son decided he wanted to sit in the hot tub. A few kids in the pool hot tub open. He gets in I put my feet in and husband finds a chair.
 After about 10 min my son wants to stay in my husband and I head off on a walk. We head down towards the lake. They have a really long pier we walk to the end. Some of the boards could use replacing. We see the canoes and a couple of paddle boats one is sunk in the water. There is a bunch of garbage on the small beach.
Head back to pool area son is on the phone with his cousin. We talk for a bit and son wants to stay. Husband and I head off. Now the other night husband wanted to go down this road I was to tired so, that's were we head. There is a lot more seasonal sites here and then we see a huge grassy area for night campers and I start to wonder if this would of been more quiet? I do not think seasonal campers would of put up with the noise. We keep on walking all the way to the end. We find a little playground a pavilion that activities are in. Side note they had a sign on the office door with some activities listed. I just thought it was at a little building up by the office that when we walked by had art supplies and games. I guess I was wrong this was the place. There also was a building with laundry and a bathroom. All of this seemed pretty new. The bathroom was clean and had a bunch of showers. Now the first night I asked the woman selling tye dye where are the bathrooms? She told me port potties or up the hill by the pool. We could of driven down here and used these nice bathrooms to shower and get ready.
 I was mad at myself for not walking down here sooner I would of loved to see if there was any open sites. I really hope there wasn't because some sites did look like they had been empty. I would hope they would not of put us in the party central if they had open spots here.We head back and tell my son about what we have found he wants to see, we leave him and get the van it's a long walk. We bring his stuff with and he gets dressed there. After that it's still kind of early but if we sit down we will fall asleep. What should we do? Ice cream of course why break the streak now? We head off into town and get are last treat. After this we head back my husband and son make a small fire. We sit out there for a little while and my husband heads off to bed. My son and I watch one episode of the office. We call it a night he makes sure the fire is out I head up the hill to the bathroom thinking about the what if's with that other camping area.
Looking forward to a quiet night sleep. 

I was close to 90 minutes on hold yesterday - killed the battery in two of the handsfree phones before I finally got through.  I cancelled our APs but they were not able to tell me how much the refund would be, or how they would be calculated, or even when we would receive them.
We really debated what to do about this because our passes would have been good until May 2, 2021.  However we live in Canada and a trip down is not cheap, even though we haven't stayed on property for 5 years because of how much the Fort costs now.  That didn't mean we didn't spend a bundle, between meals, snacks, souvenirs, drinks at the various bars when we resort hopped and everything else.  Our trips down are usually for at least two months, sometime from the middle to end of December to mid-March give or take.
However our rationale for finally cancelling was essential focused on COVID.  The border between Canada and the US is currently closed and expected to remain closed to non-commercial traffic until at least the end of December if not longer.  Travel is not recommended to many countries, including the US, and that doesn't look likely to change; and while we would try and create a "safe bubble" in the Orlando area we have to travel through a lot of states to get there.   All travel agents are also making recommendations with a pointed reminder to bump up on an extra health care premium to ensure we are adequately covered for COVID emergencies.   
So that was the final call, to cancel and just "let it go" for this year.  
I will post as soon as I know how much we get back. 
 
By the way - the music was ok for the first five or six replays, but boy after I counted it for the 23rd time I was seriously weary of it. 

My DD and DW just shared this video with me and I laughed out loud. 
 
If you’ve seen Hamilton it will make you laugh even louder. 
 
 
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=631681587706503&_rdr

Crappy mileage from that brand. 

I totally/completely have no desire to return at this point. I do have a hotel reservation booked for Oct, but if our kids can't join us, (because they had not booked yet, and may not be able to book) AND they are in a state with a 2-week quarantine when entering FL. Also, we can't buy tickets at this time, so most likely will cancel. The no park hopping and reservation system really stinks. My plan was to go early in the morning and hit the attractions I wanted to see at rope drop (at Studios, AK, and MK), then late afternoon, troll food booths at Epcot. We are purely, hunt and peck type travelers, and casual do what we feel like type travelers, I did like FastPass + because I could book a couple things in the later afternoon and we would be guaranteed to ride a few things without long waits, but this book your park months in advance not knowing if we'll feel like actually going to that park that day, or if the weather cooperates just won't work for us anymore.
Also, I've finally convinced hubby to go cross-country with me in the T@B. I have three weeks planned next march for less than even a week at Disney.

Or you could’ve just asked someone that lives in Oklahoma City. LOL
it’s a pretty nice campground and a very convenient location for most things you’ll want to do.  And if I remember correctly the campground has a limo and they will take you to some of the local establishments for free. At least it used to be free.
it is right next to Remington racetrack and casino, the softball Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma City zoo, which has one of the best elephant exhibits I’ve ever seen, and the Omni Plex. The Omniplex is an interactive science museum. 
 
You’ll be approximately  7-8 miles (10 minute drive) from downtown Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City bombing memorial is well worth going to see. If you just walk the grounds it will take you about 15 Or 20 minutes. Which you can easily spend An hour or two if you go into the museum.
at night I would recommend going to the Bricktown area of downtown Oklahoma City. They have lots of great restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. As well as a Riverwalk like San Antonio has.

Let me know if you need any tips or advice about things to do, C, where to eat, or just general info about our great city. 

Or you could’ve just asked someone that lives in Oklahoma City. LOL
it’s a pretty nice campground and a very convenient location for most things you’ll want to do.  And if I remember correctly the campground has a limo and they will take you to some of the local establishments for free. At least it used to be free.
it is right next to Remington racetrack and casino, the softball Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma City zoo, which has one of the best elephant exhibits I’ve ever seen, and the Omni Plex. The Omniplex is an interactive science museum. 
 
You’ll be approximately  7-8 miles (10 minute drive) from downtown Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City bombing memorial is well worth going to see. If you just walk the grounds it will take you about 15 Or 20 minutes. Which you can easily spend An hour or two if you go into the museum.
at night I would recommend going to the Bricktown area of downtown Oklahoma City. They have lots of great restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. As well as a Riverwalk like San Antonio has.

Let me know if you need any tips or advice about things to do, C, where to eat, or just general info about our great city. 

That is the barge the first stage rocket booster lands on at sea and is then hauled back to land to be checked over, refurbished, and put back into service. Since the one that launched the Crew Dragon Demo mission to the space station was seen coming in a couple of days back I suspect that is the one from the Starlink Satellite launch. 

Well it was our 49th anniversary on June 5th and our trip to the Fort had been cancelled so we decided to go to DS just because we were really missing Disney.  I just want to report on our experiences so other people can plan accordingly.  You have to park in the Orange parking garage which is the furthest garage from the older parts of Disney Springs.  There were lots of spaces on the first and second floors so parking is easy.  You are met by friendly CM's who direct you to a quick moving line for a 1 second temp check while still in the garage.  As you walk through the mall you notice that most of the small shops are still closed and there are no crowds so maintaining a social distance is not an issue.    Yes, we did wear masks as soon as we exited our cars so no one had to remind us.  We walked to the World of Disney store and entered on the west side of the building.  Its the only entrance.  All the other doors are for exit only.  Once inside we noticed they had removed a lot of the round shelving units to make more room to walk around.  Most patrons chose to wear masks.  We did see small children not wearing masks and  it did not cause any conflict with other patrons or CM's.  WE did experience difficulty walking out side with our masks but not inside.  It was a hot and humid day and once the masks got a little damp from breathing and the weather it became difficult to suck in air.  We ate inside at the Boatyard and noticed they had the tables separated at least 12 feet apart.  The food and service were great.  WE did not have to wear the masks inside but the entire staff did.  AS we walked back to the parking garage we both had to stop and rest twice because the masks made it difficult to keep enough O2 coming in.  There are CM's every where cleaning all surfaces.  One of the reasons why we like coming to Disney is because it is one of the happiest places on Earth.  With most everyone wearing a mask its difficult to see their smiles or hear their voices. So it didn't seem so happy. We left  2:00PM Wondering how we are going to go to the parks in August, our next reservation at the Fort.  We are hoping the pools are open by then.  It was good to be back if only for a few hours.  None of us know how this is all going to work itself out.  We are 70 ish so we may have to plan our trips using more rest periods or time in restaurants with A/C.  Finding ways to keep masks dry will also be an issue.

I found a photo of it online. I’ll ask them to look for it. Although it may be a while before the CM store reopens. 
 
TCD

http://www.thedisneychef.com/2012/06/moms-meat-loaf.html
 

We made this in the air fryer.  It was AWESOME!
12 minutes on 350 degrees.

I think this dead horse has been beaten enough!
wear a mask or don’t wear a mask. 
who freakin cares!
it’s pretty simple.
If Disney requires you to wear a mask and you don’t want to..don’t go!
And if Disney doesn’t make everyone wear a mask and you think they should than don’t go!
No one on this board is going to change anyone’s mind about this debate.
And I think those of you that want to keep beating this dead horse should take it to the debate thread!
 
 

I think this dead horse has been beaten enough!
wear a mask or don’t wear a mask. 
who freakin cares!
it’s pretty simple.
If Disney requires you to wear a mask and you don’t want to..don’t go!
And if Disney doesn’t make everyone wear a mask and you think they should than don’t go!
No one on this board is going to change anyone’s mind about this debate.
And I think those of you that want to keep beating this dead horse should take it to the debate thread!
 
 

I think this dead horse has been beaten enough!
wear a mask or don’t wear a mask. 
who freakin cares!
it’s pretty simple.
If Disney requires you to wear a mask and you don’t want to..don’t go!
And if Disney doesn’t make everyone wear a mask and you think they should than don’t go!
No one on this board is going to change anyone’s mind about this debate.
And I think those of you that want to keep beating this dead horse should take it to the debate thread!
 
 

A girl I follow on IG went to Shanghai Disneyland today and she was highlighting all the people not following the spacing etc. some times people were but a lot of times they weren’t. There’s no way people here will follow the rules. 
However in NJ if you want to get into a fight take your mask off in a store and watch the people freak out 😂

I'm going to keep my nice, peaceful Monday morning intact and not read the comments, but based on the craziness I see on social media in general, I can very well imagine what they are.
But hey, it's a heckuva lot easier to keep capacity down if a bunch of people take themselves out of the running!

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/a-message-about-disney-parks-from-chief-medical-officer-dr-pamela-hymel/?CMP=EMC-1172100300&cid=PDM204174&bid=1085002857

Inconceivable!

Inconceivable!