So Monday was the official start of the Disney World trip. It was 20 years exactly, on December 14, 2000 that we first arrived at WDW. So while the pandemic definitely put a damper on a lot of the plans, I was happy to be able to mark the 20th anniversary.
Bill and Julie taxied us over to the Contemporary and on the way I received a text that the room was ready! Woo! I was planning to leave the bags at Bell Services but no need.
We were able to walk straight to the room and bypass the desk, use the magic band to enter the room and stow everything before walking over to Magic Kingdom.
And we got a BEAUTIFUL room overlooking Bay Lake.
After a couple of snaps of the room, we were back out the door.
We were just a bit behind a didn't make rope drop, but it was very relaxing walking down Main Street with all the rope drop folks already absorbed into the park and on rides.
One disappointment was the train station: the main, first sight you get, was completely covered in this horrible boring brown cover (they usually put up painted scrims and did the week after we were there, but not the week prior to Christmas and it was really ugly.)
So first photo was of City Hall instead.
The day was warming up quick and Monday was the hottest park day in the schedule, so we were going slow.
At the Emporium ahead of Main Street in the morning light
generally, everyone was keeping good space between their groups, and every ride had 6' markers to stand on to keep social distancing. No one was without a mask, a real one, properly worn, or cast members would ask them to fix it. Never saw any non compliance. Hand sanitizers were EVERYWHERE and I think I used every one of them twice.
A stroll through the castle next
Peter Pan already had enough of a wait, we skipped it and decided to walk on to Haunted Mansion.
Usually when the ride stops, you get stuck in some place that isn't terribly interesting, but this time, we were right at the hall of floating lights. It's such a dark ride, your only hope of clear photos is when you're stopped.
(we stopped here for a minute, too, so I could grab Leota)
Mr. Toad in the Haunted Mansion's cemetery
I had brought the big camera and the zoom above is one of a few I used it for. The iphone 11 pro's camera is so sharp I realized I could leave the 8 pound weight I usually carry around my neck (sweating into the camera strap) was no longer really necessary. I barely carried it again after this day. Also new this year, almost zero post-processing. I just let the photos upload into my Google account at the end of each day/overnight (hotel wi-fi is slow-ish) and then pulled them straight into an album and here to the blog without touching them. There are a few I think, "I should go back and fix the shadows there" but so far, I've not had the time and am not too stressed out looking at them.
Outside the Haunted Mansion is another sight you'll probably never see again. Usually at Christmas time, absolutely EVERYTHING has been done to get the park into tip top shape for the holiday season. This year, tons of projects (including that horrible train station cover) are still ongoing. In the back of the park, the entire Rivers of America is empty and the track on which the steamboat travels is being replaced.
We made our way alongside this giant ditch and back to ride Splash Mountain for likely the last time.
It's been announced the ride will be redone in a Princess and the Frog theme in 2021, which is a movie I love and I think it'll look fantastic and actually be a film everyone will be able to watch.
But Splash has been a big favorite ride for 20 years, so I was glad I got to ride one last time (actually three last times over the week)
By this point, it was mid-morning and we were on the hunt for a snack. Adventureland was still really empty, so we mobile ordered a dole whip and the orange bird Christmas (orange and white chocolate mousse).
(it was REALLY yummy)
We took in a bit more of Main Street before crossing over into Tomorrowland
by this point the clouds were gathering and darkening (looking from the castle down Main Street)
We detoured around the Winnie the Pooh that was showing a low wait time on the app
ALL of the interactive portions of rides where the kids used to be able to play are roped off, as well as any of the "holding" rooms portion of rides where people could not maintain social distance.
After Pooh, we mobile ordered lunch at Cosmic Rays as the skies opened up. It took a bit to find a table outside but by the time we were done eating, the blue skies had returned.
They have these areas set aside to sit down away from others, to be able to remove your mask and have a snack that we took advantage of while we ate enough popcorn so our little Christmas alien dude could shut his mouth. Then we heard one of the Christmas cavalcades coming onto Main Street and walked over to check it out.
from there we doubled back into Tomorrowland and got in the long looking line for Carousel of Progress.
we stopped by Gaston's where I got a cinnamon bun to save for the morning with coffee (pro tip: always have baggies of varying sizes in your backpack!) and then caught the Cavalcade in front of the castle this time around
from there, we walked back to the Contemporary for a rest and a bit of holiday decorating before Sammi joined us (toting my oat milk I could have brought with me that morning if I'd gotten that "room ready" text juuuust a little bit earlier)
and then the short walk back over to the MK at night (my favorite!)
Also, I didn't note earlier, each entry required a temperature check from a forehead scanner as well as a trip through security, but in every case, super efficient and very quick, especially when you remember to remove your battery charger pack and walk through the scanner holding it so you can skip bag check.
dinner at Pecos Bills outside
and then a night time ride on Splash Mountain
can you believe this place has been operating since July and not had a single case of COVID traced to it? Masks and distance, even in crowded areas, are working because everyone is doing it.
A few photos from the Emporium windows on the way out
walking back to the Contemporary, my favorite "wrap" of all the different ones on the busses right now
We walked out to the gigantic tree in front to get a better view
Sammi headed back to Bill and Julie's (and Charley) and we made a lap through the main building on the way back to the room for the end of Day 1.
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