Disappointing Disney Vacation -- Day Two
This trip is unlike any other for more reasons than just COVID. For one, it's just my son and I, enjoying this trip. No morning ADRs. NONE! That's not like me.
Today, we have Epcot reserved, with an afternoon lunch in Italy. While in Disney Springs on Tuesday (Arrival Day,) my son saw the Paddlefish boat and asked if we could eat in there. I checked the MDX App and made the switch for an evening dinner.
On a normal vacation, we would rise early, call an Uber for a ride to the Comtemporary for a breakfast to Chef Mickey's, then monorail to Epcot. That's our usual "M.O." Not this time. I let him sleep in. Masked up, we walk along the lake for breakfast at the Centertown Market then go into the pool the second it opens. We are the literally the second group in and he couldn't have picked a worse set of chairs. Terrible Feng Shui. We had our pick of the locations and he chooses directly next to the open gate. I override here. (One of the few times in the trip.)
We decide to stay here until 1 PM or so. It is so hot -- a perfect day for a pool. The CMs play pool games, but with their masks on, it's hard to understand them over the loudspeakers. My son isn't interested. He likes the slide. Ever notice if a kid likes something, they can do it over and over again and not get bored? Amazing. I'm not a relaxer. I try to lay out and just take it easy, but that isn't in my DNA. That's not fun for me. I know that is a great vacation for others. I grab a beer and I'm not a drinker either, but I don't know how to relax in the sun.
We leave, head back to our room, change and catch the Trinidad Skyliner. The Trinidad Skyliner connects to Pop Century & Hollywood Studios, but it also connects to the Riviera Skyliner and Epcot. You don't need to disembark. It's a beautiful ride. Actually worth staying in Trinidad just for this convenience. As it approaches the Riviera Sklyliner Station, you remain in you car. It makes a 90 degree turn and heads to the park. Then as it nears, it makes another course adjustment. It is truly an amazing feat of engineering. There's no air conditioning, but the air flow is fantastic. As I've said, it was above 90 degrees and we were cool inside. It quickly becomes our favorite mode of transportation.
When we exit, I am somewhat disoriented. I know I"m by Epcot's rear entrance, but I don't recognize anything. I start walking toward the Boardwalk by mistake. Once in, we both want to eat. We want Mexican. We can't use the app for this meal; we need to get in line. It's about a 20-minute wait, but well worth it. All but one seat is taken and my son snags it. We eat our meal then head into the Mexican Pavilion. The line to enter is about 20 minutes. The line for The Three Caballeros is also 20 minutes. That ride isn't worth 40 minutes, but it's my son's favorite ride in all of Epcot so we wait. He loves it.
We start walking toward Spaceship Earth when we happen across the temporary MouseGear. We go in. Nothing spectacular here, but I find a really nice Magic Band I like and I buy that. (That is my only purchase for myself on this trip.) When we entered, Test Track wasn't running, but as we go to exit, I hear the cars. We attempt to leave and are told to exit at the other end of the store. I explain he has never ridden Test Track and now it's running and another CM overrides him and lets us out. We get in a very short line. (When we exit the ride, it is over 60 minutes already.)
Test Track has no design stations in use at the moment. It' just the ride. Car loads are socially distanced, but the line moves fairly quickly and my son gets to ride this for the first time. He really likes it. Next, we get in line for Mission: Space (Orange Mission.) Each group gets their own ride vehicle due to enclosed spaces. My son believes he saved the ship himself.
If you're an Epcot veteran, then you'll be somewhat taken back by the temporary walkways set up as you make your way to the front of the park. Things are half disassembled. Other things are mostly completed. It will be amazing when finished, but for now the aesthetics of Epcot are muddled. We ride Spaceship Earth with little wait. Then Soarin' with only a 20-minute line. Then JIYI as a walk on. We go back into the World Showcase.
My son has had enough already so time to head to the International Gateway to board the Skyliner and head back to our room. The phone is now working, as are the USB ports. Our batteries in our remote have been changed, too. Our bed still hasn't been made, but I rationalize it is because technicians were working on our room and too many can't be in the room at the same time. No matter. We still have enough towels. I find "Stacy," too. MUST-DO Disney is not playing on its usual channel. They have music playing instead, despite the description reading "MUST-DO DISNEY." I run the channel gamut and find Stacy way near the end of the spectrum. The song, "Living it up, Love That Feeling," makes both me and my daughter cry each time we here it. I tear up because she's not here on this trip. She texted "NEXT TRIP IT'S ME!" as we were on the Magical Express. We freshen and go to the bus stop. Our bus arrives soon and we're off.
On our arrival day (Tuesday,) I wanted to go into The World of Disney, but the entrance line was too long. Today, we are waiting it out. We arrive with plenty of time so we find the line's end. It's almost comical how long the line is, but it is only 30 minutes. Once in, my son is off, looking at toys. I want the perfect coffee cup. It's a quest of mine of every vacation. I don't find one, but he certainly found some toys. The checkout line was equally comical. It takes about another 20 minutes to get to the registers, but we check out. I ask if I can still look around or need to leave, and I'm allowed to stay. I search some more.
This is my first meal at Paddlefish. The wait staff is very professional and efficient. I am very impressed. My son doesn't eat hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta, you know, simple, delicious food. No. He eats shrimp. Lobster. More shrimp. For 10, he has a sophisticated palate. They have crab legs on the Kid's Menu and he gets that. It's his first attempt at Crab Legs and I video him, digging out the meat. I taste one and they are succulent. He loves them. I have the Mahi. Very good.
After, we walk around a while and head to the old Pleasure Island area to purchase some chocolate. We wait in line. We're next and someone leaves so it's our turn to enter. I do and I'm quickly ushered out and told to go to the back of the line. I explain we already went through the line and we are next to enter and the group has left and you weren't visible. He said no one may enter unless a CM lets them in. We enter. I'm somewhat salty, but the chocolate looks good and who could stay upset with that much dark chocolate around?
We end up buying $44 worth of chocolate. I'm not sure if it was worth $44, but it was sure smooth chocolate. Really smooth. Delicious. I'm thinking of it as I type.
Our night ends and this winds up being one of our best days of the trip. We were only in the parks for about 3.5 hours. We went at our own schedule. The masks were really beginning to wear on us though. I noticed our faces seem to be getting a touch irritated. Behind my ear, I was beginning to develop a sore spot from the bands.
Tomorrow would be Animal Kingdom. Everything would change.
