Whoop whoop – another post about our November 2020 Walt Disney World road trip!
…
I said – Whoop whoop, another post about our November 2020 Walt Disney World road trip!
Aren’t you excited?
Pfft, whatever you guys.
This post, btw, is about our day at Magic Kingdom. I mean, THAT’s exciting. No?
Bah.
On with the post.
Day 5 – MAGIC KINGDOM!!
On Day 5, we woke up…just the 4 of us…in our room at Bay Lake Tower at around 6:30AM. Well, eh, actually….Nickie and I woke up at around 6:30 AM. The boys were having NONE of that BS.
But we were up because the plan for breakfast was for me to go grab it from Contempo Café at the Contemporary and bring it back to the room for us all to enjoy before heading out to the park. So I got up, showered, got everyone’s orders and walked over the bridge to the Contemporary lobby.
Which offers pretty great views. Like this…
…and this.
Good stuff. And it’s s a super short walk over. Within like 5 minutes, I had arrived. Right under the awesomely awesome Mary Blair mural.
The Contempo Café.
They def do a good job of helping with weight gain. Like if you’re looking to bulk up, they can help.
Not that I needed any help. I already knew what I was getting.
Which was fat.
I mean, no. I knew what I was ordering. In fact, I had already ordered it via the app. So I just walked up and let them know I was there. While I waited for my order to be ready, I enjoyed watching the Monorail go by above.
And soon enough, my food was bagged up and I brought it back to the room. Myles, Nickie, and I all got the Grilled Breakfast Sandwich (Egg, Ham and Three-Cheese Blend on Griddled Toasted Challah), which never disappoints.
Owen got the Bounty Platter (Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Pork Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes, Seasonal Fruit and a mini Mickey-shaped Waffle).
We finished eating and headed right out the door. No need for any Disney transportation today. Within minutes, we were across the parking lot and on our way.
Now, the park wasn’t scheduled to officially open until 9AM but we wanted to make sure we were there early enough as, like I have mentioned before, they were pretty consistently opening up the parks earlier than posted hours. So we were on the walkway at around 8:00AM.
We got through security and waited in line for a little bit. We were let through the gates at around 8:30.
And look, you guys. I found Christmas.
The plan was for me and the boys to head straight to Fantasyland to hop on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, since Nickie is not like the biggest roller coaster fan.
So the three of us moved at a pretty brisk pace down Main Street. But I mean, we were on Main Street. So I had to snap a “walking down Main St” pic.
And we got our first look at the castle’s new paint job.
I know it’s all kinds of controversial. But I love the new look of the castle. The colors really pop, especially against those blue Florida skies. Of which there was none of that happening at this moment. But I mean, imagine it.
We made our way into Fantasyland and hopped into the queue.
Now, for those not familiar with how Walt Disney World works, this is one of those rides that I would often avoid unless we had a FastPass. Even at park opening, this one fills up pretty quickly. But in COVID times? We entered the queue at 8:37 and were on the ride by 8:43. And all of that time was spent pretty much walking. Not really much in the way of waiting.
Oh and, yeah…we got front row. NBD.
But yes, the park felt extremely empty.
Look at this walkway between Peter Pan and Small World. This thing is ALWAYS a bottleneck.
So yes – we were definitely feeling lower crowds. I know we were early at the park, but even for being there early the place felt pretty empty.
Also empty? The Rivers of America.
I mean THAT is depressing. And erm, a bit I dunno….magic-ruining? Ah well.
We were walking by the Rivers of America because we were going to try and hip on Splash Mountain before any semblance of a crowd appeared.
With it changing over to a new theme based on Princess & the Frog soon (for which I am very VERY excited), we wanted to make sure we got on it one last time to say goodbye to Br’er Rabbit. Without getting too into it, I want to say I 1000% agree with the change. But this attraction has also been a big part of our trips up to this point so we thought it at least deserved one last spin.
But meh….it was closed. Yah. That whole paragraph was literally for nothing.
Right next door though, Big Thunder Mountain (which is my FAVORITE ride in all of Magic Kingdom) was only a 5 minute wait. Which is basically a walk-on.
Wildest ride in the wilderness indeed.
As you can see, we were VERY spaced out on here, which felt like a big social distancing win.
Love me some Big Thunder. The ride, of course. Not the actual thunder. That’s scary.
Afterwards, it was time to meet back up with Nickie…in Adventureland!
And when I saw Nickie, I yelled, “Yo ho!”
Oh…what I mean to say is…erm….
I mean. Because it was time to ride Pirates of the Caribbean! Arrrrr you ready?
And then it was onto another no-wait attraction – Haunted Mansion!
No wait, for sure. Which was a positive. But…it was definitely weird not stopping in the stretching room for the pre-show. #thanksCOVID.
SO it wasn’t even 10AM yet and we had already ridden Seven Dwarfs, Big Thunder, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion. All that fun was leaving me feeling a bit peckish. Ah. This should help.
Disney has the BEST popcorn.
But this wasn’t ONLY a mission to get that delicious popcorn into my stomach. I was also looking to get the newest Christmas popcorn bucket. I neglected to take a pic in the moment, but here she is…
So pretty. And it lights up! AND they gave me the popcorn in a separate container. So I didn’t have to get it dirty.
Yes. I bought a popcorn bucket and did not use it to hold popcorn. This is the Disney way.
Next up was Peter Pan’s Flight, another one that usually has a long wait.
Not this time though. And bonus – with no FastPass, we were actually able to go through the real queue, which is kind of a great one.
We then walked over to Storybook Circus so the boys could jump on The Barnstormer.
After they got off Barnstormer, it was time for a quintessential Disney attraction – Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
It’s funny. So many rides go round and round. But none of them are as magical as Dumbo. It’s a fact.
From the sky to the sea, next up was Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.
The boys and I wanted to try and get in a spin on Space Mountain before lunch so we ran over to Tomorrowland, with plans to meet Nickie at lunch. We got to Space Mountain and hopped in line.
And as we were standing there, we got a good look at how Tron was progressing. UGH I AM SO EXCITED FOR TRON.
But as we were waiting in line, we hard murmurs of the ride being down. As we stood in line and the time kept ticking away, it started to become pretty apparent we weren’t going to be able to ride and still make it in time for lunch.
So we got out of line and walked towards Liberty Square. As we were walking over to lunch, we caught some of the Christmas Cavalcade.
Cavalcades are great and everything. But lunch > cavalcades. It’s simple math. So let’s talk lunch.
Lunch today was Liberty Tree Tavern, a favorite of the Goodreaus. On account of its all-you-can-eat. Oh sorry….all-you-care–to– enjoy. Now I guess we can’t say “all you can eat” anymore. Which would be great. Except what are we supposed to do about the Fat Boys?
Now, when we have eaten at Liberty Tree in the past, we have always sat in the main restaurant. But this day? They opened up seating next door in the Golden Horseshoe. Which was exciting since we have only ever been in there to get egg nog and cookies at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
It was also exciting because it was air conditioned and dude.
It.
Was.
Hot.
Like, the temp was only in the 80s but because of all the rain it felt like we were in a greenhouse. But instead of sitting there and looking at pretty flowers we were walking at a brisk pace and cramming in all the Disney we could.
ANNNNND look where we got seated.
Yeah, up in our own little alcove. We’re kind of VIPs. Whatever. It’s no big deal.
So the cool thing about Liberty Tree Tavern is that they do this whole Patriots Platter thing, which is like Thanksgiving but without all the football and soul-crushing stress.
The meal started with some yummy rolls. I mean, they were good enough. But we were crazy starving. So yeah, they were the best rolls we ever tasted.
The rolls were soon paired with Liberty Tree’s Declaration Salad.
And that salad was soon paired with a Bud Light.
And, much like the rolls, the surrounding circumstances made this the best Bud Light I may have ever had. And I’ve had a lot of Bud Lights. So I know.
The main course is served family style. You get some Roasted Turkey Breast, Pot Roast, Oven-Roasted Pork, Herb Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce…
…Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables (which were AMAZETOWN green beans)…
…and Macaroni and Cheese.
As usual, it was all delicious. We ended up having to get seconds on mac and cheese, stuffing, and the mashed potatoes. Oh and we pretty much just told our waiter to keep the rolls coming.
For dessert, Liberty Tree Tavern serves its famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. It’s Vanilla Toffee Cake. It’s Vanilla Ice Cream. It’s Chocolate Sauce. And it’s like some sort of dream I once had.
After lunch, it was time to head out of the park for a midday break. We left Liberty Square and walked out into the Hub through Adventureland.
And we got another good look at this girl.
I don’t know if you can see in the picture above, but Nickie and I were wearing these matching Lady and the Tramp shirts. Mine said “She nibbled her way to my heart” and Nickie’s said, “He nibbled his way to my heart.”
I know. We ARE the cutest.
We got them from TheMidnightComet on Etsy. You know, in case you want to pretend you’re us.
Hey, look at this guy.
The Hub was relatively empty. So we seized the opportunity to get another picture of the boys and force them to hold hands.
OK OK, time to head out.
As we were walking out though, we picked up a hitchhiker.
Butterfly in the sky.
I can fly twice as high.
He’s on my pack.
That’s on my back.
A Reading Rainbow.
As we were walking towards the exit, we spotted some friends sitting on a bench near the exit. And yeah, I know…social distancing and all. But Myles and Owen went over to say hi.
We had a quick visit. Told them about our day so far. But they couldn’t have cared less. Minnie was literally giving Owen the cold shoulder. Whatever, Minnie. Whatever.
After our quick, unsatisfying visit we made it through the park exit.
It was time to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom.
Well, for now at least. I mean, we were coming back later guys.
Eighty West, back to the hotel.
We went up to the room, got our suits on, and went straight to the pool to relax for a bit. Well, Nickie and I did. Myles and Owen went to play basketball.
We brought some beers down from the room, found some open seats over near the closed-for-now Mickey Mouse splash pad (thanks COVID), and just hung out for a bit.
It was really nice to get some chill time in at the pool before heading back to the park. Especially with that hottie.
We probably spent like an hour or so by the pool. The kids came back and we went up to change for the rest of our day.
And then? It was back to the Magic Kingdom!
And we were back on Main St. And guys? I found Christmas again!!
And hey, remember when I said I loved how the new colors on Cindy’s Castle really popped against the Florida sky? Well, that was sort of happening a little more this time around.
Since we didn’t make it on Space Mountain the first time around, it was time to rectify things. So we made straight for Tomorrowland.
And yes, pajamas were Myles’s “going out” outfit tonight.
Look – Space Mountain!
We were on within 15 minutes. And off. Into space.
Pew. Pew.
While we were on the ride, Myles assured us the camera was to our right. And then when it was coming up, he faced left. And we were all like, “Myles, you lied to us!” And he laughed. Then we saw the picture.
Looks like the we got the last laugh.
Oh…yeah. We were picking our noses. What? We were wearing masks.
Since we were already in Tomorrowland, we decided to hop on Tomorrowland Speedway since there was pretty much no wait. Plus, it offered a different vantage point of the Tron construction.
Have I mentioned how excited I am for this ride?
Anyways though – Tomorrowland Speedway.
Myles and I each got our own car.
While Nickie put her life in Owen’s hands.
When we were done, the boys (and I also of course) wanted some snacks and we wanted to try our luck at getting on Splash Mountain again. Nickie said she wanted to head back down Main St., do some shopping, and meet us at dinner.
The boys’ desired snacks were at Gaston’s Tavern.
The boys went in and ordered their snacks while I hit the bathroom. When I got in and saw them sitting down, I saw that Owen got a cinnamon roll…
…and Myles went for his old standby, LeFou’s Brew (Frozen Apple Juice with a hint of Toasted Marshmallow and topped with All-Natural Passion Fruit-Mango Foam.)
I don’t see the appeal, but to each his own. Wait, appeal? Apple? I don’t know. There’s a joke there somewhere but I don’t feel like looking for it.
But anyways. When we were sitting there, the boys told me their Magic Band wasn’t working for charges so the cashier gave them their snacks for free. I went up and told him I was there now, ready to pay, but he wasn’t having it. Ugh, I really wish I could remember this Cast Member’s name, but that was insanely nice. I couldn’t stop thanking him. I know it’s just a cinnamon roll and a drink, but he didn’t have to do that. I love Disney Cast Members. I mean, they are awesome anyways. But to be awesome during a time when I know its not all that easy to be awesome…is pretty awesome.
The snack that I wanted that night was a special holiday offering over at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café in Frontierland.
Which meant we got to walk by these guys.
Oh, and while we were walking through Frontierland, Nickie was catching the Calvacade again on Main St.
So the cavalcades. We really enjoyed these. I mean…look, we missed the parades of course. But it was cool these things would just pop up here and there. I will be happy when the parades are back, but I am also glad we got to experience these.
And it looks like things were all kinds of awesome as the big man made his way down the street. The sun was going down and the Main St. lights were coming on.
SANTAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know him.
Wait, sorry. Where was I? Oh, right. My snack. So like I said, it was at Pecos Bill so I put in my mobile order for this baby.
That right there is the Let It Snow Chocolate Taco. Guys, this thing was GOOD. It was a chocolate taco shell filled with salted caramel and spiced chocolate mousse.
If you read that sentence and haven’t booked a trip yet, there is something wrong with your brain.
After we scarfed down our tacos…
Yes, plural. We bought two. I didn’t want to share.
So yeah, after we scarfed down our tacos, we walked over to Splash Mountain.
And we got in line.
It was the longest-looking Splash Mountain line I have been in since I first rode it in 1995 on Spring Break when my friends said we could spend one day of our Daytona Beach vacation at Walt Disney World. And yes, when we did this, it was made very clear this was “for Wayne.”
Yeah. I’ve always been like this.
However, even though the line looked long, it really didn’t take all that long to reach our log. From start to finish, we spent about 20 minutes in line. Which really isn’t that bad at all.
Ride with us, won’t you?
Oh and yes. We did have our own log. And also? I wanted to sit in front but Owen wanted me to sit next to him AND he didn’t want to get that wet. What was I gonna do? It’s not like I was afraid or anything. No no. Nothing like that.
By the time we had gotten off Splash, it was officially nighttime. Which, if beer commercials have taught me anything, is the right time.
Ugh, I mean, LOOK at the Castle projections!
As we were walking to meet Nickie at dinner, I stopped off to get her a little gift.
Which I think she liked. It’s hard to tell if she’s smiling or not under the mask.
Our dinner that night, btw, was at Tony’s Town Square, which has definitely been a hit-or-miss experience for us. We have had such fun meals here but there have been some times where this place has let us down. What did tonight have in store? Welp, read on…
Oh wait. Actually, first. While we were sitting there waiting for our table, the characters came out at the train station to see everyone.
So I went over to say hi to some old friends.
So cool. And again, just like with the cavalcades, I missed being able to see and hug and talk to the characters but I still appreciated this. It was something unique. It wasn’t the same, but it was still a cool thing that we may otherwise not be able to see.
Oh, also. Our plan for dinner tonight was to hopefully eat out on the patio. But when Nickie showed up, the hostess told her she wasn’t sure she could guarantee us a table out there. So, when I got there I went in and asked again and the hostess told me that had we asked 15 minutes ago (when Nickie asked) then she could have gotten us a table outside.
Which was…perplexing.
Nickie went in again and had a little chat with the hostess.
Suffice to say…we ended up eating outside.
When our table was ready, we were led through the restaurant. And I don’t know if you guys know it or not, but I kind of LOVE Lady and the Tramp. And this place? Lady and the Tramp all over.
Love it.
And when we reached our table, I mean…you really couldn’t beat the view. It was all kinds of a Bella Notte.
The kids were VERY excited.
To start the meal, our server brought us some bread with oil for dipping.
And I started with a glass of the Arcanum ‘il fauno di Arcanum’ Super Tuscan.
You guys. This wine. LOVED it. It was so frakkin good. For the record, I had three glasses of it. THAT’S how good it was.
OK, fine. I would also drink three glasses of bad wine too. But this wine was really good. Is what I am saying to you now.
Look how pretty we are.
For her entrée, Nickie got the Chicken Parmesan.
Owen ordered the Spaghetti with Meatballs.
And Myles and I got the same thing. But It was a three-fer special of their most popular choices – Chicken Parm, Spaghetti and Meatball, and Fettucine Alfredo.
For dessert, we got some cannoli.
I mean, is Tony’s the best Italian food you will ever have? No. But it’s not the worst either. And as far as Magic Kingdom restaurants go, you could do worse. Sitting on the patio definitely helps with the experience. Especially when there is no one else out there.
The kids seemed to like it. Look how their expressions have changed.
Oh also – while we were sitting there, this GIGANTO bug flew down, hit Nickie in the head and landed on our table. Guys, seriously….this bug was HUGE. I thought it was a bat at first. I wish I snapped a picture of it, but I was too terrified to even think. But it looked a lot like this.
Bonus though? By the time we left the restaurant, the park had closed which meant the crowds were pretty low as we walked out. So we had that going for us. Which was nice.
Back to the hotel we went.
The walk back to Bay Lake Tower/Contemporary is a nice one for sure. I mean, it’s kind of the only one that takes you past Space Mountain.
And yeah, the hotel itself? Pretty nice.
That’s it you guys. Day 6. Pretty awesome, right?
Last post – Day 5 (Our Day at EPCOT)
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