So my road to the 2021 NYC Marathon really started in 2019.  I had done the marathon in 2018 and had no plans to do it again.  But I was turning 50 in 2020.. and the marathon was going to be the 50th anniversary of the NYC marathon.. so I decided I would put my name in for the lottery and let fate decide.

The lottery happened in January 2020 and I did not get in.   So I figured that was that.   But then COVID happened and I was sitting at home while everything was closed and thought about the marathon again.  I could sign up to do it with a charity and still make it happen for my 50th.   The whole COVID thing was only going to last a month or so and I had nothing else to do while on lockdown, so it was a good time to train.   I went ahead and signed up with Team in Training to do it.

Of course, COVID was not over in a month and the marathon was cancelled.  We were told that IF it ran in 2021, it would most likely be with less runners so you could say you wanted 2021 but there was no guarantee.  You may be offered 2022 or 2023.   Again, I left it up to fate.  I only wanted to do 2021 for the 50th so if I was offered a different year, I would decline.

Due to COVID, so many decisions were delayed so it wasn’t until June that I received an email offering me entry with Team in Training for 2021.  I had just done the Dopey challenge virtually in May (which is a 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon) so I had the miles in though I had only walked all of that.   I decided to go for it!

Fast forward to Sept 2021 – Training was going well, fundraising was going well.  Information was starting to come out about how the race would be different due to Covid protocols.   There were already about half the number of runners.  And then it was announced that there would 5 starting waves and that the last wave would start at noon.   This was an initial blow to me.   I knew I would be in the last wave, as I had been in 2018.   As a slower runner / walker in 2018, I had trained to mostly walk the marathon at around a 20 min pace.   I knew that I would lose course support and be off the official tracking system early in the race.   I was fine with all of that and had a wonderful experience with New Yorkers who stuck around to cheer on the last of the runners.   I had finished around 8 pm.  Now I would be starting another hour later than last time.  With fewer runners in the field, support may end even earlier, and it would be even later for my finish.    But nothing I could do about it, so I had to just mentally plan for how it was going to be.

In late September, I was on vacation in Disney and saw an email from NYRR.  It was just a basic “touching base” email that I read through and saw a paragraph about Mastercard offering an “Priceless” opportunity for 25 runners to start early.   At the time that I read it, I thought it was a contest. If you won, you would pay $200 to Mastercard which went to a charity, and you would get to start early.   I figured that was worth a shot, so I filled it out and really didn’t think much else about it.

After we were home from vacation a few days later, I was looking at my bills and saw that my card was charged for the $200.   I thought “Did I win?”   So I went back and looked at the original email again and saw that it said “first come, first serve.”   And then it said it was “sold out.”    I honestly couldn’t believe that I may have actually gotten it so I wouldn’t even let myself get excited about it.

In the beginning of October, I was still wondering about it, so I emailed Mastercard.   I received a response that yes, I was on the list for the early start and more information would be coming.  And in fact, a week later all the details arrived it was incredible.   Of all the details, the most important was that I would be starting at 8:25 am.   A little more than 3 ½ hours earlier than my official start time.

​I will admit that I was still skeptical that it was for real.   But the Friday before the race when I picked up my race bib, inside was a wristband that said “Mastercard Priceless Start.”

I had nervous energy the whole week before.  I knew I had done my training and I wasn’t really worried about the race itself.  There are many logistics and moving parts to getting to that start and I was so nervous about something going wrong that would make me miss that early start.  

Race morning arrived and the first task was to get to the early VIP bus.  It was about a ½ mile from our hotel.  My instructions said it would board at 5:10 am and depart at 5:30 am.   I ended up leaving my hotel early and I was glad that I did.  The buses were for all runners that had VIP access for one reason or another.  The street was full of buses and staff member checking to be sure you had VIP access.

I got on the second bus and then we waited.   And waited.   We didn’t start leaving until 5:45 am.   We finally got moving and then it took an hour to get there.  We had NYPD blocking roads for the buses, but it was still taking time to get that to happen ahead of the buses.   So I was only stepping off the bus at 6:45 am in the start village area.

One of the staff people held up large signs with initials for the different VIP groups (mine was MC for Mastercard) and we followed him through security.  The regular security line was paused for us to go through and then we made our way through the start village and then to a row of tents for each VIP area.
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I got to the Mastercard tent around 7 am.  There were staff people checking us in and then they said the early start people would gather at 7:45 am to go to the start area.   So not much time!   There were boxes that had a bagel with butter and cream cheese and a pastry as well as plenty of Gatorade and water.   Plus two things that are gold to runners before a race – tables to sit at and our own port a potties.  

I really didn’t have to much time to waste.  I had my bagel, used the bathroom and then they were gathering us to go to the start area.  
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When we arrived, the handcycle athletes were in the starting chute and they had about 10 minutes until their start.  We would be soon after them.   The race announcer would give updates on starting times for different groups and we would all yell when he mentioned the Mastercard runners.  He said, “Well the Mastercard group is here and they are excited.”

​The handcycle athletes had their start and then we moved into the chute.  They had us take this picture (plus we had a photographer and camera crew that was following us around since the tent).  You can only see my hat in the back on the right.

The race announcer gave us a countdown, a starting gun and then “New York, New York” started playing as we were off!

It wasn’t long before the other 24 runners were out of my sight.   My plan was to hope for a 20 min pace again (I had had some knee issues during the year so I didn’t even know if I could do that) and to do run / walk intervals for as long as could without aggravating my knee.

The first mile on the Verrazano bridge is uphill.  I had ran a little bit at the start but then walked the rest.  I was basically all by myself on the Verrazano bridge.   When does anyone get that opportunity?   So I took some pictures and took it all in.   

​Because I was alone, the race photographers took A LOT of pictures of me too!

I was just about past mile 1 and I heard the start happen again.  I knew that was the professional women starting and I did not want to be in there way at all!    I was hugging the center barrier.   At first a vehicle came through that said “Women Lead” with a time clock.  Then a TV crew vehicle came through.   Both were in the center of the road so I figured the runners would be in the center and I would be well out of their way. 

I actually heard them and felt them before I saw them.  They came blazing by me so close that they could almost have brushed my sleeve.   If that moment happened to be on television, my facial expression must have been hysterical. 

I knew the men would be next but I wasn’t sure when, so I went back to doing my thing on my private marathon course.  

For the next 2+ miles, I had the entire course to myself.   Spectators were out and cheering so I had my own private cheering squad.  It was actually pretty funny as I am sure they had to wondering who the heck I was and why was out there alone.

Just passed the 5K mark, I went through an aid station and heard a staff person say that the men were coming.  I looked ahead and saw about 4 tables set up with the fuel for the professional men.   I knew I did not want to be in the way and a staff person saw me and motioned for me to stay off to the side.  I went off the side and behind the tables when the lead men came through.   I don’t know how they grab their bottles so fast and keep moving. 

They were gone in a blur and once again I had my private course back.   I knew it wouldn’t last as the first waves would be starting after the lead men.   I actually had one spectator ask me when everyone else would be coming.

I was at around mile 4 when the rest of the runners started coming through.  I was not alone again for the rest of the race and it was actually fine with me.  

As for my race, I was doing well.   I was feeling good and running intervals.  I was averaging around an 18 / 18:30 mile.  I was really happy with that but also being careful not to use too much energy because there was a long way to go.

I had friends meeting me around mile 8 with some fuel and a refresher for my electrolyte drink.   When I did the marathon in 2018, the on course Gatorade did not sit well on my stomach so I had planned to only use my own electrolyte drink and just take water from the on course aid stations.
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I took a minute or so to stop with them and refuel and then I was back off again.   

At that point, the course was full but never felt overcrowded.   The spectators were out in full force.  The cheering was so loud that I often couldn’t hear the music in my headphones.

I kept watching the time because I wanted to see how far I was by noon when I would have officially started.   I was just past mile 12 by the time that I would have only started the race.
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I passed the halfway point and felt good and really optimistic.  Half done, half to go.  Another friend texted that she would be at the end of the Pulaski bridge.  I was even still running intervals at that time and feeling good.   I found my friend cheering in the crowd and kept going.

Then I came to the Queensboro bridge.   I remembered it from last time and knew that it is a long uphill climb.  In my mind, I thought No problem.  I will just walk it all and it will be fine.   Well it was really really tough.   It seemed to go on forever and it started to bother my back.   On top of that, I was halfway when my headphones died. 

I knew that my husband was waiting about ½ a mile after I got off the bridge so I tried to just focus on that and get to that point.

As I came off the bridge, the sound of the crowd cheering was tremendous.  Definitely gave me a boost as I moved forward to meet up with my husband next.   I found him, refueled, refreshed my drink and was off again.   

I really thought that crowd support would be enough to see me through the next 9 miles without my headphones.  I was wrong.   By mile 18, I was over the race.  I was bored.  I was tired.  My body hurt.  A team in training coach spotted me and walked along for a bit.   He was encouraging and helped move a long a little.  

It was really long trek up to where the course goes into the Bronx.   I was only walking at this point and slowing down.  I knew that the Bronx part had some turns instead of long straightaways, so I was looking forward to some different scenery.
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I was in the Bronx and all of sudden I heard someone yelling my name.  I looked over and saw a woman pointing to her child and yelling her name.   It was a student that I had worked with years ago!    I went over to say a quick hi and take a picture.   That was so awesome and unexpected.  

We came back into Manhattan and all I saw was a long stretch again with no end in sight.   Another Team in Training coach came along side and walked with me for a bit.   It was around mile 23.  He asked how I was and if I needed anything.  It was great to have the coaches around for a little check in on the course.
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Then another surprise came as my friends that met me at mile 8 texted that they were going to see me again as I came into Central Park.   This was a total surprise, and I was happy to see familiar faces again.   They were so excited and walked with me a little bit as well.

Then it was just two miles to go.   It was long and I really just wanted to be done.   I knew I would finish but it was going to be a long two miles.  

When I came out of the park for a little stretch before you go back into the park for the finish, I saw Chris again and gave a quick wave. 
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There are 3 tenths of a mile in the park until the finish.  I could see it ahead and just keep moving along to get there.    I actually love my finish pictures which I am surprised about.  I did not have much energy left and really didn’t feel like turning on a smile for the finish.

​Then the moment comes that makes you forget everything you went through for the last 26.2 miles.  They gave me my medal.  

I ended up finishing with almost the same time as in 2018.   I had a faster first half but a slower second half.   It is all good to me.  I don’t worry about the time.  A finish is a finish.

I can’t say enough about how amazing and “priceless” the early start was.   I had course support and crowds cheering for the entire race.  I also was on the official tracking app the whole time so I didn’t have to worry about updating friends / family on my location. 
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In the end, despite the challenges, it was a great day.   And an amazing experience to end my marathon career – and I mean it this time.

After being delayed due to Covid, Legoland NY officially opened July 9, 2021.  With my eight year old niece visiting in August, I planned a visit for the day.

The first stage of buying tickets found that it was not inexpensive.  You need to purchase tickets in advance as they are date based and you must visit on the day you have purchased the ticket for.   Currently the price is $80 for adults and $70 for children.   It took a bit of time searching online but I did finally come across a code for a free child admission with the purchase of an adult ticket.   I would have gone anyway but the discount was nice to have.

You also have the option to pre-pay for parking.  Parking is $20 in advance and $27 on the day of.   Definitely pre-pay for parking.  I will explain the parking situation later but besides saving a little bit, it will make your departure so much easier if you pre-pay.

The park opened at 10 am.  We arrived at 9:30 and there were already some guests in front of the gates.    We made our way over there and found some photo ops available in the area in front of the gates.

At 9:45 am, the model citizens (that is the term for Legoland employees) did a little opening song and started to allow guests through the gates in the main courtyard area.   There were restrooms, the big gift shop and a grab n go food / drink area.  There were also some more photo ops in that area and Lady Liberty was out for photos as well.

From the courtyard area, you can either go left or right.   The park is one big loop.   It is also one big hill.  So you may enjoy the downhill at first but you will be coming back uphill eventually.  I checked my Apple Watch and it was a little over 2 miles all the way around.

If you go left, you will get to the first themed area that is Bricktopia.  In this areas is one of the popular rides, the Lego Factory tour.    If you go to the right, you go into Miniland which is a walk through area where different cities are built out of Lego.  

My instinct was to go to the left and do the popular ride at opening when it isn't as busy.  However, I had read a few trip reports online that suggested doing the Miniland first so that by the time you got all the way around to Bricktopia in the afternoon, it would not be crowded.    I hadn't really decided what do but what ended up happening was that it was still before 10 am and the left side wasn't open yet.  But you could start walking through the Miniland on the right so that is what we did.     It really worked out great for us but it also was not very crowded at all on this day.   On a weekend, I am not sure if it is still the best plan.

Miniland was my favorite part of the park.   Besides the fact that everything was Lego, there were so many fun details to spot.   I could have spent a lot more time there but I had an 8 year old that was anxious to get on the rides.   Here are just a few photos.
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From here we made our way through the other lands.  The areas are Pirates, City, Castle, Ninjago and Bricktopia.    The highlight for my niece was driving a Lego car on the city streets and then getting her drivers license.  (Each child gets a little drivers license card for free.  The license and lanyard were $27. )
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My favorite attraction was the 4D movie.  It was funny and had a lot of "4D" effects.   

There are plenty of Lego figures around in all the areas.  Again I was impressed by the details.

Be sure to check your child's height.   Under 52 inches means that they will need to ride with an adult.  This is the case for the main rides.

Let's talk food.   I already knew where I wanted to eat.   We started with a snack of apple fries.   Yes, these are apples cut like French fries, battered and fried.   You can get them with ice cream but we went with just the standard fries with whipped cream and a little cup of caramel sauce.   They were yummy!

For lunch, we went to Smokey's Brick-B-Q.   You have a few options for different bbq meats and sides.  There are also chicken tenders and fries for kids.   I got the brisket with mac n cheese and fries.   The brisket was really good.   It was fork tender and had great flavor.   The mac n cheese was also really good.  Fries were pretty standard.   You could definitely share this meal.   

There is also a pizza buffet and another place with your standard burgers and nuggets.   I also noticed that each area had a smaller snack bar.   As far as drinks, you can purchase bottled beverages or there is a refillable mug system.  There are multiple freestyle Coke machine areas around the park.

Of course there is a big gift shop.  There were a lot of Lego kits available.  My niece did a "build your own" mini figure set in one of the smaller gift shops.   

If you are a fan of Lego Masters (which I am), definitely go into the big gift shop.  They have the winning build from Season one on display.

We had made our way all the way around the park by 1:30 pm.   It was really not crowded at all.  The longest we ever waited was 10 minutes.    I have seen other guests report long lines on the weekends so I would be prepared for that.

There is a "Fastpass" / virtual queue type system set up there called Reserve n Ride.  It is a bit confusing.  It is not through the Lego app but it is a separate website.  However, you need to create an account with the same email you used to purchase your tickets.   There is a paid version but that was not available on the day we visited.   There is also a free version.  At 10 am, I was able to activate the free version for us.   However throughout the day, it was never available.   My guess is that it was not busy enough today for them to activate the system.

Now for parking.  As I mention you should pre-pay your parking.   As we walked out of the park, I saw a few signs that said Stop at Guest Services or the Ticket Booth to Pay for your Parking.   I saw the signs...but I could easily see them being missed.   When you get to the exit there are lanes with machines and gates that are down.  For me, it was easy.  Scanned the QR code on my prepaid voucher and the gate opened.   However, I could see guests getting there without paying and needing assistance which would back up the exit, especially on busy days.

Overall we had a fun day.   I would recommend a weekday if you can.  I would not say that the rides are worth more than a 10-15 minute wait.  I would think the lines are much longer on the weekends.

The Legoland Hotel actually opens tomorrow.    My niece was eyeing that up already for next year!

A blog post for this day can be found at:

​https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/09/disney-day-23/

Blog post can be found here:

https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/08/disney-day-22/

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My Disney trip reports from this trip are going to be found on my "50 Disney Days" website.

Here is the one for my Epcot day:

https://50disneydays.com/2020/11/05/disney-day-20/


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Guests staying at Universal Resorts get one hour early access to the Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure.   Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is a roller coaster that is new since my last visit in 2018.  I know the wait times are long for that during the day, so I wanted to take advantage of the early entry for that ride alone.

The early hour was from 9 – 10 am.   Anticipating that the line to get in may be long, I was down at the food court for breakfast at around 7:30 am.   I was happy with the selections available.  I chose a breakfast sandwich with potatoes on the side and found a seat completely alone outside.   It was already quite humid and warm out.

There were several other guests at the bus stop but again there were plenty of buses lined up and waiting so it was a quick trip over to Citywalk.   I was there at around 8:15 and found a bench to sit on and wait a bit as I didn’t want to stand for too long.

I went over to the park entrance around 8:40 am.  They had three lines of guests waiting for the early park entry.   There was plenty of team members to answer questions and direct guests as well as a team member with a microphone who was talking to guests and providing information.

They started entry about ten minutes before 9 am.  As you walked into the park, the main area was open to all guests.  When you approached the Harry Potter area, it was roped off and you needed to show your room key so that only resort guests were admitted to that area.
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I was in line for Hagrid’s by 9:10 am and finished with the ride at 9:30 am.   It was mostly walking the through the queue with a little bit of a wait at the loading area.  The ride was so much fun though maybe a little too much for my stomach… I am really getting old!    

Side note: I wanted to note about the ride vehicle for Hagrid’s.   I am a plus size lady and fitting on Universal rides always causes me some anxiety.  On my very first visit to Universal, many years ago, I was at a heavier weight and didn’t fit on the roller coasters.   When we visited two years ago, I did a lot of research and tried all the test seats before we got in line for the attractions.  I would not say I had a lot of wiggle room, but I was able to ride everything without any issues. 
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    I researched Hagrid’s vehicles before I left.  There are two options because there is a motorbike and a side car.   The side car is a tighter fit while the motorbike seems to give a little more space as it is open on the sides.  I did not try the test seats this time and just went for it.   I was able to fit in the motorbike section with no problem.   I did see two ladies try the test seat in the loading area and they were turned away.    I don’t love that this is a consideration at Universal, but it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

Anyway… after riding Hagrid’s, I went right over to the other Harry Potter attraction in Islands of Adventure, Forbidden Journey, which was my favorite on our last trip.  Again, it was just a matter of walking through the queue and I was on the ride.    I was done with both Harry Potter attractions by 10 am.  The park was open to all guests at that point and the wait time for Hagrid’s was up to 75 minutes.   There is a threshold at which Hagrid’s changes to a virtual queue system where you can receive a return time in the app.   At that point, it was still a stand by line.
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Riding Hagrid’s was really my main goal for the day, so with that accomplished, everything was icing on the cake.   Limiting my walking was also important so I decided to take the Hogwart’s Express over to Universal Studios.   A perk of the social distancing guidelines was having your own car on the train.   It was so nice and cool in there!

​I did the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon attraction with no wait time.  I also went to see the Bourne Stunt show again.  No long wait this time.  

​I stopped for a late lunch at the Today Café which is themed for the Today Show.  I love the Today show so of course I liked the theming.  There was a team member at the door who was allowing guests in 3 at a time to order at the counter.  I asked if I could sit at a table outside to eat.  He said it was not a problem at all and he gave me a table number to tell my cashier.   I wanted something light and healthy, so I order the avocado toast.   It was like a little salad with mashed avocado on top of toast.   Tasty.

After lunch, I went to see the Horror Make Up show.  This little show is easy to bypass but it is completely worth doing.   It was somewhat about showing how effects are done in horror movies but it is also just fun.   Beetlejuice was entertaining the audience while the theater was loading.  He talked to everyone and was quite funny.

​I was fortunate to spend October 25 – 27, 2020 at the Universal Orlando resort.   Full disclosure – My hotel accommodations and park tickets were provided for me by Universal Orlando as a travel agent FAM (familiarization) program.  My experience and opinions are my own.
 
I used Mears, a town car service, to get from Orlando Airport to Universal Orlando.  I have used Mears in the past and have always been happy with their service.   My experience this time was no different.  The driver asked if I had other Mears transportation booked for the week – which I did – so he made a note of my transfers and said he would request to be my driver for those as well.
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I checked in at Cabana Bay resort at around noon and my room was ready.   As you enter the lobby, you are stopped for a temperature check.  I had mine checked and was given a colored wristband.  The wristbands indicate that you have had your temperature checked for the day.  Even when you go to Citywalk or the theme parks, your wristband means that you can bypass those temperature check areas.

Cabana Bay has a retro theme based on the 50s and 60s.   The prices are on a moderate level and the resort has standard rooms as well as family suites.  The theme is evident throughout the whole resort.

My first stop was to check out my room and drop off my bags.   I was in the Americana wing, which turned out to be very convenient.   I was only an elevator ride down to the main food court area and the door that leads to the shuttle bus stop. 
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I loved the theme of the room – especially the retro bath products and the alarm clock.   The room itself was on the small side.   Certainly, it was fine for just me.   I would think it would be a little tight for a family of four and definitely small for 4 adults. 

​I took a walk around to explore the resort.   There is a Starbucks in the lobby, several outdoor food locations, and a lounge area in addition to the food court.   There are two pool areas, one with a lazy river, a gym, and a bowling alley.   The hours do vary right now due to COVID (for example one pool area is only open on the weekends) so you need to check on availability during your stay.

I landed at the Hideaway Bar and Grill for a frozen cocktail and some fish tacos.  The cocktail came in a souvenir cup which entitles you to refills for $2 less.   Due to Covid, they don’t actually refill your cup.  You present it and they give you a drink at the reduced cost in a plastic cup.
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Throughout the trip, I made sure to eat outside, as I am not comfortable with indoor dining.  I was able to find a nice quiet table in the shade to enjoy my lunch.

After my meal, I wanted to go to Universal Studios.  Both parks had been reaching their capacity limits on weekends.   This was a Sunday and I had seen a post at 11 am that both parks were full at that time.  There is a capacity phone number that you can call to check on the status.  I called and the parks had reopened for guests.

The shuttle bus was sitting at the bus stop when I arrived.   As I would find throughout my time at Universal and Disney, the buses have been divided into zones.  The driver will tell you what zone you are assigned to as you board.   There was only one other party on the bus, so it was easy to get on and the ride was about five minutes.  

All the shuttle buses drop you off at Citywalk and then you walk to either park or dining /restaurants at Citywalk. 

Another personal factor for this trip was that I was having knee issues.   I had seen my orthopedist for the second time two days before I left.  He had given me a stronger anti-inflammatory and a gel injection for my arthritis.   I was still not walking well and this would be a factor on my touring throughout the trip. 

Due to my knee and the fact that it was the weekend and wait times were high, my plan was to stay in one section of Universal Studios and do the Bourne Stunt Show and the Animal Actors show and then call it a night.  

The Bourne show was first up and there was a huge line when I arrived.  The team member said that the next show was already full and the line was for the show after that.   I did not want to stand for 45 minutes so I sat on a bench across from the show to see when it would start letting in.    It didn’t take long for the team member to start allowing guests in so I joined the end of the line.   I didn’t realize that I would still be standing for about 30 minutes as I moved through the queue and into the pre-show area.

The entire pre-show area was divided into boxes on the floor.  You are assigned an area to wait in.  When the theater opens, team members lead guests in lines into the theater and assign your seats.  Every other row is left empty and three seats are left empty between each party.  When the show was over, team members directed rows to leave one at a time to minimize crowding at the exit.

I don’t want to give too much away about the show.  I don’t even know if I could describe it enough.   In simple terms, it is a stunt show based on the Jason Bourne character / movies.   There is a huge screen across the entire back of the stage that is so clear it is hard to tell what is real and what is on the screen.  The show is about 15 minutes long with a lot of action and stunts.   I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

After the show, I grabbed a Powerade and sat on a bench to take a break.   I didn’t mention it before it, but it was hot and humid.   Add on wearing a mask and it is easy to lose track of your hydration.   While I was sitting, I checked on the time for the Animal Actors show.   It started in about 45 minutes so I made my way over there. 

Again, as guests entered that theater area, a team member was directing us to our seats to maintain social distancing.  As I was walking forward, the team member saw me limping and said “I don’t want you to have to walk more than you need to” and he sat me in the handicap area by the entrance.  I was certainly grateful for that!
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I have seen the Animal Actors show on previous visits.   It’s always cute.  Some of the show demonstrates how animals are trained to work in movies and television.  And some of it is a variety of animals coming across the stage doing cute things.   I especially got a laugh at a cat that was supposed to run up a path but decided to sit down halfway and chew on some grass.  

It was about 5:30 pm at this point.  The wait times were starting to come down around the park and it was open until 10 pm.  However, I had 5 more park days ahead of me, so I decided to go back to the hotel to ice my knee.   

Of course, I needed an evening treat!   I knew that Voodoo Doughnuts was on the way from the exit to the bus stop.   They provide mobile ordering.  Just as I exited the park, I placed my order.   When I got to Voodoo Doughnuts, it was ready, and I walked right up to the mobile pick up area to get it.  

Doughnuts in hand, I made my way back to the shuttle bus area.   There were 3 buses lined up and waiting so even though the buses have a limited capacity, I was on a bus quickly and back at my hotel within 10 minutes.
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On last thing to note for this day is that Universal offers a “chat to the front desk” feature.   It was about 9:30 pm and I realized I could use an extra blanket.   I sent a message through this feature, got a reply right away and five minutes later there was a knock at the door with my blanket.   That was awesome!

​I have just returned from a trip to Orlando.  I visited Universal Orlando for two days and Disney World for four days.   I will be doing a trip report for each but I wanted to sum up my experiences and thoughts on the safety procedures in place for each location.
 
Resort Experience
               Universal – Cabana Bay

• Temperature check daily.  You are given a colored wrist band that changes daily.  Once you are checked once, you don’t need to get checked again for the day, including at Citywalk and the theme parks
• No housekeeping at all during your stay.  There are extra trash can liners in the room.  You can tie up your garbage and place in it in the hall.   If you need anything, you can use the “chat to the front desk” feature and they will deliver it and leave it outside your door.   I found that this worked great.   I was looking for extra blankets at 9:30 pm and had them within five minutes.
• Food court and Starbucks were a typical experience.
• Masks are required in all public areas, except for in the pool area.
• Typical check in experience at the front desk.
• Shuttle buses have separate zones with plexiglass dividers.  The driver will assign you a zone.  This limits the capacity of the buses but there were always empty ones right behind.  I never waited more than five minutes for a bus.

 
Disney – Caribbean Beach

• Housekeeping comes into your room every other day.   They clean the bathroom, leave fresh towels and empty the trash.  They do not change the bedding or make the bed.
• The food court was a mobile order location.   You could eat inside at tables that were social distant, outside at tables or back at your room (which is what I did)
• Masks are required in all public areas, except for in the pool area.
• Online check in is encouraged.   You receive a text when your room is ready and you go directly to your room.   You do not visit the front desk.
• The buses are separated into zones with dividers.  You are assigned a bus.  I did not have any issues waiting for a bus at the resort or going back to the resort from the parks.  For the Skyliner, each Skyliner is allowed only one party.

 
Park Experiences
               Universal

• No park reservations are required.  On my first day there it was a Sunday and the park had closed to capacity before my arrival.  By the time I got to the parks in the afternoon, it had reopened.   There was some confusion about Universal resort guests being able to get in even if the park is at capacity.   Some information said yes while other information said resort guests would have priority to enter once more guests were allowed.
• Temperature checks are done at entry, if you did not do it at your resort.
• A ticket scan with a fingerprint was required for entry.  A team member was wiping down the fingerprint scanner between guests.
• A team member was at the boarding area of every ride manually squirting hand sanitizer into each guest’s hands.  This was not optional.   There were hand sanitizer stations at the exit of each ride and all around the park.
• At shows, guests were directed to stand in certain areas in the pre-show sections.   When it was time to enter, team members escorted guests in lines and seated everyone.  Every other row was blocked off as well as 3 seats between parties.   At the end of the show, a team member would release each row one and a time to reduce crowding at the exit.
• All lines had social distancing markers. 
• Express Pass is in effect for guests at certain resorts or guests that purchase it as an add on.
• Where lockers are required, capacity was limited in the area and controlled by a team member.  Fingerprint scans were still required and I did not see a team member cleaning the screens between guests.
• There were characters out for selfies at a distance and one parade float with characters would come through.
• Masks are required at all times, except for eating and drinking.
• “U Rest” zones were available in the parks.  Seating was distanced and you can remove your mask at the seats even if you were not eating or drinking.

 
Disney Parks

• Park reservations are required in advance.  There is no park hopping so you reserve one park for each day of your trip.
• Temperature checks are required at the entry to the park.
• The fingerprint scan was eliminated at the park entry.   You only scan your magic band.
• Hand sanitizer stations are set up at the entry and exit to every ride / show.  They were not monitored.  I did see most guests use them, but not all.
• At shows, guests were directed to stand in social distant areas for the pre-show.  When the show was loaded, guests were directed to choose a row that was open and to not sit in seats that were marked off.   Cast members did monitor the theater to ensure everyone was seated correctly.  At the end of the show, guests were advised to maintain social distance when exiting (which really didn’t happen).
• All lines had social distancing markers.
• Fastpass is not in effect currently.   Personally, I found this to be a big plus.   All of the stand by lines were constantly moving because the ride constantly loaded from one line.
• Character cavalcades would appear at random times.  Some individual characters were also around in distant areas as well.
• Masks are required at all times, except for eating and drinking.  You must be stationary while eating and drinking as well.
• “Relaxation stations” are available for a mask break throughout the parks.
• Cast members often wore masks and shields.  Universal only wore masks.  I completely understand the safety element for the cast members.  I would just mention that it did make it a little challenging to hear them at times, particularly in noisy ride areas.

 
Overall Impressions and Thoughts

• Masks can be a challenge in the Florida heat.   I brought with me a variety of different kinds and I was glad that I did.  Masks that often wear in New York felt too hot in Florida.   Once I found which one worked for me, I was good to go.  Also, if you are not used to wearing a mask all day long, you may want to practice extending your wearing time before you go.
• I was impressed with the behavior of other guests.  Everyone followed the guidelines for the most part.  I saw a few people (I would say 5 or less per day) that had their mask under their nose.   I had no issues with guests following the social distance markers in lines.
• I was comfortable in both Universal and Disney parks, but I do think Universal did it a bit better.  They were more vigilant about hand sanitizer when boarding rides and they were more organized with show seating and dismissal. 
• If you would be uncomfortable if any other guest is closer than six feet to you, this would not be a good time to visit.   It just happens at times.  Even though the park capacity is low and there are markings in place, sometimes people will bottle neck in some areas while walking around.
• I enjoyed the absence of pushing and shoving that often happens when guests are entering a show or other attraction.
• I also enjoyed never having to stand on a crowded bus.
• Pay attention to your hydration.  I usually sip on a water bottle all day.   I had to make sure that I took breaks to sit down and drink.

 
 
Overall, I had a great time in both parks.  It felt more relaxing and the low wait times were a big plus.   I think so much of visiting right now has to do with your mindset.   If you want to bemoan attractions or experiences that are not currently operating or complain that you must wear a mask all day, you can easily make yourself miserable.    I had some great cast member interactions and saw some cast members make some little magical moments for families.   I enjoyed everything that I got to experience, especially two rides that were new to me.   The magic and fun are there.  You just have go in with the right expectations and frame of mind. 

We board the Disney Dream for a 4 night cruise


​https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/13/disney-day-7/


https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/14/disney-day-8/

This blog installment has a lot of information about my experience running the Princess Half Marathon

https://50disneydays.com/2020/03/11/disney-day-6/

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