It’s not just the humidity, The heat is ohmygod, too

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Today is the day we made our first return to Walt Disney World since March of 2020. We took a Lyft from the airport directly to our hotel, the Boardwalk, since the wonderful Magic Express (Disney’s included-with-your-hotel-stay transportation) ended some time since we’ve been here. It was smooth and convenient, but of course there was a cost.

Our room is light green. It’s a pretty green…which is good because it is just about the only decorative part of the room. Gone are the days with cute hidden Mickeys and awesome Disney art. It could be a room in any airport hotel. Plain tan sofa and white duvet on the bed. We are very near the elevator, which is a lucky draw for us because we are usually waaaay down a hall somewhere.

We headed out to get a refillable soda cup on the boardwalk. The temperature was 99 and the humidity was crazy. You talk about it before you get here and then you go, OH!, when you do get here. I must say, I remember the Amazon has having worse humidity, so there is that. Anyway, we were walking down the boardwalk and the sun shining on my sandaled feet felt too much – like it was actually burning up my feet as I was walking. We had been planning to walk to the studio, but I zigged and said we had to take the boat. We might not survive the walk.

We met our traveling companions at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge at the Hollywood Studios. They arrived on Thursday and have had two great days. Keith is the only one never to have been to Oga’s before. We had such fun with the fun drinks – Liam’s had dry ice in the bottom making it swirl and spin and bubble in his glass and Maren had foam on the top of her drink that made her tongue numb. I ordered a jello thing, thinking it was a drink. It was cotton candy flavored blue jello with blueberry popping pearls, pop rocks and sugar and it was great fun and delicious. We had the (space) charcuterie board and had a marvelous time saying what is that? This is good? Did you try this?

Our first ride was Toy Story Midway Mania, which is appropriate because I love it. I did okay on my first game, then Mollie and Liam needed to have some food and Keith and I popped in for another game. Whooooooo. It was glorious. It was not my high score ever by any stretch, but it felt so good and it was a decent score.

Mollie really wanted to go on Tower of Terror again, and she wanted to go with me, so that was our pick to end the night. We got off at 9:01, which was perfect in a way, because it was just too hot to run to hop in a line last second. They went off to Fantasmic and we moseyed toward home. We shopped a bit (there is a jersey with sparkles and GOLD lettering…I didn’t buy it….yet). We took the boat because it was coming. As we waited, I wondered when the deli closed, because that is where you refill your soda cup and I was thirsty. Mmm. 10pm. It was 9:47 as the boat pulled away from the dock. I was thinking if we really hurried, we could make it. Another boat crossed our path at our first dock and we just drove backwards for a bit and I was like get out of the way, which is so so so calm of me because there was a time when I would have been thinking GET OUT OF THE WAY. Keith was very positive and kept saying he thought we would make it.

Now, understand neither of us were going to die without refilling our soda, but it is the GAME of it. My sister and I were talking about the GAME of grocery store checking out – conveyor belt, bag, cart fast, not getting in anyone’s way – what a game. Anyway, this soda refill challenge was becoming a great game. We got off the boat and I zoomed past a family who thought they were going somewhere fast. We had to get over the bridge from the Swan/Dolphin to the Boardwalk, then go all the way across the boardwalk. We had 4 minutes when we hit the end to get all the way around. I told Keith to go fast-ish, because even if he is slow, I am so much slower. It was funny, because as I was scurrying about 20 feet behind him I kept thinking if he got really tired, I would run and catch up and just keep running.

Like I can run!!!

Oh, my goodness, just stop and laugh and laugh. I would laugh and fall a few feet farther back. He made it at 9:58!!

We refilled the cup and drained it in two drinks (one each). You have a 5 minute (or something) waiting period between refills, so we knew we would only have time for one. Ever the optimist, I gave it another try and it worked. Bam. Gone again (12 oz cup). Third fill and we started to leave, then a giant family came in and gave us cover. We drank some more and refilled again. Keith thinks maybe the waiting period for refills has been lifted because of the heat. We left and got in line for pretzels with cheese down the boardwalk. It was a slow line, so Keith went back for soda. Then he went back again. We ate our pretzels lakeside, enjoying the lack of sun beating on us. As we started for our room, he hopped back in for a refill. The lady said they leave the soda machine as the very last thing they clean up at night and leave the exit door unlocked – she encouraged him by saying if the door is open and the machine still works, please feel free to fill up as many times as you like. We paid $21 for the cup and by Disney standards/prices we drank $35 of soda. We would NOT have paid for all of those, but it was sure fun drinking them. And it was even more fun getting there.