March 6 – 13, 2021 – Kathy birthday trip – day 7

Friday 3/12/21

I was up just a couple minutes before the alarm. Showered and got ready and spun 5 from the room. We headed down to the Skyliner just before 7:00 to order breakfast sandwiches and try for Rise boarding passes. No luck on the boarding passes, even though I was off wi-fi the phone hesitated for just a milli-second and they were gone. The breakfast sandwiches were delicious though! And the winds had finally calmed down. Hourglass Lake was like glass! It felt so good out this morning! But I still got my Disney hot chocolate! We were something like second or maybe third in line for the Skyliner. You’d think we were in a prime spot. But entry to Studios was a bit of a disaster. First off, people at Pop are at a huge disadvantage when arriving at the CBR hub. All those people were ahead of us, no matter how long we waited or how close we were to the front of the line. They really should hold CBR people until Pop people start arriving. I guess that’s part of the “class system” of Disney. The Values get the short end of the stick during busy times. By the time we got to Studios we were funneled into a very long lone on the left, behind several hundred parties, almost to the spot where car parking got in. The later arrivals, after us, got to go to the right and be right up at the temp checks when they opened. Our advantage was gone. Disney really needs to do a better job here. Something like alternating left and right or something like that. We hustled through as quickly as we could and back to Slinky Dog, which unfortunately didn’t do Kathy’s foot any good. But we did only have a few minutes wait thank goodness, and we got to be right by the tail! Sproing! Oh that is such a fun ride! I wish somehow waits were a little lower throughout the day so we could ride it more than once a trip. Kathy sent me over to RnRC, knowing how much I love that ride. It was pretty much a complete walk-on! I got in the second to last car in the limo, and Sweet Emotion as the song! It was still before official park open so I texted and asked Kathy if I could go again and she gave me her blessing! It was just a 5 minute wait and I got Sweet Emotion again! Such a great start to the park day! I was done by 9:05, three rides in! Kathy had found a table by Star Tours so we took the opportunity to ride that since we hadn’t gotten to our first day. We had completely new to us segments which was really great, including Rey, a Lando transmission, and the final battle blowing up Star Destroyers! C-3PO was so funny too, at one point he said, “if we don’t make it, you have been the best tour ever.” We met the Resistance fighter in Galaxy’s Edge. I had my Captain Hook Sailing Team shirt on and we had fun talking with her about whether I was a good pirate or bad pirate. There was no line for the Child photopass so we decided to do that. We had another great conversation with the photographer about how I was a pirate and if I was good or bad! When she said Hondo is a bad pirate and takes 50% of all the profits, I said I only take 25%. So that got on her good side. We had more interactions with my pirate shirt than I get with my Rebel Spy shirt! Ride waits were already backed up so we headed over to Lightning McQueen. We were one of the first in the next show so we got a prime spot right down in front!

After the show we had some fun with pictures with the Cars and checked out the rest of the shops except one, saw the Pixar cavalcade come out, and Sully had something go wrong. He went over to a CM, said something and they high-tailed it backstage. Interesting. We ordered lunch of chicken strips, fries, and a Wookie cookie from Backlot Express. Oh my gosh, the Wookie cookie could have been a meal itself! So huge! After leisurely enjoying lunch we checked out the final shop on Hollywood Blvd and scored a jackpot of Galaxy’s Edge pins for Chloe, saw the Pixar cavalcade again, complete with Sully! We then made our way slowly out, bellies full, for a break and packing so that we could enjoy a Magic Kingdom evening.

We headed to MK about 4:30 and caught the flag retreat. That is always so special to see! Goofy, Max, and Clarabelle were on the train platform so we got some fun pictures of that, and then the Mickey cavalcade went by! That was great to see with the other characters too! We headed to Dumbo where there was just one cycle wait. Since we didn’t get our nachos in Mexico we decided on the next best thing, a dinner of nachos at Pecos Bills. It was really weird here, the corner door at the end where they always have you enter at lunch time was now an exit only and they sent us around to where the cashiers are. Why would they switch it for supper? And frankly, why don’t they have people enter at the cashiers all the time? It makes much more sense than traipsing through the restaurant to pick up your food during the lunch rush. Oh well, it was delicious anyway! A Country Bear show was just letting out as we finished so we were able to walk right in. Such a cute and fun show to see when given the chance! And the audience always seems to enjoy, clapping along! We then went to ride along with the hitchhiking ghosts at Haunted Mansion with just a 5 minute wait, probably less. Kathy was really feeling her foot after, and as badly as she wanted to stay she begrudgingly went home knowing she needed to be good for our final day tomorrow. it was now night so I enjoyed some time solo and I went back around and rode Under the Sea and Dumbo, both as total walk ons! Pooh was listed at a 25 minute wait but was actually 15. I was really pleased to see the features working tonight! I headed over to Adventureland, enjoying the lights and evening and checked the Pirates line but it was longer than I would like. So I got a Dole Whip and just sat at a table and just slowly enjoyed it and the music and just being there. I headed over to Tomorrowland after my treat and watched CoP with zero wait. The show was turning to load when I walked up so it was literally walk right in! I took a leisurely stroll out just after 9:00 where two buses were waiting. I was home in very short order, by 9:30. What a great Friday evening! This is something I would do so much if I was a local. The atmosphere of MK at night, just enjoying being there and a few rides, so relaxing and just what was needed!

Steps: 25,604
Miles: 11.55
Calories burned: 3581
Spin: 5