Summer in the parks

We visited Sea World again last Saturday. We were given a backstage tour of the arctic area, which we enjoyed. These exhibits feature beluga whales, walruses, and seals, and are pretty well themed. There is also a simulated helicopter ride, but it was closed due to the pandemic.

We also went to see the penguins, although the Penguin ride was also closed. 

Last Sunday night we took Jenn and some friends to the Boathouse in Disney Springs to celebrate her birthday. 

After dinner we walked down to the Westside. Last year the NBA Experience opened where the DisneyQuest used to be, but it closed for the pandemic and hasn't reopened. 

Last night we celebrated Jennifer's and Bryan's birthdays with dinner at Benihana.This afternoon we visited Universal for a few hours, and rode Hagrid's and had butterbeer.

Reopening Epcot

A week after the Magic Kingdom opened the rest of the Disney World parks opened as well. We got to enjoy cast previews of Epcot on Monday and Tuesday. It was great having the park mostly to ourselves. 

Epcot started its Food and Wine Festival early, but some booths were not yet open, and there was no festival center with displays and cooking demonstrations like previous years. We ate lunch at Le Cellier in Canada Monday and at Coral Reef on Tuesday. Both were really good. We had eaten at Le Cellier before, but this was our first time at Coral Reef. It’s in the Seas pavilion and looks into the large aquarium there.

The center of Future World was still torn up by construction, and the old Innoventions buildings were being gutted or demolished.

As at Magic Kingdom, there were no meet and greets open, but there were character cavalcades and characters that would come out and wave from behind barriers.

Jenn also visited Hollywood Studios in July. She made a droid at Droid Depot.

Reopening the Magic Kingdom

Last week, Disney began reopening their parks, starting with Magic Kingdom, and as cast members we were allowed to visit before the general public. Bryan joined us, as he had recently left Fort Worth and moved to Winter Garden. Susan and Jennifer were called back to work, but I remain on furlough.

 

As with Universal and Sea World, I thought the Covid protocols were a bit overboard, but it was great having so few people in the park. We had a nice lunch at Tony's Town Tavern. It rained pretty hard in the afternoon, but afterward the park looked pretty nice. The castle had been given a new coat of paint while the park was closed, making the upper towers pink and the roofs a deeper blue.

 

There was hardly any wait for the major rides, and none for the minor ones, although some stores and restaurants were closed. 

There was no parade or fireworks, and all the meet n' greets were closed. As a kind of substitute they had character cavalcades as well as characters occasionally waving from balconies. 

Critters of Florida

 

We see lots of interesting critters when we walk around our neighborhood. Anhingas, or snake birds, are very common near any body of water in Florida. We first learned about them when we visited the Everglades in 2006.

I've seen more hawks around than I remember seeing on the west coast. I've also seen Ospreys and Bald Eagles while at work. There are also herons and cranes.

These bunnies live in the park near us. They have smaller ears than the ones on the west coast. Sometimes I see them in the landscaping at Disney Parks.

Sometimes I see armadillos by the side of the road. I haven't been able to get a photo of one, but last month I saw this turtle by our house.

These small lizards are all over the place. I often see a half dozen or more around the yard, and sometimes they get inside the house. 

Last night we noticed a small alligator swimming in the pond near our house.

Universal Coasters

Today we spent another day at Universal. I rode Rip Ride Rocket in the Studios for first time. Don’t need to ride it again, as it was pretty rough. 

Jenn and I often ride the Incredible Hulk coaster in the Marvel Superhero Island area of Islands of Adventure when we go to Universal. We also enjoy the Mummy coaster in the Studios.

One ride I could do every time I go to Universal is Hagrid's Motorbike Adventures. The low crowds were great for getting on the coaster without too long of a wait.

Reopening the Parks

Last week, Universal reopened, and as annual passholders we were among the first to attend. While wearing masks to the parks was annoying, it was nice being there with so few people. I thought some of the health protocols were a little overboard, but followed the rules.

Work was progressing on a new roller coaster in the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure.  

Sea World reopened today, and again we were invited to be the first to attend as annual passholders. Sea World tried to implement the same pandemic protocols as Universal but the guests didn't seem as interested in following them, and the employees weren't as interested as enforcing or even encouraging them. Still we enjoyed a meal at the smokehouse, looking at the animal exhibits, and watching the orca show.

Pandemic

As the days dragged into weeks and the weeks into months, we spent time walking the dogs and doing puzzles and catching up on television shows.

We also spent some time looking for a house to buy. We eventually found one that worked for us, and last week Susan and I flew back to Oregon. We loaded up another truck with more stuff and headed east.

We drove home in five days, stopping only to eat, sleep, and get gas. We went east to Nebraska then turned southeast to Florida. This was my 16th time across the country. We then moved out of the rental house and into our new house.