Trip Log:

Started off my morning taking a stroll out to the lake to take a look at the Disney Skyliner work.  Gondolas were on the line today but not running and covered.   I did get to the see the boat that will be used for evacuations doing some test runs in the lake.   Then headed for the bus stop and caught a bus to the Magic Kingdom.  Once there spent some time on Main Street USA enjoying the Citizens of Main Street / Dapper Dans and the Springtime Trolley show.   Also played sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and walked through the shops for a bit.  Made my way out to Frontierland and stopped by the Country Bear Playhouse since they were making a last call.  Then circled back to Adventureland and used a FastPass+ for the Jungle Cruise.   Met some friends in Liberty Square and they paid a visit to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain then we all went to lunch at Columbia Harbor House.  After lunch some of the group used a FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train then we all used a FastPass+ for Buzz Lightyear and then went for a ride on the PeopleMover.   Hiked back to Main Street to get a voucher from City Hall for our friends brick that is being removed.  Made our way to Adventureland and the group had Dole whips, then back to Tomorrowland to order the replica.  Rejoined everyone in Frontierland and they went to Crystal Palace for dinner.  We ended up picking up their brick then grabbing a quick bite at Cosmic Rays.  Roamed around Storybook Circus then through the newer area of Fantasyland.   Littler Mermaid was posted at 15 min but a 5 min FastPass return so booked one and walked on.  Continued on around by Gastons then booked a FastPass for Small World so headed that way.  The group was done eating so skipped it and met them.  They did some shopping on Main Street USA and then we found a spot for Happily Ever After.  After the show joined the masses leaving the park, hiked to the Pop Century bus stop and caught the second bus that showed up back to the resort to call it a night.

Thoughts & Observations:

• Started my morning by taking a walk out to Hourglass Lake to see the Disney Skyliner.   This morning there were teams at work on the station with repainting underway.  The station seems to be progressing really slowly.   Most of it looked the same as December.  They have yet to install elements such as railings, etc.   Gondolas were on the line but not moving so you could get a feel for how it will look.   There was a team testing out what will be a support boat used for evacuations and I am guessing servicing of the system.  They were examining the boat then doing some laps.  I had to leave at that point so not sure if they did any drills or anything beyond that.  The boat itself has a raised platform that can reach the gondolas over the water without extending.
• Set off for the Magic Kingdom to meet up with some friends for the day.   It was great to step onto Main Street USA and see vehicles in motion and live entertainment.  I did not have a chance to go for a ride but I did stop to see the Citizens of Main Street USA join the Dapper Dans for a performance near the Main Street Cinema paying tribute to Mickey Mouse.
• I also was able to take in a performance of the Main Street Trolley show.  I think these shows add a lot to the park and your first impressions while strolling up the street.  Even if you do not stop just to have the activity is a big plus.
• As I was passing through Frontierland a last call was being made for the Country Bears so I had to sit for a show.  The theater was over 3/4ths full which was great to see.  The truncated show still annoys me but some bears are better than no bears!  
• As we walked around the park visiting with friends the lack of seating and shade really became obvious.  We had a very difficult time finding space as we moved around the park.  There are walls and benches but it seemed there were less than in the past and finding one in the shade was a difficult task.  The demand was much higher than supply in almost all cases.
• Decided to eat lunch at Columbia Harbor House.  We tried to time it after the lunch rush and for the most part succeeded.  Ordering took a while but there were seating choices and the crowd thinned as we ate.  
• The friends I was with had a Walk Around the World Brick and they wanted to pick up a replica.  The process was a little awkward.  We first stopped by the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co since that is where they were making them.   We found out you had to go to guest relations first to pick up a voucher if you wanted the discount for owning a brick.   So we made our way to Main Street where they provided their information and were issued a voucher.  This process took some time as they had to go look up and verify their brick then issue it.  The voucher was good for one six inch brick for $10 plus tax.  This was a $20 savings so worth the trip.  But it would have been nice to be able to get it all at one spot in Tomorrowland.  The process involved waiting in 4 queues.  One to get the voucher.  One to use the kiosk to order the brick. One to pay for the order. Then finally one to pick up the brick later in the day (it could have been sent to their resort but they were checking out the next day and it would not arrive in time).  They were also disappointed they were unable to go see their brick one last time.  It was on the pathway near the Monorail Station and it was blocked off.
• The MyDisneyExperience App was being a bit buggy today when it came to booking FastPasses.  For example I had a group of three and when I went to edit it, it only showed me one.  I had to close the app, clear the cache, then restart it to get to manage the full group.  This happened a couple times. 
• Decided to grab a quick meal at Cosmic Rays.  It was a fairly simple order of a plain hot dog and a chicken meal with fries instead of mac & cheese.  Order was correct on the receipt but it took three cast members and a couple of corrections to get our food right.  Seems the kitchen was not reading the tickets.  In the end we got a large tray of food with way more than we ordered.  They said to take it because they were going to have to throw it out if we did not.  
• Showed up for Happily Ever After about 30 minutes before showtime and started looking for a spot.  Ended up on the west side of the hub with a great view and lucked out with a stroller and no kids in front of us. 
• After the show joined the masses exiting the park.  Too bad they do not open a walkway on the west side of Main Street to exit.  We worked our way to the east side walkway as that seemed faster than going through the large crowd on Main Street.  It worked but brought back some memories of Shanghai crowds!
• Today was the first day in a very long time I spent a full day at the Magic Kingdom.   I tend to take breaks or park hop but since we were visiting with others and they were there we stayed in one spot.  It was a different experience for me.  Overall the day went quickly as most do but I felt like I spent a long time at the Magic Kingdom this trip after today.

Pedometer Information for the day:

Pop Century & Magic Kingdom A look at Disney Skyliner boat testing at Pop Century then a full day at the Magic Kingdom. 3 Images Per Page Our traditional format with medium size images and you can click to enlarge 1 Large Image Per Page A large image and you can navigate using buttons on the screen or your arrow keys Mobile Device Friendly One image per page and you can swipe

Addition Blog Picture Posts from today:

• “Live” Pictures from the day featuring a look as I walked around
• Pictures: Disney Skyliner Work at Pop Century Resort (5/10/19)
• Springtime Main Street Trolley Show
• Pictures: Happily Ever After @ Magic Kingdom